I was invited to fabled Rio de Janeiro Oct. 8th to 12th for a gathering called HobbitCon. As with my very wonderful trip to Sao Paulo and Brasilia in June 2004, I was again surrounded by some of the most exuberant and passionate Tolkien fans imaginable, and I cannot praise them enough for the very special welcome I received during my few days in this most exotic of world cities!
It was always a hope, after the 2004 experience, that it might be possible for me to return, and this year it was accomplished, with dedicated fundraising efforts on the part of the local Rio smial of Conselho Branco (White Council), the Brasilian Tolkien Society. On the day of the conference, held at the Hotel SESC Copacabana, I was pleased to present a lengthy retrospective of my Tolkien art on slides, featuring successive versions of many subjects (eg. Rivendell or Minas Tirith), ably translated by my friend Rosana Rios. I also included examples of automotive and (recent) pastoral art, plus some of the castle paintings from the fantastic world of George R.R. Martin. Immediately following my talk I sat down with a beautifully hand-crafted, locally made guitar which I was loaned, to sing a few of my songs. I was deeply grateful for the very enthusiastic response on both counts, and most grateful to the organizing committee members whose hard work and dedication allowed me to be among you and renew our acquaintance so happily. All who I met and enjoyed conversations with during my stay are fondly remembered. I think Brasilian 'hobbits' (or elves) would be hard to match anywhere for conviviality or hospitality.
Very special thanks to Betina Dengler, who kindly gave of her time in order to be my guide and host through the days before and after HobbitCon. Despite a fair bit of spring rain initially, she made sure I saw the best of Rio's many and varied sights and attractions; everything from stunning Baroque churches, the Sugarloaf, the Carnaval workshop complex, Botanical Gardens, pan-Brasilian Festival, or mountain-top National Park--and of course those superb beaches. The tourist posters do not do the city justice; it is unquestionably one of the most beautiful and exciting places on the planet.
I came home very much inspired, and encourage others to put a priority on visiting our fellow keepers-of-the-flame in this tropical Wonderland! Obrigado!
Posted October 23, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permanent link
Dear friends,
It's been a busier than usual six months! By January this year, my partner Marian and I had already been tentatively browsing the market for a house on a couple of occasions prior to Christmas, and once the holidays ended, we took up the search in earnest. After carefully viewing 2 or 3 dozen properties, we'd narrowed it down to a short list, and then one in particular had hit us in just that certain way... Then, nervously, came the offer, but which was duly accepted, opening up the joyful but harrowing OMG process of preparing for the transition and getting a mortgage.
After the ensuing scramble to work out the details of combining our two households, plus a studio, we are now, at last 'gathered in', and slowly managing the business of determining where all the stuff should go. This is a lot harder than it might otherwise be (or have been years ago), since both of us are/were parents (she of four, I of three), which tends to mean you function to a degree as warehouses for the things said offspring don't want/need, but which cannot in good conscience be discarded, or is of sentimental value, etc, etc.
At any rate, the worst is over, and we are now enjoying our first spring and summer in the new house, located in an older part of this community. The town of Bradford is about 75 minutes north of Toronto's downtown, and about 40 minutes northwest of Markham, my former community. Inspired by and newly appreciating Upper York Region (as it's known) in the two years plus I've known Marian, and recognizing that her roster of clientele requires proximity to the immediate district, it didn't take much to persuade me to move this further distance out of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), serene as it is with rolling hills, valleys, towns, villages, and farms.
I think for a long time I felt drawn to such surroundings, and to a degree Markham provided that with its open country to the immediate east. Now I've taken it the final step, and I'm hopeful that the change will be therapeutic without inadvertently signaling any less of a commitment to continuing my level of productivity. Much the opposite, this is consciously intended to reinvigorate my creative energies, refresh my spirits, and provide a more integrated creative base for the future.
Continued Output
Despite the demands of moving, for the past six months my output of artwork has not slowed down much, although the recession has been felt, and some projects were self-assigned. Within the framework of freelance work, the constant dilemma is that despite the relative freedom to follow one's own muse, the pressure to stay engaged with the continuum of commissioned work is very strong, and we artists typically have difficulty with something as benign as a proper vacation! So despite the constant attention to the house sale and the logistics of the three stage move, I kept to a timetable of painting and drawing to prepare work for the exhibition in April titled Lands of Enchantment, held as our other exhibitions have been, in Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, then on to other projects afterwards.
