It’s spooky season, and you know what that means – it’s time to break out the decorations, the costumes, and the classic hair-raising films. While the length of the spooky season varies depending on the person, for one individual, it is less of a season and more of a lifestyle.
Adam Michaels is an Indianapolis-based artist whose work covers a wide variety of subject matter. From “Lord of the Rings” to “Harry Potter” as well as familiar Halloween creatures, there are few subjects he won’t take on.
Michaels has been drawing since he was about 5 years old, but he didn’t have any desire to be a professional artist until later in life. It wasn’t until 2009 that he thought about pursuing art as a career, even though in the beginning, it was just on the side.
Michaels made the rounds at every convention, art show and gallery he could. He went wherever his art was appreciated, even if that meant going out of town and out of state. Drawing inspiration from renowned artists such as Mike Mignola, Gerald Brom, Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee, Michaels sought to take what he had learned and infuse it with his own style.
“I didn’t really think about it much,” he says. “I just did it. I recognized what needed to be done and made it happen. I didn’t set out with the intention of doing art full time. I just kept figuring out what was working and what wasn’t, and eventually looked around and realized it was a full-time thing.”
Although he uses a variety of mediums, including acrylics, spray paint and even red wine, watercolor is his specialty. His process begins whenever inspiration strikes, usually with a doodle. Over time it grows and changes, but the end result is always creative, colorful and vibrant. It’s clear from just looking at his art that Michaels is deeply passionate about the work itself, and also the creative process. It’s not about fame or prestige; he just genuinely loves creating art. In addition to being an artist, Michaels is also a singer-songwriter and an actor.
“There’s always uncertainty, which can be scary, but others have trail blazed this before so I knew that it wasn’t impossible,” he says. “The biggest thing is having an awareness of what is working and what isn’t. It takes time and baby steps to develop, but eventually it starts coming together. I’m not looking to be famous or remarked as an artistic legend; I just really enjoy doing it.”
Since 2020 Michaels has been doing art full time, and his career has taken him to some places he never could have imagined. One of his most popular pieces draws inspiration from the “Lord of the Rings” universe; it features the “One Ring” in the middle with the Shire on one end and Mordor on the other. This visually striking piece was lauded by Michaels’ fans, and he even had the opportunity to have the original signed by “Lord of the Rings” actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan.
Another career highlight came this year when Michaels was contacted by the rock band Creed to design one of their tour posters. As a fan of the band, this was an incredible opportunity, and as usual, Michaels did a fantastic job. He captured the spirit of the band while using his own creativity.
Every October, Michaels does a daily series centered around Halloween. Dubbed “Inktober,” Michaels selects a new theme every year from which to draw inspiration.
“It’s looking like the theme this year will be Creepy Cuties and Kolossal Kaijus,” he says. “I’ll be making art of characters from ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Labyrinth’ all the way to ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Mothra’ and more. The general approach in my daily Halloween event has really become to do a fun theme and a series. It wasn’t really ever the plan, but over the years it kind of morphed into that, and I imagine there will be a year where the theme could also be, ‘There is no theme.’”
As for the future, Michaels plans on continuing to tour America showcasing his work, and eventually wants to set up a brick-and-mortar store. In the meantime though, he will continue to create great art and follow his passions wherever they take him.
If you would like more information on Michaels or his artwork, visit his website at adamsartbox.bigcartel.com, or follow him on Instagram @adamsartbox.
