Michael   Andryc  

Painted by the Wolfman​ | The Back Story | By Michael Andryc The “wolf” figure has appeared intermittently in my body of artwork over the past five decades. Having studied the illuminated manuscripts that the monks in Europe created during the Dark Ages – especially the Book of Kells – I was awestruck by what I saw. In the monks’ works were animals adorned with haloes, fancy lettering, and what appeared to be artistic doodles in the margins. This inspired me as a young man to create my own mythology using the wolf as my personal spirit guide. In Painted by the Wolfman, I imagined having the Wolfman finally paint me - instead of the other way around. He appears on the canvas as if from another dimension, emerging through two portals – one for each foot – and he appears to be enjoying the turn-about. As one of my artistic alter egos, the Wolfman conveys both social commentary and my own internal reflections about life. I was honored to receive a third-place ribbon in acrylic painting for this picture from KOB TV-4, one of the sponsors of the 2022 New Mexico State Fair (Professional Artists’ Division). That award encouraged me to paint six new pieces which have also appeared at the NM State Fair’s Fine Arts Gallery, 2023, 2024, and 2025. In addition, the Wolfman headlined my 50-year Retrospective, “The Hour of the Wolf(Man)” in 2023 at the Step-Up Gallery at the Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos, NM. The exhibition featured more than 60 of my original paintings from the Wolfman series and several other of my long-running series. More information about my life and samples from my oeuvre of Contemporary Folk Art Pop can be viewed at https://www.MichaelAndryc.com/. I am pleased that Painted by the Wolfman has been so well received. And I am grateful that the County of Bernalillo Public Arts Board has chosen to add this artwork of mine to its permanent collection. Perhaps it will serve to inspire other artists and will be seen and enjoyed by current and future generations. Thank you! – Michael Andryc, Artist Albuquerque, New Mexico Spring 2026