Prior to the exhibition, which again I attended and enjoyed thoroughly, I was able to finish the demanding private commission called Thus Came Aragorn, depicting the difficult subject of the arrival of Aragorn as he lands at The Harlond in the Black Ships of the Corsairs. This was quickly followed (in the nick of time) by The Glittering Caves, a fresh take on the work I did in the 90s titled The Glittering Caves of Aglarond. Both works had pride of place at the exhibition, along with the new version, painted late last year, of the iconic scene The Fair Valley of Rivendell.
Sketching The Hobbit
In September of last year, I was in a position to paint a new Hobbit scene derived from a piece of decorative landscape I did some years ago for The Hobbit board game. It is titled Eagles to the Carrock. Incorporating aerial landscape and featuring the Company riding the eagles to the great rock beyond the Misty Mountains, it added a dramatic new scene to my output. This spring, Sophisticated Games, makers of The Hobbit game, expressed interest in using the illustration for a new box cover, but unfortunately it is/was the wrong shape. I suggested creating a whole new cover piece, and produced a series of thumbnails of various Hobbit scenes in the process.
One requirement was that this new scene not feature the dragon Smaug, in order to emphasize the more benign image the book evokes. After considering a number of possibilities, we agreed it should be a more tailored verson of the eagles scene so favoured, this time set above the Misty Mountains just after the Company are borne aloft. We're calling it simply Bilbo and the Eagles, and it was completed in May.
Taking the set of Hobbit sketches a little further, I worked a small number of them up into colour sketches, revisiting scenes I've tried in the past such as The Riddle Game, Conversation with Smaug, or Bilbo and the Trolls. Others were developed into pencil sketches of varying degrees of sophistication, and I hope in the months ahead to return to them.
Finally, last year I painted a series of small, sketchy works under the theme of Tolkien's Dwarves for a colleague and friend. Four colour works and two in pencil were done celebrating the theme of Dwarf history, and that first series featured scenes from the pre-history of The Hobbit, such as Thrain Discovers the Arkenstone or Thorin and Gandalf at Bree. I am now continuing that series with another set of artworks in the same vein, having completed Durin I Discovers The Three Peaks.That brings us to the present time.
In closing, I should add that within the past couple of summers, along with Marian, I've returned to sporadic plein air sketching sessions. I feel I want to develop that side of my output, and the surrounding rural splendour should provide ample inspiration. Just to the south at the edge of town there is a sprawling geographical feature known as The Holland Marsh, a large wetland drained and cultivated by (mainly) Dutch and Portuguese settlers in the early 20th century (their descendants are still the backbone of the community). Besides having been for a long time a favourite place for me, it is now close enough to enjoy routinely, filled as it is with hundreds of vegetable farms stretching into the distance, bounded by wooded hills. The old workers' shacks and farm buildings, and discarded equipment, plus the system of irrigation canals green with duckweed under changing skies, offer an abundance of picturesque inspiration. I am looking forward to exploring some of these possibilities as I continue to express my Tolkienian and other themes alongside.
Posted July 10, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permanent link
It's with sadness that I learned recently of the unfortunate destruction of much of the exquisitely carved sculpture installed in a facility near Marysville, Victoria, Australia, known as Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden. [Please have a look at the following link; www.brunosart.com/helpus.htm to see the slide show and learn more.]
Artist Bruno has spent years creating beautiful, magical sculptures in a Faerie style, installed in a park setting adjacent to his gallery and residence, only to see them mostly destroyed in the recent fires. Words can hardly sum up the heartbreak this would represent for any artist. Of course the human cost is unquestionably the greatest matter in this situation, and those now in the process of attempting to recover in the aftermath of so much horror are mustering extraordinary courage, and deserve all the help they can receive. But restoration of as much as possible of the material destruction is nonetheless critical to the survivors and their morale, plus support--financially, practically or emotionally--from outside, is most urgent.
