AWB Blog Special Blog Items ASTROArts Blog AstroArtist of the Month - August 2015 : Michael C. Turner (4 of 4)
- Published: Tuesday, September 01 2015 14:10
The Galactic Visions of Michael C. Turner
"Cosmic Prophecy" ©2014/2015 Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
(Digitally Created)
This painting depicts a cosmic scene of a spiral galaxy viewed from an unusual angle revealing the nature of its spiral arms which sweep deep into intergalactic space displaying an array of galactic treasures. Galaxies are like island universes in the greater whole of the Cosmos and are homes to myriad astronomical phenomena manifesting as stars and their system of planets, moons, and an array of lesser astronomical objects such as planetoids, asteroids, cometoids, and other exotic objects. Everything in existence is essentially made of star dust. We are all children of the stars.
For my fourth and final post I am sharing some of my more recent Galactic Visions Space Art paintings along with my thoughts about the art and scientific phenomena. I also create a bit of digital space art, although I still prefer to crate most of my paintings using traditional art media. Most of these images come from the last 10 years of my space art.
"Cosmic Prophecy" by Michael C. Turner
©2014/2015 Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
Acrylic on stretched canvas using traditional bristle brush techniques
Cosmic phenomena have captured the hearts and minds of sentient beings from the dawn of time. Since antiquity the night sky has been a wondrous, yet mysterious, presence and has played a major role in shaping the collective intelligence, mind and creative expressions of intelligent life. The Cosmos is immense and essentially infinite. Science has barely begun to reveal the true nature of the Cosmos and we shall likely never fully collect and interpret all it marvels. While scientific knowledge is valuable in helping us understand the physical nature of the Cosmos, it is insufficient in matters of faith. One can not simply dismiss the importance of either faith or science for they are not mutually exclusive. Ancient civilizations realized this fact and embraced it. Only in modern times has a schism between science, which strives to explain the physical laws and phenomena of the Cosmos, and faith/religion which strives to explain the relationship of the spiritual or soul to the great architect, God, the Creator of the Cosmos. In my painting, "Cosmic Prophecy ~ Eternal Manifestation," I have created a union of my scientific understanding of the Cosmos and my spiritual relationship to it and God, The Creator.
Occasionally, I experiment a bit in the quasi-fantasy realm as I did in the painting below titled "Cosmic Raven." In this instance, I photographed my original painting and then slightly digitally modified it to create a giclee canvas print. Even in my digital creations, I create the image stroke by stroke using digital paint tools. I do not use image generating software where the computer essentially creates the image from data input. I can produce multiple prints without the owner having exact copies of their original pieces being distributed in huge quantities. I limit the editions to fewer than 100 or less.
"Cosmic Raven"
© 2014/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
(Digitally modified giclee)
Nebulae, like clouds, can give the illusion of fanciful shapes in a wide array. In this painting, I envisioned a star birthing nebula with the imagery of a "cosmic raven."
Cosmic Raven
© Michael C. Turner 2014
Cosmic Raven I See You Soar
Across The Vastness Of Time & Space.
A Nostalgic Smile Adorns My Face.
Your Haunting Call Of Myth & Lore
Echoes Deep Within My Soul Forever More . . .
Even though many of my paintings depict scenes within remote galaxies, I do sometimes visit a bit closer to Earth. In the painting below, "DRACONIAN VISTA," I depicted a plausible scene on an exoplanet orbiting the multiple star system in the constellation of Draco, the dragon.
Draconian Vista
©2010/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
The north circumpolar constellation commonly known as Draco is the domain of numerous binary and several multiple star systems. One optical star in Draco's head, Nu Draconis, is actually a double or binary star which astronomers refer to as Nu1 and Nu 2. Both are dwarf white class stars which are about 70% larger and 9 times more luminous than Sol. They are slightly hotter than Sol (6,000K ) at about 8,000K each. Nu 2 has another close companion of lesser stellar mass (Nu 1 may also have a smaller stellar companion ). These two white dwarf stars are depicted as viewed from a possible exoplanet orbiting Nu 2's lesser stellar companion. Jets of volcanic plumes consisting of gas, steam, and pyroclastic debris erupt from ancient calderas as a result of massive subterranean vulcanism created, in part, by the complex gravitational influx fields within this multiple stellar system.
Even within the Sol system, there are bizarre worlds on the fringes such as Pluto. With the recent visit by New Horizons probe, images and data of this dwarf planet are presenting scientists with fascinating new challenges to old theories about the origins of the solar system and how planetary systems form. In my painting below, "Pluto/s Step Children," I have depicted the ancient plutonian system with a possible thin ring system. Perhaps Pluto shall eventually have its rightful title reinstated.
Pluto's Stepchildren"
© 2013/2015 Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
Pluto, previously known as a planet, is now officially considered only a minor planet or asteroid. This view depicts the ancient formative years of the Pluto system which is theorized to have, or have had, a thin ring system. This ring system along, with Pluto's largest moon Charon and its other companion satellites, was likely created from the debris resulting from the collision of Pluto with another minor planet/asteroid.
In the vastness of space between galaxies, intergalactic space, there surely exist unique worlds orbiting nomadic stars with a host of planetary bodies such as I depicted below in my painting titled "Intergalactic Abode."
Intergalactic Abode
©2010/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
The Cosmos harbors myriad celestial mysteries created during the formation of the ancient Cosmos. Exotic energy and matter interacted forming a diverse array of stellar entities and their associated celestial progeny. Galactic and intergalactic space likely abound with such "celestial artifacts."
