​Mike Wimmer: King of HeartsThe King of Hearts playing card has an intriguing, even mysterious image. People have long noticed the King of Hearts’ curious pose. It shows the king holding a sword behind his head. Or is he stabbing himself? Because of his pose the card has been called the suicide king. In tarot, lore the King of Hearts was also known as the King of Chalices.
I chose to portray the King of Hearts as Uncle Sam pouring out the valuable blood of his children and symbolically committing suicide with his sword. America in its quest to conquer the world through globalism and consumerism all too casually throws away its own future by pouring out the precious blood of our young men and women for political expediency; or in the case of these last 12 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, the maniacal belief that America could impose its brand of cultural superiority, in the guise of democracy, on a people that have fought with each other for the past 3000 years; a crazy idea, which perfectly symbolizes the original King of Hearts, “ King Charles VII of France”, who was known to go mad. I, like many, have had to witness the effects of such thinking within my own family. My nephew John David was a bright young man who could not attain a college education because his family, like so many others in America, could not afford the escalating costs of higher education. John, who was always a sweet child, with no athletic ability, lost himself in playing video games and wanted to learn computer programming. He saw the military as his only chance to attain his college dreams and enlisted. His intelligence was quickly noticed, where he was chosen for training and later served in Afghanistan as a computer and intelligence analyst for target acquisition. The constant strain of life and death choices and the introduction to a drug culture within the military eventually led him to his emotional breakdown. After returning stateside and enrolling into college he found himself struggling with addiction and an inability to concentrate. John eventually dropped out of college where he found himself ill-prepared to make it on his own, so he moved in with his parents. One day after a small fender-bender he found himself at his wits end and took a gun and locked himself in his room and shot himself in the head. A terrible tragedy. Another statistic. Another life lost for a war that brought nothing of value to the United States at an estimated cost of some $3,000,000,000,000.00 (3 trillion dollars). Trillions that enriched the Corporations of war and energy, but with none left over to help the healing of our soldiers. So my “King of Hearts” has become the “King of Broken Hearts” and serves as a visual metaphor on a game that has only losers.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Chancellor G. David Gearhart’s official portrait was unveiled on Friday, March 6, in Old Main alongside those of other past University of Arkansas presidents and chancellors.
Speakers at the ceremony included ASG President Daniel McFarland, Staff Senate Chair Trish Watkins and Faculty Senate Chair John Rupe.
Gearhart’s portrait was painted by Mike Wimmer, an award-winning professional artist from Edmond, Oklahoma. Wimmer has produced artwork for some of the largest corporations in the world and has illustrated 14 children’s books. He currently serves as the chair of the School of Visual Arts in the Petree College of Arts and Sciences at Oklahoma City University. He also painted the official portrait of University of Arkansas Chancellor emeritus John A. White.
​

Chancellor G. David Gearhart and his wife, Jane Gearhart, unveil the official portrait of the chancellor in Old Main.The portrait can be found on the second floor of Old Main and is open to the public for viewing.


​

CONTACTSJennifer Holland, director of development communications 
University Relations 
479-575-7346, jholland@uark.edu

Enlarge
1 / 1
OKLAHOMA CITY -A portrait of Texas oil magnate and Oklahoma State University megabooster Boone Pickens was unveiled at the Oklahoma state Capitol Thursday.
State officials and legislators joined Pickens and OSU officials and alumni for Thursday's unveiling in the Governor's Blue Room.
Governor Mary Fallin says the honor is "probably long past-due" for someone who exemplifies the spirit of Oklahoma.
"Few people impact a university and state to the enormity of Boone Pickens," Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis said. "People point to Boone's record-setting, transformative donations as the capstone of his impact. While one cannot underestimate that impact, I can tell you we also immensely benefit from his brilliance as a visionary and inspirational leader."
Pickens grew up in Holdenville and graduated from OSU when it was Oklahoma A&M. He's donated hundreds of millions of dollars to the university and other causes and has pledged to donate at least half of his fortune to charitable organizations.
"I am humbled today by the kind gesture to have a portrait of me displayed in the State Capitol of my home state. Everywhere I have traveled around the world I tell anyone who will listen I am from Holdenville Okla., and darn proud of it. I have received many honors, but this one is indeed truly special to me," said Boone Pickens.
Oklahoma artist Mike Wimmer, who painted the portrait, says Pickens' name and works will outlive his painting.

