Bringing honor of the past year for all of us.

We actually, you know, I thought I was always that kid with an overactive imagination.

Running around and, drawing just was a natural way for me to bring my imagination to life.

We all fall down.

Growing up in small town Muskogee, you really didn't have art as part of the curriculum or anything.

My mom was a schoolteacher and would bring home art materials and crayons and paints and markers.

And I would draw my favorite comic book characters or my favorite, cars with fire coming out of one, two, three, four.

My early childhood probably had the biggest influence on my art in the fact that I was always kind of a loner.

Don't catch me.

And I was always creating my own world to play and.

Drawing was just a way, in the beginning for me to just put ideas down, fantasy to bring it to life.

And it's just a way to bring my childlike imagination to life.

I could make it really happen in my drawings and pictures.

I like the motorcycle on it.

Thanks.

It wasn't really until I guess I was around the fourth grade, that I realized that I was better than my friends at.

I mean, we all drew all kids do.

Cool.

Ooh, I just kept doing it.

Oh.

That's great.

Yeah.

I read a lot.

My mom, being a school teacher, taught me how to read at a very early age.

And probably the best lessons I've learned.

Most of my ideas come from literature.

You know, whether I was a pirate on the high seas, converting my grandmother's big front porch into a pirate ship.

I mean, mateys, where's my treasure?

Can I talk?

About this?

For a minute.

My influence, my art influence came from those children's books I read Growing Up as a kid, illustrated by N.C.

Wyeth and Howard Pyle.

The Saturday Evening Post by Norman Rockwell.

These are the guys that really just communicated to me.

They talked to me through their pictures.

They were such good communicators, such good storytellers.

Aye matey where’s the treasure.

Well, 30 years later, I'm still that little boy and very much who is bringing to life his imagination.

Bring me some rum, you scalawag.

Now I get paid for as a commercial illustrator who, as a story, really is a professional storyteller through pictures.

Do pretty much the same thing I did as a little boy.

I get to relive that childhood every day through different projects.

This is a study of Long John Silver for Treasure Island on Treasure Island, which is especially, I guess, rewarding for a simple reason.

My hero, N.C.

Wyeth, had painted his version.

Treasure Island, and it's the version that I most admired and looked at when I was growing up as a child.

So now I'm up there with my heroes.

Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to paint all kinds of different projects.

Another one of my favorites, of course, everybody's favorite, every kid's favorite.

And our generation grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every year.

Got to create my own Tin Man.

And you can see that little tattoo on his arm, says Mother.

His heart.

I have Tom Sawyer finding daydreaming about Becky and Tom do a little fishing.

It's time.

Jungle book.

My son Eli posed as Mowgli.

I guess my career covers a wide range, and a lot of.

That's because growing up poor, always afraid, being poor.

That I developed what I call a kind of puddle philosophy in my art career.

I have a portrait puddle where I paint portraits and I have a children's book puddle, where I illustrated children's books, and I have, adult books, or I do adult book covers and romance novels, and I do advertising puddle, where I think Huggies diapers and then I have my own personal puddle as an artist to create the images.

I really want to paint so that if any one puddle dries up, at least I have something else to go to.

I think it's made me a well-rounded artist.

At the same time, it's kept me from putting all my eggs in one basket, so to speak, and being able to make a very comfortable living.

I would be considered probably a representational artist, someone who represents reality in a sense, the way most of us see reality.

And I think the biggest reason I do that is because it communicates to the greatest number of people.

When you do look at my paintings, I think you're going to find a story there for the simple reason that I can't help but think of the story.

I mean, I paint beautiful pictures sometimes just to paint beautiful pictures just for the sake of painting a pretty picture.

But really, my, impetus is to tell a story.

Whether it's a happy story, whether it's a sad story, feeling or I'm trying to sell a product.

I consider myself an artist.

And every other person probably on the street would consider myself an artist.

In the art field, I'm considered an illustrator and illustrator is really someone hired to illustrate books or ideas or advertising or or, bring a story to life in one form or another.

This painting of my daughter and her two friends is, came from an idea that I had just watching them getting ready for their dance recital.

They have a dance recital every year.

Okay, but when you're going to take your position right here, remember, your foot goes out.

Kind of like it was not that much.

Hands up.

There you go, Jennifer.

Now, my painting method is really kind of a it's self-taught, but it's based on what I've read.

There you go.

Just like that.

I guess painting masters 500 years ago.

So when we're looking at the painting, from my perspective, these two girls are really one mass and they kind of create this nice long line that leads up to here.

There's a nice curve from this line, to her leg, right to her hand, right up into the mirror.

