(All images copyright Michael Whelan)

There is no other artist whose work has been as prominent in the course of my life than Michael Whelan. When I think back to my earliest remembrances of discovering science fiction and fantasy it is Michael Whelan’s cover illustrations for Second Foundation and Foundation’s Edge (both by Isaac Asimov) that are etched on my brain. Michael Whelan’s art made me want to read books, those books, to discover the stories that inspired the images. His work continues to do that to this day. Over the course of the last few years I have set about collecting a number of books whose Whelan covers haunt (in the very best way) my childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. “Sense of wonder” captures it perfectly, and that feeling of awe that his work evokes has only grown stronger over the years. I know that many of you feel the same way.

When Arlo Burnett, Event Manager for Spectrum Fantastic Art Live, emailed a few weeks back and asked if I would be interested in doing any promotion for SFAL2, I jumped at the chance and asked if I could possibly interview some of the guests scheduled to attend. Given how busy these artists are with their work and appearances and the rapidly approaching event date I hoped, but did not expect, that many would have time to participate. You can only imagine how thrilled I was to see Michael Whelan’s response. I was able to converse with him at last year’s inaugural Spectrum Fantastic Art Live event which was a pleasure I will always cherish, as is the honor of his participation in this interview.

Without further ado, allow me to introduce Michael Whelan via the bio present on the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2 artist page:

Michael Whelan has been working as a science fiction and fantasy illustrator for nearly four decades. He was the first living artist to be inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.

He has provided illustrations for more than 350 books and magazines, as well as record album covers and Magic: The Gathering cards. His body of work is truly astonishing, and he has received accolades and awards including 15 Hugo Awards, three World Fantasy Awards and many, many more.

He has been published in many art collections, including “Michael Whelan’s Works of Wonder” and “The Art of Michael Whelan: Scenes/Visions.”

I highly recommend a visit to Michael Whelan’s website, which has many examples of his iconic art as well as more detailed biographical information and his personal Artist Statement. It will be time well spent.

 

CVA:  Nearly a year has gone by since the inaugural Spectrum Fantastic Art Live event.  What are some of your lasting memories of the experience?

MW: There are too many memorable things to give you any comprehensive listing, but I can mention the first things that come to mind:

–the incredible artwork and the fascinating folks who make it, of course, would be paramount.

– the efficient and helpful staff directly affiliated with SFAL as well as the people who helped with the shipping, setup and take down.

–the mind-blowing performance art at the awards ceremony. If, as Arthur C. Clarke has said, “technology sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic”, then Android Jones is a magician of the highest order. I am in absolute awe of his talent, skill, imagination and intensity. I was stunned to see it performed live; I felt I was looking through a window into the future of art.

– The fun time we had at the Aladdin and the various parties and get-togethers that accompanied the event

–On the down side, my wife and I -due to my own poor planning-  were literally the last ones to finish packing up our display stuff and artwork over at the convention center. It was a slow, dreary and needlessly tedious process. I pray I’ve learned my lesson and will avoid the same hassles this time! 

CVA:  The creation of works of art would appear to be an activity that happens largely in isolation, what is it like for you, in contrast, interacting with fans and fellow artists in an up-close, personal way?  What do you hope fans take away from the experience of meeting you and seeing your work in person?

MW: During my early and formative years art was a solitary pursuit for me. Growing up in California and the Southwest, my artwork and reading seemed to be concentrated on days when the weather was bad or I was sick. Also, my family moved a lot so I was always a “new kid” in the neighborhoods we moved to. I often found myself alone and would turn to drawing or reading to fill the time. (To me, the two processes were always and naturally linked. )

I had to alter my perceptions somewhat when I started taking art classes in school, of course, but still I feel I am at my creative best when I can be alone and without distractions.

The chief thing I like to get from people who see my work in person is a “wow”. It can be from the subject, the sense of realism, or whatever other qualities can exist in a work of creative endeavor; I’ll take it any way I can get it!  I find that knowing the story behind a painting will greatly enhance the appreciation of the piece, so I suppose what I most desire to express to fans is a heightened sense of what went into a particular painting and what it is all about. I want people to be aware that every part of a painting is in there for a reason.

CVA: The internet has brought more artistic work to the eyes of the general public than ever before.  Has this in any way affected your work? 

MW: Sure.  When I started out in this career, the only people I felt I had to compete with were other artists living on the East Coast. Over the years things opened up considerably. Owing to the new availability of delivery services such as UPS and FedEx, publishers were able to reliably contract for services with artists elsewhere in the USA, then soon after, in the UK. Nowadays it doesn’t matter where you live, and you are in competition with everybody in the whole world. Fortunately, vast new areas of opportunity have opened up as well, and an artist is as likely to work in films or in video games as in the field of book publishing.

