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Author Topic:   Bradbury inspired artwork
Moundshroud
Junior Member
posted 03-02-2002 01:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Moundshroud   Click Here to Email Moundshroud     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Bradbury has been an influence on visual artists as well as writers. My rendition of the dust witch in her basket from 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' can be seen at http://www2.wcoil.com/~awlb/dustwitch2.jpg

It's a cropped section of a much larger piece but I'd be interested in some constructive criticism or opinion.

Anyone else inspired artistically by Bradbury?

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dandelion
Moderator
posted 03-02-2002 02:47 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hmmm, now why couldn't they have done something that good for the MOVIE? When a paper thrown into the fire flared in the shape of a hot air balloon, I thought that was going to figure later, but nooo...it was never mentioned again! Along with a lot of other things that would have gone great onscreen. All I can say is that Bradbury has been EXTREMELY encouraging and complimentary to visual artists in many, many different styles and mediums. Not once have I heard "Words form the pictures so what's the point of illustrations?" Quite the opposite, Bradbury has expressed great interest in illustrations, and, I strongly believe, been inspired by them. As you know if you've seen "The Ray Bradbury Companion" or "Dark Carnival," he's also tried his hand at art. It really helps in identifying with practitioners of any art to have tried it yourself!

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uncle
Member
posted 03-07-2002 10:31 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for uncle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Moundshroud, that picture looks publishable.
Very detailed, and it could stand alone without understanding the novel.
I painted a mixed media watercolor of Tom Furys lightning rod being struck by lightning. I was able to give it to him at a banquet the day before Halloween. He has always provided visual metaphors that have begged to be drawn or painted. The true delight for me is the tapestry woven with his choice of words to create, and complete
so many conceptual mind paintings. You should keep at it your work looks like it is marketable.

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 03-07-2002).]

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dandelion
Moderator
posted 03-08-2002 04:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Was the picture wrapped, or did you get to see his reaction to it? What did he say about it?

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Moundshroud
Junior Member
posted 03-08-2002 05:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Moundshroud   Click Here to Email Moundshroud     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually I'm not sure he's ever seen the picture, although I did email him and include a link to the picture using the address from this website. I did the picture about 10 years ago and it's roughly 24 X 36 inches in size and is still hanging on my wall. I would love to be able to have Ray see the picture in person, and sign it as well, but the picture is quite large, and California is a long way away. If I can, I'll try to get a small photo of the whole picture up on the web and include a link to it.

I did talk to Ray once, briefly, on the phone at about the same time, but it was in reference to some other artwork. That artwork can be seen at http://www2.wcoil.com/~awlb/brad.htm , if you're interested. Let me know what you think of this one, as well.


[This message has been edited by Moundshroud (edited 03-08-2002).]

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dandelion
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posted 03-09-2002 02:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's nice, too, but I was referring to the picture presented to him.

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uncle
Member
posted 03-11-2002 09:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for uncle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Dandelion, When I went in to get the ticket for the speech for the Halloween dinner the school district that had asked him to visit to also speak to local students had the painting framed. They had it on an easel close to where he was signing copies of his books before the dinner and speech. Before Ray spoke I was able to present it to him in front of over 400 in the hall, I was pretty speechless at the time, but he looked at the painting, and smiled aprovingly, and then I kinda looked at him and he held the painting in one hand, and gave me a hug, and I gave him a hug. I did not have time right then in front of every one to talk to much to him. After, briefly he did say thank you and I told him that I had loved his work for a long time. On this web site when I looked at the stills of his basement with all the other fan art that has been given to him I feel humbled that I could have even have given him my work. One of the professors at the university that I work at had given me pictures years later taken of the event, and I keep them in my office next to a Quote of Rays with his picture.

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Moundshroud
Junior Member
posted 03-11-2002 11:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Moundshroud   Click Here to Email Moundshroud     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Oops, sorry for speaking out of turn. Guess I should follow the flow of the posts a little (ok, a lot) better.

Uncle, That must have been great. Was that this past Halloween?

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uncle
Member
posted 03-12-2002 01:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for uncle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The event was Halloween with Ray Bradbury
October 28th, 1996. Timbermine Restaurant.
The Ogden School Foundation had a dinner, and a reading for a $50.00 contribution per person. All of the proceeds benefited the children in the Ogden School District. When I found out that he was coming to speak I was so excited because I had thought he had died. Then I put my painting in a manila folder, and hurried to the school district office. After purchasing the ticket I asked them if they could give him the painting.
I was surprised to find out later that I was the first to buy a ticket, and that they had matted, and framed the painting better than I could afford, and they told me that I would be able to present it to him at the dinner. They also did a article about Mr Bradburys writings, and his speaking to the students in the local school district. I was also interviewed, and thrilled to be included in the same section with a picture of the painting of Tom Furys Lightning Rod.
His speech was wonderful that night because he is so full of life, he talked about how he met W.C.Fields when he was a boy. He also told us about writing F-451 on the pay typewriters in the basement of the UCLA library. It was really quite an experience.