And then the mirror brings it back around to Lauren, and then Lauren's arm into her reflection.

There you go.

Just like that.

You go like that.

Let's see.

We need to change her face.

We'll just eliminate it.

I'm not an intuitive painter.

I'm an intuitive thinker.

But I'm not an intuitive painter.

I kind of I've taught myself how to paint or how to use a certain material.

Now, this will be my focal point of the painting, so I will put more detail and more work into this part, because this is the part I want you to focus on.

What am I asking for?

Perfection.

That's right.

Yeah, I'm probably best painting people.

Anything else?

It's probably because I spend more time painting people.

I mean, anything you do over and over and over again, you can't help me get good at painting paintings.

Nearly there.

You know, painting me?

Yeah.

It's, I like you know, I, as an artist, will make certain choices and models or lighting or composition to help tell the story that much better.

I use all the same, you know, really tools the trade and tricks that, moviemakers have been using and photographers use.

We all know.

One thing that I don't have that movie producers and directors have is I don't have movement in my paintings.

I don't have, an expanse of time.

I don't have sound.

I don't have music to accompany something.

So I have to try to tell a story in one image.

Okay.

Remember our pictures?

What do.

What do we do?

The corner.

As a person, I can't help but get away with the influence of people have on me.

And I'm just a mirror that in a lot of ways, it's side mirror what I see in society.

When I see my neighbors and I see my children, my friends, it's my center.

Balancing my family life and my work life is very tough for the simple reason what I do in my career is who I am.

I'm constantly thinking about what the next project is going to be, or an idea that comes out of nowhere.

And looking good.

I just don't remember when.

You have to be honest.

Again, there are worse things I would.

I enjoy painting things I guess that communicate to people the easiest.

All my technique is subservient to them.

I don't even think that I painted oils or I paint in acrylics.

Or you know why I paint in the sky that particular shade of purple or whatever.

It's because it looks so believable to them immediately that all that stuff goes away.

And that's what's going on in the story.

What's happening in the painting.

Every year for my kids birthdays, I paint their portraits, and it's a way for me to kind of create this little visual documentary of them.

Growing up, not only what they look like, but also kind of the things they're interested in, the different stages that they're going through.

Yeah, I like to use my kids in my paintings from time to time because it's just fun.

I think they're the best looking kids around, for one.

And, they work cheap.

That's another.

Always a good option.

The other thing is, just because there's such an emotional attachment, that I can't help but make the painting a little bit better because it's my kids, I think is good.

And I don't really think of him as an artist.

I think of them as a dad.

You don't really think of it as like, super special.

You just kind of think of it as, you know, a book that your dad did, but then you think about it and it's really cool that your dad has stuff that like you could buy in New York, or you could buy in California, and they're all over the place and I'm all over the place.

He is the Bay.

He has always loved this kid, this space.

But the favorite book that I'm in is Maybe Home Run, because I get to be like, parent is Babe Ruth as a kid.

But what he does not know yet is this little change, this game he loves forever.

It's kind of fun to see your self when you're young in paintings, and you kind of think about what your life would have been like if you were in that situation.

And the right and the left kind of feel at what is gonna be out of here and gone home, runs up a home and.

He plays this character, the huge following.

And he was this moment.

He is there.

There is he is the babe.

He has changed baseball forever.

I really feel like I am being paid to practice in a lot of ways by working on other people's, commercial projects.

And it is making me a lot better and thinking in more diverse.

But my goal is to be able, like most artists, to create my imagery of my ideas and my vision and bring that to life and be recognized for it.

On the day I was born, my grandmother wrapped me in a blanket made from the wool of her sheep.

She held me up in the open window so that what I heard first was the wind.

What I saw first where all the places to look, the valley, the river falling down over rocks.

The hilltop where all the places to love was my third book.

Probably my favorite book for the reason that I, use my kids, Eli and Lauren.

It's purely coincidental that the the little boy in the story that's kind of told through his eyes is named Eli.

My grandfather was painting the barn, and when he saw me, he cried.

He carved my name E-L-I it reminds me so much of my childhood growing up.

You know, the idealism of an extended family and your grandparents being a part of your life.

My grandmother sailed little bark boats down river to me with messages I love you Eli what it said.

And I think one of the reasons my paintings look the way they look is because the influence of where I grew up, Oklahoma, was always home.

And the old turtle, his shell all worn no matter how slow, still surprised me.

I can only paint what is believable to, you know, I can't paint what I don't know.

I will show her my favorite place, the marsh, where ducklings follow their mother like tiny tumbles of leaves.

And that's his favorite place.

His favorite place is the marsh.