On behalf of myself and my colleagues within the Three Farthing Stone Fellowship in Gloucester England, we wish to offer our sincere condolences and solidarity as you mourn what was lost, and as you rebuild and restore in the weeks and months ahead.
Posted March 02, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permanent link
It's my pleasure to announce our upcoming 2009 exhibition and sale, Lands of Enchantment! Date: April 3 through 6 2009. Place: Redesdale Hall, Moreton in Marsh, Glos., England.
Along with my newest Tolkien paintings (see previous entry) the exhibition will feature the latest art by Ruth Lacon, Jef Murray, and Peter Procownik, along with books, memorabilia, craft and activities geared to attract and interest our many friends, supporters and clients. As in the past, I and my fellow musicians will perform songs and music each afternoon (and some evenings unofficially). We invite you to be a part of our gathering.
This spring's event will also officially launch the first book of collected notes and stories by JRR Tolkien's late brother Hilary. We have lately been entrusted by the Hilary Tolkien family with publication of their grandfather's papers and letters, a first. Up to now, there has been very little known of the very warm relationship John Reuel had with Hilary throughout their lives. ADC Books has now published the first of two volumes presenting a glimpse of the story ideas Hilary made up in their youth so long ago. Angie Gardner has done a lovely job editing and contextualizing the often difficult-to-discern notes, and Jef Murray has created just the right whimsical illustrations.
Posted March 02, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permanent link
Hi Everybody!
Like Smith of Wootton Major (or Samwise) I'm BACK. Back from further adventures in Faerie, I suppose, and it wouldn't be too great an exaggeration (NaSmith of Wootten Way??)! In the weeks since I last returned, it's been mostly a succession of new works in a Tolkien vein, as is my wont. In late summer, shortly after painting a commissioned work called Frodo and Haldir in Lothlorien, I went on to a work I'd long considered interpreting, called Eagles to the Carrock. I'm very happy with this one. I'd like as often as possible in coming months to add to my body of Hobbit paintings in fact. With a movie version in production I feel keen to revisit anew the book.
Once Eagles was finished I offered it for display at Oxonmoot, where I also presented slides of how several of my works have evolved in successive versions. Of course, it wouldn't be an Oxonmoot without "Ents" (Entertainments), the Saturday night Party. Once again I had an opportunity to perform a set of songs, starting with a duet with Caspar Reiff of The Tolkien Ensemble, and then on to a solo song from my CD before bringing in Alex Lewis and Maddy Anderson for another couple of numbers.
In the weeks afterward, I got down to more serious work, sending Caspar a series of small colour pieces depicting scenes from the pre-history of The Hobbit. Then, taking advantage of a lull during November and into December, I decided I'd like to reimagine Rivendell once again. I hadn't painted a full size version since the 80s, and felt it was time to revisit it, in order to demonstrate how my techniques and ideas have evolved. Just about when it was nearing completion I was contacted by HarperCollins about illustrating the 2010 Tolkien Calendar and Diary, interestingly enough. After accepting (of course) I immediately suggested inclusion of this Rivendell (which I'm calling The Fair Valley of Rivendell) to HC, along with several other newer works. The theme for 2010 is landscapes of the Third Age, to complement the 2009 Calendar/Diary which features landscapes of the First Age.
Only this week, after adding some final touches, have I sent The Fair Valley of Rivendell to Andy Compton of ADC Books and Art for inclusion in the upcoming exhibition scheduled for Apr. 3 to 6, '09 at Redesdale Hall in Moreton in Marsh, UK. It will be the keystone piece.
Following that work, I've been working up two new pieces. One is a cover piece for a CD by Irish rock group Dead Heroes Club, while the other is an important new Tolkien commission. They're both in production now, the latter to be called Thus Came Aragorn. It will depict his landing at The Harlond in the Black Ships with his mustered army from Southern Gondor, bearing the standard of Gondor and Anduril reforged. It too will be included in the exhibition, and at least one further work which I intend.
And that brings us up to date! I hope to see as many friends, supporters, and (of course) patrons as possible during the four day event in April, which will also feature new art by Ruth Lacon, Jef Murray, and Peter Procownick. You won't be disappointed!
Posted February 10, 2009 | Comments (0) | Permanent link
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