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 03-12-2002).]

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Moundshroud
Junior Member
posted 03-12-2002 11:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Moundshroud   Click Here to Email Moundshroud     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sounds like a dream come true.

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uncle
Member
posted 03-13-2002 12:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for uncle     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was lucky. I checked out your website. I was quite impressed with your own illustrations, and graphic illustration signage. The concept of the authors, and their serigraphs is cool. This Fall, and Winter I had been voluteering time to paint murals in pediatric examination rooms of a state diabetic center. On to some other Bradbury art, there are some exellent illustrations in the collection called "Dinosaur Tales" published by Barnes and Noble, ISBN 0-76070-188-1.
I really love the work of William Stout illustrating A Sound Of Thunder. Steranko did some lovely drawings of the sea with the lighthouse. I think some of Mr Bradburys work would have been interperted aptly by symbolist artist Odilon Redon or other symbolists of that period.

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 03-13-2002).]

[This message has been edited by uncle (edited 03-13-2002).]

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dandelion
Moderator
posted 03-13-2002 02:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sometimes I wonder if only Salvador Dali could have done justice to some of the Martian stuff.

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Nard Kordell
Member
posted 05-13-2004 11:49 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Nard Kordell   Click Here to Email Nard Kordell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A question for people like
philnic
Richard
Dandelion...
..and others....

How many book covers has Ray actually painted or drawn?
The last edition of '''Dark Carnival''', with the errie scene, a Ray Bradbury painting, has prompted the question....

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philnic
Member
posted 05-14-2004 04:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for philnic   Click Here to Email philnic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nard,

interesting question... which would need a bit of research for a proper answer. I have noticed that the two Bradbury books scheduled for this year (It Came From Outer Space; The Cat's Pajamas) both have artwork by Ray. And Jerry Weist's book shows several covers where Ray at least did the preliminary designs, which were subsequently adapted by "proper" artists.

- Phil

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dandelion
Moderator
posted 05-14-2004 06:27 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That's what he almost always does. Sketches and describes cover designs to be given to artists.

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Richard
Member
posted 05-14-2004 08:10 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Richard     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Ray also drew the cover for the Gauntlet Press limited edition release of THE ILLUSTRATED MAN. According to the publisher (Gauntlet), that was the first book in which his actual art was used for the cover.

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Nard Kordell
Member
posted 05-14-2004 09:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Nard Kordell   Click Here to Email Nard Kordell     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Richard:::

''Death is a Lonely Business"... with the drawing of a theater tipping in water....was on the cover of at least the ''first time in paperback'' edition published by Bantam Books... which is Ray's own artwork...

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philnic
Member
posted 05-14-2004 02:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for philnic   Click Here to Email philnic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Let's illustrate this thread. Here's the Gauntlett Press "Illustrated Man":


Here is the Bantam edition of "Death is a Lonely Business". Nard may be right about this being based on a drawing by Bradbury, but the artwork is credited on the cover to "Sciacca":


Meanwhile, here are Ray's designs for "It Came From Outer Space"...


...and "The Cat's Pajamas":

By the way, I am wondering whether the latter will be re-titled "The Cat's PYJAMAS" when it appears in the UK.

- Phil

[This message has been edited by philnic (edited 05-14-2004).]

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Richard
Member
posted 05-14-2004 03:53 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Richard     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
philnic, you're great! Many thanks! I have only one suggestion: Ray also did the cover for the Gauntlet Press re-issue of Dark Carnival. Can you round up a scan of that cover as well and edit your posting by adding it?

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lmskipper
Member
posted 05-14-2004 07:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for lmskipper   Click Here to Email lmskipper     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the pictures! The man is multi-talented!!

[This message has been edited by lmskipper (edited 05-14-2004).]

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philnic
Member
posted 05-15-2004 11:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for philnic   Click Here to Email philnic     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Richard,

as requested, Ray's cover for the Dark Carnival special edition:



Most of the images I've posted above are simply links to the images on the publishers' web sites. But don't forget that there are loads of covers scans on my website (click on "books" to see them).

Any more requests?

- Phil

[This message has been edited by philnic (edited 05-15-2004).]

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ravenswake
Member
posted 05-15-2004 06:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ravenswake   Click Here to Email ravenswake     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
philnic--Thanks for the link to your website, it's wonderful. In 1994, most of my RB collection was lost in a fire, and it was good to see some of those Bantam covers again. Ever thought of doing a book? The Art of Ray Bradbury, with a companion sequel, Art Inspired by Ray Bradbury?

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dandelion
Moderator
posted 05-16-2004 05:26 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for dandelion   Click Here to Email dandelion     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Some of that was covered in Jerry Weist's "Bradbury: An Illustrated Life," though no one book could cover it all.

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