I think right now, there in the hill.

They're just so they're beautiful and magical and.

And there's still such a neat story.

And I just.

Every time you go through it, you find something else.

I love the detail and how it really enhances the story.

You know, I've been asked a number of times, why do I live in Oklahoma?

I mean, why don't you live in New York City or wants to live in LA or Chicago or some better art market?

And it's because this is where my roots are.

This is where I'm from.

I mean, it'd be like, transplanting a potato and try to make it grow as well, you know, and sandy soil of Texas, it's it's it's not.

It feels uncomfortable.

Okay.

I'm working on now, on a large painting for the state capital.

It's one of a series of paintings I've been commissioned to do for the state capitol.

And I'm very honored to be able to do this.

Yeah.

Today is just a day of going back and checking a little niggling details, and I just kind of go back and check on, adjust, look at the painting from afar, and you can kind of kind of tell what needs to be adjusted.

I can tell it's finished.

It looks like it's done.

Well, I can hear the noise.

I can hear the crowd, the soft whispers, the applause.

And I feel like I'm part of the crowd, especially the way it's painted I feel like I'm just looking over these guys sho I think I've got 6 or 7, maybe eight paintings now, hanging in the Capitol.

I think it's very realistic, almost like a photograph.

Every little detail is specifically placed where he wanted it to be, hopefully.

And recognize a nice painting, you know, a talent and a historical subject that's accurate.

Well, I think he has a great concept of what the history of Oklahoma is all about, and it kind of reflects in his work.

So I've really put a lot of time and effort in these paintings knowing that they're going to hang there.

For perpetuity.

He did a good job.

He's very talented and, it's a unique style.

You know, keeping myself humble is pretty easy, especially when you realize, you know, the kids want you to take them to school or you've got you know, the next bill comes along or your wife wants you to take the trash out or something, you know?

But, honey, I just painted, you know, the painting for the state capitol.

Yeah.

That's nice.

Here, take the trash out.

And everyone loves to draw, especially when your age.

Kids just naturally love to draw.

But it's right about your age.

When most kids quit drawing for whatever reason, they start thinking, I'm not good.

Someone told me up stink or someone says you're better at football or whatever, and they just fall into different interests.

And that's quite all right.

But kids, your age haven't lost that magic.

To draw anything you think in your mind you believe you can make come true.

This is flight.

By Robert Burley, illustrated by Mike Wimmer.

I just like it because I kind of want to be a pilot when I grow up.

And it's about Charles Lindbergh when he flies over the Atlantic Ocean.

People didn't think that flying over the Atlantic Ocean was possible.

Words are the wings of our imagination, but pictures are the final destination.

Words kind of get us started, usually for me as an illustrator, the words come first.

The writers already wrote the book.

The publishers decided to accept the story, and then they come to me to illustrate the book, you know, travel, Maryland, or I'll go to Virginia, or I'll go to Colorado or Texas and I'll visit different schools from kindergarten.

Through college.

Is what I'm trying to teach you guys and my kids too, is positive and negative space, and I'm trying to talk to them about what it's like to be an artist.

But the face, everybody's face is different.

Everybody's eye is different.

My eye how I work, how I think this way, dealing with how I put a project together and and letting them know that I'm just a regular guy.

I was just like, they were just.

I loved to play football and baseball.

You know?

I drew as a kid, my grades weren't great.

I wasn't superhuman or anything at all like that.

Grandma puts a big stack of pancakes down.

We put butter all over, man.

It's sirup, cold milk.

Just for getting ready to eat, though.

I hear something.

All that came from these words out and back.

Railroad track, clickety clack.

Where do I come up with the rest of that?

Imagination you almost hear in this picture?

This, Oh, oh, oh.

Out there in the desert.

You almost hear those coyotes howling.

It's because, you know, you put yourself into that place, you find that place.

And I want them to feel comfortable with choosing a career.

They are supposed to be in the cool that that's where they need to be.

And for me, it was art.

So that cloud and also we have this nice orange warm color also to help teach them and administrators that art is essential part of education because it teaches kids to be creative problem solvers.

We're not trying to teach kids to be artists, you know?

No more than we're trying to teach kids to be professional athletes by going through P.E., you know?

But it helps round that person.

Well.

Probably.

I'll probably get more creative ideas.

Since you said that, just really think about what's there, hear the voice of it.

So that’s probably what I'll do.

Let's try to see what's there.

Put yourself in the right frame of mind.

Find your voice the way that he would.

Find the voice in the story.

You can actually see him.

Uses his mind not just to copy everything the author has said but what he thinks and what what's in between the lines.

The train comes by.

