Hollywood special-effects maestro Stan Winston, a major creative force behind such movie classics as "Aliens," "Jurassic Park" and the "Terminator" franchise, has died.

The Oscar-winning visual-effects artist died at his home Sunday evening surrounded by family after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a representative from Stan Winston Studio.

He was 62.

Winston won Best Visual Effects Oscars for 1986's "Aliens," "1992's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and 1993's "Jurassic Park." He also won a Best Makeup Oscar for "Terminator 2."

"The entertainment industry has lost a genius, and I lost one of my best friends with the death Sunday night of Stan Winston," said former "Terminator" star, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a statement. "Stan's work and four Oscars speak for themselves and will live on forever. What will live forever in my heart is the way that Stan loved everyone and treated each of his friends like they were family."

Winston worked with several notable directors over the years, from James Cameron and Steven Spielberg, to John Carpenter and Tim Burton.

Winston was also nominated for six other Oscars for either visual effects or makeup, for such films as "Predator" and "Edward Scissorhands." He also won several sci-fi film-based Saturn Awards and was also honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs).

He also worked on various television projects, including the groundbreaking miniseries "Roots" and "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" -- the latter of which earned him an Emmy Award. He also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2001.

Among Winston's last projects included work on the visual effects for director Jon Favreau's summer hit "Iron Man."

"He was experienced and helped guide me while never losing his childlike enthusiasm," Favreau said in a statement. "He was the king of integrating practical effects with CGI, never losing his relevance in an ever changing industry. I am proud to have worked with him and we were looking forward to future collaborations. I knew that he was struggling, but I had no idea that he would be gone so soon. Hollywood has lost a shining star."

Winston's passion for his work also extended beyond the screen to the memorabilia realm, where he directly partnered with California-based Sideshow Collectibles to recreate life-sized replicas of his work for collectors, from the "Terminator" films to most recently, "Iron Man." The partnership also gave makeup artists like Sideshow's Mat Falls an opportunity to work with industry pioneer who inspired them.

"Having worked in the makeup effects field for over 10 years, I had but one regret: that I never worked for Stan Winston," Falls said in a statement. "In my mind there were very few players in that field that could pull off the kinds of achievements Mr. Winston managed to do with such flourish. He served as an inspiration for me as well as a multitude of others to pull up chocks and move to Hollywood to get into the film business.

"As luck would have it, Sideshow had the good fortune of partnering with Stan Winston Studios, generating some of the very creatures that had years earlier impassioned so many of us," Falls added. "We are honored to have the privilege of being associated with such a titan in the industry. Our deepest sympathies to his family and friends. The film business has lost a brilliant creator, innovator and pioneer."

Sideshow president Greg Anzalone recalled seeing Winston's passion for his work firsthand at last year's San Diego Comic-Con.

"I visited with Stan at last year's Comic-Con. Like so many true fans, he was cruising the show floor like a kid in a candy store, wide-eyed and still full of wonder and excitement," Anzalone said in a statement. "He was particularly excited about his studio’s work on 'Iron Man,' but this was a man whose legacy spans from the most recent Hollywood blockbuster to his early work with 'Pumpkinhead,' 'Predator,' 'Aliens' and 'Jurassic Park.' He is a true legend."

Sideshow's Tom Gilliland added, "Mr. Winston's vision didn't end in the world of film, but rather he could see potential creativity almost everywhere, especially with fine art collectibles based on his studio's work. He would often reflect on situations that were part of the original design or effect process, which took the fabrication of the collectible through a creative machine or sorts. His passion for the studio's past and present subject matter was tremendous, and his willingness to share his team and his studio's secrets with us is an experience that I will forever cherish."

Winston was born April 7, 1946, in Richmond, Va. He is survived by his wife, Karen, a son, a daughter, a brother and four grandchildren.

According to the Internet Movie Database, Winston was a special-effects supervisor on the fourth "Terminator" movie installment "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins," set for a 2009 release.