(Cygnus. All images copyright Les Edwards)
As threatened yesterday, I have brought back the Friday Favorites. For the uninitiated, this category features sites from my Favorites file, mostly art, that I want to share with you. This month’s selections will primarily be science fiction artists whose paintings have either graced science fiction covers for years or are in their own unique way reminiscent of those great artists. Les Edwards (also known as Edward Miller) is one such artist.
The above painting, Cygnus, is one of my absolute favorite pieces of science fiction art. The hazy blue tone and the depth it creates gives one the sense that there is an enormity to this place that is only hinted at in the painting. I sit and stare and wonder who the person walking on the bridge is. For a long time I mistakingly thought that he was walking towards the ship when in fact he is walking away. Is he the pilot? A passenger? A mechanic? His presence gives the piece a feeling of melancholy that I find endearing.
(Icarus)
If you read my science fiction monologue yesterday, it should not be a shock to you to learn that I fell hard for this type of art at the side of my uncles’ bed, sitting in front of “the bookshelf of wonder”. Most memorable to me is the art on the Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat book. I am not sure how this type of art is classified, but you will notice a similarity in the coming weeks…mostly in the way that the ships look.
(Atmosphere)
Variations of shade and indistinct lines come together to form marvelous vessels for traveling the galaxy. A hallmark of this type of art seems to be the sharp edges and the points or antennae sticking out all over the ships. There is a sense of use to these machines.
(Auriga)
There is a very modern, almost post-apocalyptic look to the above image. It reminds me of the Borg ships and cities.
(Rigel)
Les Edwards’ art, even the more recent pieces, evoke such nostalgic science fiction feelings. Gazing at his work has the effect of decreasing the gap of years between my childhood and adulthood and I feel like I am once again sitting on the floor discovering the wonders of reading science fiction.
(Mars Force)
Edwards uses a wide range of colors and tones to bring each work alive. I love the astronaut standing on what appears to be an asteroid with the massiveness of the planet Mars looming in the background.
(Bradbury Weather)
If you have been a part of Friday Favorites in the past you may have experienced me wax eloquent (i.e. release alot of hot air) over my passion for dirigibles. That being the case I could not resist showing you the above image. Space ship and dirigible all in one. It thrills a young boys heart!
While I am focusing solely on Les Edwards/Edward Miller’s science fiction art, there are a number of other paintings in a wide variety of genres that Edwards features on his site. So you see, I could not let you get away without showing you this “Tolkienesque” work of Edwards:
(Into the Fire)
He also has some marvelous fantasy paintings such as:
(Avalon Heights)
and
(Fortress of Eagles)
His castles are magical.
And in homage to the Father of Science Fiction, Jules Verne, I leave you with this piece:
(The Extraordinary Voyage of Jules Verne)
Again with the dirigibles! And isn’t that a terrific Nautilus?
There you have it, the first Friday Favorites of 2007. That wasn’t too painful, was it? I hope you take the time to go visit Les Edwards’ site. He has both originals and prints for sale and looking at these images and the many, many more he has posted over there, is so much better. They are much larger images in which you can see the brush strokes and the intricate work in more detail. In an email response Mr. Edwards revealed that he is in talks with a publisher for an art book. I will be right there to order one if that become a reality.
It is artists like Les Edwards who have taken their talents and created a certain look of both space and space craft that has endured for decades. This is the kind of work that excites my science fiction predilection and makes me want to take trip after trip into outer space.
Come fly with me on a rocket ship to the stars….happy Friday everyone!
Hooray! I am so pleased to see the return of Friday Favourites! I was thinking just the other day about how I missed them.
Wonderful paintings. I find myself particularly drawn to the first both for the colour/tones and composition. Gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing!
They’re great, prefer to sci-fi ones to the fantasy ones, but all still great.
And if you can make any sense out of “prefer to sci-fi” then well down 🙂
This whole returning to the internet malarky is causing trouble 🙂
I didn’t realize that being away from the internet so long would affect spelling, Fence. Just one more reason to stay on the computer 24/7! 😉
These are great!
Btw, my roomate gave me a $20 gift card to Borders… I think I’m going to go pick up Greywalker…
I think you’ll really enjoy it, Angela. Do you have the Border’s rewards card? There is a 30% off any book coupon out on email for this weekend.
I find the Fortress of Eagles appealing.
