“The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world.”
G.K. Chesterton
M ichael Whelan is one of the world’s premier painters of imaginative realism. For more than 35 years he has created book and album covers for authors and musicians like Isaac Asimov, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, the Jacksons and MeatLoaf. His clients have included every major U.S. book publisher, the National Geographic Society, CBS Records, and the Franklin Mint.
Since 1995, he has also pursued a fine art career and his non-commissioned works are in established collections throughout the world.
A graduate of San Jose State University with a BA in Painting and a President’s Scholar, Michael went on to attend the Art Center College of Design also in California, but he dropped out to accept his first book cover assignment. He soon became known for his dedication to bringing an author’s words to life and Whelan covers dominated the science fiction and fantasy field throughout the 80’s and 90’s. He was largely responsible for the realistic style of genre covers of that era, and his stunning color and composition have influenced many artists to this day.