Wimmer is an internationally recognized illustrator and artist whose imagination comes to life on the canvas. This exhibit will showcase a variety of his work from different periods of his career.

Dates:Nov 24th, 2014 - Jan 23rd, 2015Cost:FreeHosted by:Redlands Community College
Location:Redlands Community Gallery
1300 S Country Club Rd
El Reno OK 73036
Contact Info:Nick Bayer
4052622552
nicholas.bayer@redlandscc.edu

Below is an article highlighting the exhibition in "Art Focus" November 14, 2014

I recently gave an artist's talk in Stillwater, OK at the new Postal Museum. Here's a little article about my work...http://m.stwnewspress.com/mobile/
Artist Talk: Mike Wimmer, Framing History (Stillwater)Framing History: Highlights from the Oklahoma State Capitol Senate Collection celebrates artists and their process for capturing the narrative. Co-curated by Senator Charles Ford and Victoria Rowe Berry, this exhibition recognizes artists who, with a stroke of paint, capture stories as well as create an impression of a historic event. The frames – works of art themselves – provide an opportunity to focus on each individual piece and create a window into a moment in time. In this particular collection, the frames create a window into a historical event.

After Framing History leaves the Postal Plaza Gallery, the Oklahoma Senate Collection will be officially transferred into the State’s records and will no longer travel. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view selections from the Oklahoma State Capitol Collection at the Postal Plaza Gallery in Stillwater. We are honored to share the history and culture of Oklahoma while also celebrating the process of making art and telling stories.

Throughout the exhibition, the OSU Museum of Art will host artist talks from a select group of artists whose work is featured. Check our website as we add details about upcoming programming.

Artist Mike Wimmer of Edmond, OK, center, is shown with state Sen. Don Barrington, left, and state Rep. Don Armes during a ceremony last week at the Oklahoma Capitol during which Wimmer’s painting depicting the Abernathy Boys was dedicated. The painting is based on Bud and Temple Abernathy’s horse ride during a parade in New York City in 1910

Artist to Dedicate Latest Painting at State Capitol


OKLAHOMA CITY – Artist in residence and Oklahoma City University School of Visual Arts Chairman Mike Wimmer will dedicate his 39th painting at the state Capitol Building at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The painting, titled “The Abernathy Boys,” depicts the culmination of the famous ride of the young Abernathy boys. On April 5, 1910, with Louis “Bud,” age 10, and Temple Abernathy, 6, on their horses Sam Bass and Geronimo, the boys headed to New York City from Oklahoma. They were on the trail for two months, riding to meet their friend, former President Theodore Roosevelt, as he returned to New York from an African safari. The painting shows the two boys astride their horses following behind Roosevelt and leading a delegation of the former president’s Rough Riders.

The piece is part of the Oklahoma Historical Paintings, a project of the Oklahoma State Senate Historical Preservation Fund. It is being sponsored by Representative Don Armes and Senator Don Barrington.

Wimmer painted many of the works in the state Capitol Building. He started working on a national scale primarily as a children’s book illustrator. Some of his other projects include creating a more kind and gentle Mr. Clean illustration for the popular cleaning products company, the cover art for Disney’s “Lion King” soundtrack, commemorative can designs for Planters Peanuts and an ornament featuring Will Rogers to hang on the White House Christmas tree as Oklahoma’s representative decoration.

I've had the pleasure and honor of being commissioned by the Oklahoma State Preservation Fund to paint a portrait of Oklahoma Master artist Charles Banks Wilson. He painted the large murals and portraits hanging in the Oklahoma Capital rotunda. I met with him in his Fayetteville, AR studio to take pictures and make a few sketches. He regaled me with stories of his life and career as we went over many pictures of him and his work. To complete the portrait I had a friend Chris Nick pose for the body. Creating the portrait to look as if a younger CBW was painting in front of me was the real challenge. Please take a look at the pictures of the painting in progress and enjoy the process.