Carl – these are all absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for posting them.
I’m deligfhted Friday Favorites has returned!
Oooh.
Breathtaking.
Thanks!
Ooh, pretty!
Interesting, I also thought the figure in “Cygnus” was walking TOWARD the ship, rather than away, and didn’t notice till you pointed it out. You’re right, it’s more melancholy that way…I bet there’s a personality test in that somewhere. 😉
Borders Rewards is free, so of course I have one. LOL
Plus, with my Borders Visa, I rack up extra points…
Probably would be a good personality test, RB.
I forgot to mention that Cygnus, which has been out for awhile, is now the book cover for Science Fiction: The Best of the Year 2006, a book that I now want to pick up just because of the cover!
Glad to see that others missed the Friday Favorites as much as I have missed doing them.
What fun!
Thanks for some remedy for tired eyes. I wish (for obvious reasons, and probably in vain regarding the state of human culture) that this kind of art would get the respect it deserves.
Me too Max, me too.
Those are absolutely stunning!
Those are beautiful, Carl! Thank you for sharing.
Wahoo! I love the return of friday favorites. After yesterdays post I was hoping you would start with the artist of Cygnus. I love that image. I have to admit as much as I love scifi my true love is fantasy. His castles are wonderful. Count me as being right behind you in line to pick up his art book when it comes out in the future.
I just wish he would get the Fenner’s to do it. I dropped a not so subtle hint to him.
I’m so glad you add such vivid commentary. It helps me appreciate the artwork better.
OMG! Cygnus is absolutely breath-taking! I sat and stared at it for a long time, just taking it all in.
Incredible, and striking, and, yes, thought-provoking.
I also love the Fortress of Eagles and Avalon Heights–I’m a sucker for castles and knights and wizards and such.
Thanks for sharing, Carl.
What incredibly powerful painting. They the people and show us how insignificant, in comparation to nature and large machines we are. The sky and ocean in Icarus and Atmophere are reminiscent of some of Turner’s work.
I should have more sense than to write in the dark. What I thought I had said was: “What incredibly powerful paintings. They show how insignificant, in comparison to nature and large machines, we are. The sky and ocean in Icarus and Atmosphere are reminiscent of some of Turners’s work.” And to anyone who read this, no, I wasn’t drunk when I wrote it.
Sure Pat, I think the birthday celebrations were getting out of hand!
I love Jules Verne!
Those were fantastic pictures you posted!
I have a new respect for Edwards now. Thanks.
By the way thank you very much for your help with Christmas suggestions for my husband he loved everything I got him this year!
I am so glad…what did you end up getting him?
I read my first Jules Verne this past year, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and really enjoyed it.
Oh you have to read more
Jules Verne. I think ‘The 80 days around the World is my favorite or Earth to the Moon, mmm can’t decide.
Some things ended up on back order and finally came in.
For Christmas and our Jan. 1st Anniversary
I got him.
the complete DVD series of ‘Roar’ with 5 extra episodes not aired,
‘The Women of Boris Vallejo’ ‘Ultimate Collection’ by the same author art books,
Shadowscapes calendar,
and the collectors DVD of ‘Labyrinth’
and a very cool book about the ‘Firefly’ series.
since the Firefly series on DVD was out of stock.
Well done! Love the collector’s DVD of Labyrinth. Just pulled it out and watched it again the other day at my daughter’s request…she didn’t have to twist my arm too much. I’ve heard good things about Roar. Nicely done…you’ve got to get him the Firefly DVD’s though! 😉
Les Edwards is a genius for, among other things, his ability to recreate the atmosphere of antique SF illustration with a modern touch. His stuff for Stephen Baxter’s “Time Ships” was great; the Sphinx/TimeTraveller painting he did is on his web site. He also did a painting for The Mammoth Book of Classic Science Fiction: Short Novels of the 1930’s (Asimov, greengerg, Waugh) that I finally saw in its entirety recently on some web site (?) and another in the same style for for a TOR(?) version of Wells’ original The Time Machine that unfortunatey got butchered when it got wrapped around a paperback version, with the left and right transposed (see http://colemanzone.com/Time_Machine_Project/collect.htm , middle of page. I would love to see an uncut, unmarred version of the latter painting……
I agree, that painting looks awesome, its a shame the book turned out the way it did. Thanks for the link and your thoughts. Les Edwards is amazing.