The frog jumps off the rock into the water.

I think it's extremely important we have an art curriculum in Norman public schools, but we don't have art teachers, so to have someone with his caliber of expertise is extremely exciting.

I want you to feel the heat.

That's why you can also feel the sweat.

Their skin's kind of shiny because they're sweaty.

It's so funny.

When I first walk into the schools of is in the schools, it's hi Mr.

Wimmer.

And when I leave, it's see you, Mike.

It's because I have connected with them this way.

They realize I'm just a guy very much like their dads.

My job is different, you know?

Bob Callahan, I'm a driver engineer here at the Norman Fire Department.

This is my agent.

Call me with.

And then, he's excited.

Of course.

It's one of those icons that everybody's grown up with.

I grew up with.

Everybody is seen.

Let's go guys, get that one.

Seven, seven.

When he said that he can do that.

When he said that I've been, fire department for almost 24 years.

I've been a an actual driver for probably about 15, 16 of those those years.

You really felt like, it's my chance to for a little eternal fame, so to speak, in kind of an odd commercial way.

So when it came to finding the right model.

Yeah, that, you know, the cool thing about being a fireman is like, you know, when you drive by kids, kids wave at you, you know, when you go talk to kids at school, they really respect a fireman.

And it's it is rewarding.

Called a fireman friend of mine had worked out with god since college days looking for somebody, and then he gave me a name and I said I know him.

I mean, absolutely, he'd be perfect for this.

It's funny, at first when he called me, he said, now this is no joke or anything.

I gave him a call right off the bat.

He said, now I'm I'm not a cougar or anything.

This is for real.

He was amenable to the project.

I have gotten that before the Mr.

Clean because I've been I've been, bald for quite some time.

Bob was a good guy.

He looked the part.

And so the rest, as we say, is history.

Yeah.

I’m the new, improved Mr.

Clean.

Like I said, they were looking for more of a friendly type new, an improved character.

So.

So I am the, the new and improved rendition of the Mr.

Clean.

Mr.

clean would have never been one of those things I would ever even thought a simple reason he'd been done.

You thought, well, he's done, he's over with.

And, we'd all grown up with him if you saw the Mr.

Clean that we all grew up with, he looked pretty much the same.

He was big and strong and, you know, all in white and bald.

But he always looked like he had a little bit of a scowl on his face, a little bit angry at something.

And that's when they called me in 1995 to create a new, kinder and gentler Mr.

Kane.

And it's funny because he didn't change a lot on me, but he changed enough to make it, you know, make you know, more of a chiseled face.

For Bob was great.

For one, he's big and strong.

You want to have Mr.

Clean Big over the fat, out of shape guy.

Bald.

You got great, you know, beautiful sparkling blue eyes.

And so for me, I just immortalized it in paint.

There you go.

He's hungry.

I know I should shine it up when Bob retires.

I guess I'm working on taking my.

Yeah, I'll pass it down to you.

Of course.

Any time anyone takes a picture, I've got it here.

You know how I'm.

I'm reflecting everything out and then, you know, like that.

So.

But it's all it's all in good fun.

It kind of took on a life of its own, because in 1998, people magazine named My Mr.

Clean as a 100, as one of the 100 sexiest man in America.

Then it kind of went to Bob's head after that.

It's funny because when I look at these ads, you know, I can see my my likeness and everything, but I still consider it, you know, kind of kind of Mikes, Mikes works and stuff.

And until it got to the sexiest man, I thought, well, you know, I was the model for this.

So I'm going to take credit for this one.

Well, my ego gets padded, you know, pretty when I see something like that when I walk into, 7-Eleven or Walmart, you know, when my teachers made the comment when I was growing up, when I was attending college, you know, you've hit it big when you see your stuff in Walmart.

Who's going to do the dishes?

Mr.

clean?

They always have to do the dishes.

You know, they they talk about you get your three minutes of fame or whatever.

And I had mine and that was cool.

But I mean, this is this is my life.

Fire department is my job.

This is where I belong.

That and and and and that's it.

I got to go really fast and that like one of be.

Many.

Well, I guess my goals and artists is like that of every artist.

We want to be recognized for who we are just like anybody else.

You know, you want to leave a mark behind, you want to leave, something that you're proud of.

I think the way I see and the way I paint is a gift from God.

It's my individual blessings, so to speak.

Others see the world differently and paint the world differently.

But this is really the way I see it in my mind.

I love what I do every day, being hired and being commissioned, really to put my talents to its best every day is one of the things I get a lot of satisfaction out of.

As long as I can hold a paintbrush and see the canvas, I think I'll be painting.