Page Created: 07/17/21. Last Updated: 08/15/21.
RON MILLER
ONLINE
Website: http://www.black-cat-studios.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/Black-Cat-Studios-178423795566755/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/entity/author/B000AP5X66
SELECTED TITLES
Astronomy:
..........Space Inventions (Four Book Series)
..........Worlds Beyond (Twelve Book Series)
..........The Seven Wonders (Five Book Series
Non Fiction
..........Worlds Beyond: The Art of Chelsea Bonestell
..........Digital Art: Painting with Pixels
..........Special Effects: An Introduction to Movie Magic
Translator
..........20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
..........Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Genre Novel Series: A Company of Heroes
..........The Stonecutter
...........The Fabulist
...........The Princess
...........The Scientist
...........The Space Cadet
Editor Forgotten Genre Classics:
..........Carmilla by Sheridan LeFanu
..........The Lair of the White Worm by Brom Stoker
..........The Sea Lady by H G Wells
..........The Crystal City Under the Sea by Andre Laurie
..........Under the Sea to the North Pole by Pier Mael
..........Trips to the Moon by Lucian
Meeting Date: August 14, 2021.
Meeting Site: Zoom Video Conference.
Attendance: 37.
Meeting Program: Talk, Q & A with Artist / Author.
Notes:
Science fiction artist and author / space artist Karl Kofoed had originally been the scheduled speaker for this event. When he bowed out, science fiction artist and author / space artist was kind enough to fill in.
The Virtual Dinner Run was attended by club members Kathy Cannarozzi, Philip De Parto, James La Barre, Christian Langworthy, Anthony Pawlak, Stephen Rubin, Thomas Schoenborne, and Tom Williams, as well as newcomer Micah Baxter. The EMP blasts, artificial intelligence, and the origin of the covid virus were among the topics vigorously discussed, the Tom S, Stephen, Anthony, John, and Christian the lead actors. Some of the others were present only briefly.
Newsletter Account:
The following account is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2021 Philip J De Parto:
The Saturday, August 12, 2021 General Meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held by Zoom Video Conference. Artist / writer Ron Miller pinch-hit for our planned speaker, artist / writer Karl Kofoed, and was a smash.
Our speaker was inspired to become a space artist by the work of the great illustrator Chesley Bonestell. He wrote a letter asking for advice from his idol when he was just starting his career. The letter initiated a string of correspondence which resulted in Mr Bonestell suggesting he apply for a position at a planetarium where he became the staff artist.
Ron Miller had been a traditional acrylic painter until he realized that he would never be able to make his deadlines for a 20 book YA contract without switching to the computer. Aditional notes on this talk can be found on the 2021 - 08.2021 Meeting page of the club website, sfabc.org.
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Notes:
Ingrid asked how Ron met his wife. Ron noticed a tall, striking brunette who lived a floor above him. He adjusted his schedule to match hers when she checked her mailbox. He heard her slam shut her mailbox, muttering "I never get any letters." The following day he mailed her a large letter "A" with a note saying that he had heard her say she never got any letters, so he was sending her one. A couple of nights later there was a knock on his door.
This led into another story. When Ron was working for David Lynch on DUNE, his wife built a paper model of a shuttle. One of the movie brass saw it and asked who built it. Ron pointed and said, "My wife." The guy: "She's hired." Ron showed pictures of some of the other models she constructed.
Ron's daughter appears on a lot of his covers.
Our speaker also worked with Dino De Laurentiis and David Cronenberg on an adaptation of TOTAL RECALL which never came to fruition.
"Do you have any paintings of neutron stars?" "Do I ever!"
Has done 30 books for young adults.
Has painted all the major moons of the solar system.
Gave tour of the solar system with his paintings, starting with the sun and working outward from there to planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
Some talk about extra-solar objects.
Ron's wife is a cancer survivor. She was the model for a number of his paintings including Captain Judikha.
Another artist he admires: Steve HIckman who recently passed away.
Constructs models of asteroids, etc., to be sure that the shadows and the colors will match.
Speaks to scientists when he is painting a known planet.
He talked about the nuances of computer art. He doesn't accept what the software gives him in its initial display. He does a lot of work to make sure it matches his vision.
Last summer he started relearning how to use acrylics.
He quoted Chesley Bonestell's reply to how long it takes him to do a painting: "One week and 40 years of experience."
He has known author Lois McMaster Bujold for 50 years and does the ebook reissues of her books. Her fans are fanatically picky, counting how many buttons appear on the uniforms of Miles Vorkosigan and complaining wildly if the tiniest detail is off. So Ron and Lois planned and executed a series of highly abstract covers to shut them up..
He does lots (200?) of ebook covers for Baen Books and has almost total autonomy on them.
When he did the series of planet stamps for the Postal Service, the stamp showed both the planet and the NASA rocket which visited / passed by the world. There were no missions to Pluto when he did the stamp, so a Pluto stamp was placed aboard rocket headed to the outer solar system. It bears the distinction of being the farthest-traveled stamp ever.