Celestial Shores"
©2011/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
Deep space harbors many celestial shores filled with wondrous stellar vistas such as the one depicted here. Rocky debris and planetary bodies form around the stellar nursery of hot new stars creating infant stellar systems.
"Galactic Pathways"
©2010/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
Shinning brilliantly from the womb of a birthing nebula, a new-born quasar "star" illuminates the central regions of a newly forming spiral galactic mass or protogalaxy. Galactic arms spiral outward, thousands of light years or trillions of miles, revealing myriad clusters of star-filled nebulae with swirling orbs of stellar gases and dust which will ultimately give birth to new generations of stellar families. An Earth-like planet is bathed in the virgin light of the cosmic lighthouse, otherwise known as a quasar, as it transits creating intriguing imagery of a celestial, Christmas Star, vignette. Two other companion worlds (one in the extreme upper right and the other near the extreme left middle) are approaching similar stellar conjunctions making this a tri-stellar/planetary conjunction. Such scenes as this, once considered only hypothetical, are now supported by astronomical science. In recent years extra-solar worlds (planets orbiting other stars/suns outside Earth's solar system) have been discovered using orbiting space telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope as well as ground-based radio telescopes. These extra-solar worlds orbit distant stars/suns, some similar to Earth's sun, while others orbit giant and super giant stars immensely larger than Earth's closest star, the Sun. Considering the aforementioned, one would reason that life must assuredly exist on at least some of these remote worlds. God is the Creator and Master of the Cosmos and everything (past, present and future) is a manifestation of Him. We can, therefore, more fully embrace an ever deeper and richer understanding of the following verse from Psalms 19:1 . . .
Until recently, galaxies were considered the largest collective objects in the Cosmos. In recent years this concept has been challenged with the discovery of galactic super clusters which comprise even greater cosmic entities or "supercores." These are essentially cosmic strands of super clusters of galaxies woven into the fabric of time and space. Even these colossal structures are likely only miniscule relative to the true size and nature of the Cosmos. Beyond the known physical Cosmos lies the likelihood of parallel universes, dimensions and time which exponentially broaden our concept of the apparently infinite Cosmos.
"Supercore"
©2013/2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
A super cosmic string of super clusters comprised of myriad super cluster galaxies
The night sky has captured the attention and fueled the imagination of sentient beings since ancient times. Early humans were obviously in awe of this nightly stellar theatre along with an array of other celestial phenomena. Occasionally, they would be treated to grand performances of cosmic magnitude with the appearance of comets, those mysterious harbingers of destiny. On rare occasions, they might have witnessed truly cosmic displays of what we now know to be supernovae, the death throes of colossal stars across the Milky Way galaxy. Throughout history various celestial events have brought both fear and jubilation to mere mortals on this terrestrial sphere. By projection, we can infer that the same was or is true for any sentient beings inhabiting planets orbiting extrasolar stars or suns. They, like Earth based intellects, assuredly would commemorate such events erecting structures that would pay homage to these events for contemporary and future generations. Over time, these monuments would become icons of the culture that constructed them. Stone is a very durable material, as the many ancient monuments that have survived the sands of time attest. It is one of the most commonly available materials on terrestrial class planets since they are essentially huge spheres of stone orbiting a parent star or stars in space. Colossal stone or megalithic structures evoke awe by their very nature. When coupled with celestial events, they become iconic even to a contemporary culture. Further, they can become centers of worship with an entire pantheon of gods and goddesses manifesting within the collective id of the culture. In time these become ingrained in the minds, and affect the daily lives, of the worshipers.
"Cosmic Icon"
©2015 ~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art
Acrylic on stretched Gallery Wrap Canvas ~ 36 x 24"
In "Cosmic Icon" I have depicted a cosmic performance as seen through a colossal megalithic portal of obvious sentient construction. The star filled sky within a birthing nebula is aglow with tendril-like bands of nebula gases steaming across myriad light years of space. Some of the newborn stars within the nebula are traveling swiftly through gases and plasma creating comet-like performances. A supergiant star radiates brilliantly within the nebula, creating brilliant bands of illuminated gases and plasmas along with other stellar ejecta. A companion terrestrial class planet and a nearby moon orbit about one another. A conjunction and impending eclipse are entering the celestial stage and the megalithic portal is perfectly aligned with the performers to present a drama of cosmic magnitude. What significant event, perhaps long forgotten, transpired relative to this celestial one? The stars, those silent singers know. If only we could decipher their silent lyrics, what cosmic secrets would we learn? The Cosmos is a wondrously mysterious and fascinating place. It is vast and huge beyond imagination and the ability of science to likely ever completely understand. This should only serve to fuel our determination to boldly go where none have gone before . . .
~ Michael C. Turner ~ Galactic Visions Space Art ~
*Michael C. Turner is currently exhibiting his collected representative paintings spanning his entire career as a spacescape artist which spans six decades at Peach State Bank & Trust in Gainesville, Georgia. The exhibition is titled "The Galactic Visions of Michael C. Turner." This is a six months exhibition and will run through December 2015.
Michael C. Turner’s Galactic Visions’ space art can be viewed at:
Galactic Visions Space Art
The International Space Art Network and Here
DeviantArt
Michael C. Turner’s On Facebook
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