CVA: You work in a traditional medium.  What draws you to working with paint? 

MW: I like to be able to touch what I’m working on, it’s a more intimate sense of control-and-response, and feels more natural.  It’s pleasing to me to have an actual painting there that I can hang on a wall when I’m done. Also, with a painting there can only be one unique original, and the appeal of that notion cannot be matched with a digital image. 

To be able to look closely at a painting and see the evidence of an artist’s hand in the work gives a sense of connection to the work that is absent from a reproduction. If it weren’t the case, why would all those Thomas Kincaid collectors have paid extra to have him put a brushstroke on his special prints?

Finally, painting is more of a whole-body experience. I mean, when I paint I am often on my feet and moving about quite a bit, aside from just using my hands and arms. It’s simply much more fun.

Working digitally, I often end up achy and stiff from being frozen in a single position, wiggling just my fingers and wrist. It’s not hard for me to feel the difference at the end of eight hours of doing one vs. the other.

CVA: Have you done any digital work and do you have any thoughts on the rise of digital artwork in the fantastic realm over the last several years?

MW: Digital work is very useful and I’ve incorporated computers and software into my process, usually in the preliminary stages of my work. I’ve done some renderings digitally [mostly for record album covers] and I actually won a gold medal at the Society of Illustrators for one of them, back in the mid-90s. But I don’t enjoy doing finished work that way for the reasons I mention above, so I avoid it whenever I can.

In the first Spectrum show I judged, there were only a few digital works to be seen. Now a high percentage of the work submitted is digitally created, and much of it is excellent. I love the good stuff, shrug off the bad stuff, same as in any of the other media.

CVA: Over the last several years you have created a number of personal works, works that have later been commissioned as book cover images.  How do your personal works differ from those you create to represent an author’s creative output, and how do you feel about personal works being used on book covers?

MW: Before the late 1980s whenever someone asked me what I like to paint “just for myself” I used to answer –truthfully– that F/SF illustration WAS what I painted for myself. I had little inclination to do otherwise. But something happened, and I began to feel a strong need to express thoughts, observations and opinions that my illustration work didn’t satisfy. So around the time of the birth of my son Adrian I began to take time to do paintings that were entirely free from the limitations and constraints of illustration commissions. Having total control over the size, format, and subject matter -not to mention the lack of a deadline- was exhilarating.

But it never passed my mind that anyone else would be interested in what I was doing, so when I finished the paintings I just hung them in our house and went on to the next assignment. Later, a gallery owner I met heard that I had these unseen paintings hanging in my house and arranged for me to show some of them in his gallery. To my utter surprise they all sold very quickly, and a new career was launched for me. I still work with the same gallery, as we have done quite well together over the years and they have been exceedingly patient with my erratic delivery schedule.

Since my personal works are still in the realm of imaginative realism publishers have occasionally found applications for some of the images as book or album covers. That is the best thing for me, as it means I receive the financial benefits of an illustration commission without the constraints listed previously. What can be better? Here’s hoping that trend will continue!

CVA:  In addition to personal works, your art continues to be featured on books in the science fiction/fantasy genre.  When you are commissioned to do these works, do you get a chance to read the work ahead of time?

MW: I insist on reading the book whenever I can get it. The problem is that often the author’s writing schedule does not dovetail with my painting schedule, so I am forced to develop a cover image from whatever is available, whether it be an outline, sketchy first draft, or whatever.  My fear in such circumstances is that I will paint something that later gets edited out of the manuscript, or portray a character that the author or editors decide to change after the artwork is done. To help avoid such problems I confer as much as possible with  both the editors and the author so that we can insure a cover that is right for the book.

CVA: And finally, what is bringing you back to Kansas City for Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2?

MW: The main reason is that I’ve been allied with the SPECTRUM concept from the beginning and I feel it is one that demands whatever support I can give it.  Also, I must admit I did well at the last one from a financial standpoint, so that is a major incentive.

Aside from that though, it’s great to see what the other artists are doing; I always come away from such events feeling  invigorated, validated, and challenged creatively.  The feeling of community among the artists working in this field is wonderfully encouraging, and the positive rush I get comes back home with me and informs my work for months afterwards. What’s not to like? 😉

I want to thank you here, Mr. Whelan, for taking the time to so thoroughly answer these questions. I look forward to thanking you in person in one week’s time. When I say it is an honor that is not a word I use lightly. I sincerely mean it, thank you.

I know many of you out there have a connection to Michael Whelan’s work. We want to hear about it. Share your thoughts on what he shared with us above, your favorite cover illustrations and/or personal works created by Michael Whelan, or anything else you feel inspired to say. And if you can somehow manage it, get here to Kansas City next weekend and see the man and his work up close and personal. It is an experience you will never forget.