Middle-earth Journeys

I like the gincko-y trees the best! They give it a bit of an Asian flare. And the palette, too.

I agree that The Hobbit doesn't seem as inspirational in many ways. Maybe we could do something here to combat that: rerun the Hobbit calendar? Have special searches and reports on other Hobbit art? A thread on favorite Hobbit passages? Because, my friends, the Hobbit is coming and we don't want to be on the other side of the curve!

That's a great idea, Merry. When we worked on the Hobbit Calendar I found all sorts of things in The Hobbit which I hadn't appreciated before. It's true that Tolkien is not as descriptive in The Hobbit as he is in LOTR, but that means the artist is free to let his or her imagination take flight.

Having said that, my own Tolkien painting (such as it is) is going more in the direction of The Sil at the moment

Having said all of this ... today is an important day in the TA ... January 15 - TA 3019: Gandalf falls at Bridge at Khazad-Dum.

wow I would find so much inspiration in the Hobbit. From white stags running in Mirkwood, Biblo popping his head above a tree canopy to see black butterflies to Bard taking down Smaug with that fated arrow. Have at it Riv there's so much there.

I was messin' around with designs this past weekend and all of a sudden (totally unplanned for) there was Smaug looking back at me.

© Rabbit Ridge Art

fabulous, Riv!

As I said at VW I really love him. He's fiery and scary but beautiful.

I'm in the process of creating Goldberry's waterlily. You can see how far I've gotten here.

I love where you are going with that Philipa and I am eager to see how you proceed. Block print is a foreign medium to me and you certainly have caught my attention.

Riv! This is FABULOUS!!!! O Smaug, the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities!

Great to see your progress via your blog, Philipa!

Your Smaug is simply terrific, Riv, terrific and a wee bit terrifying!

Philipa, your blog is really shaping up and I love the way you've shadowed the sunflower with an off-set colour. It really does bring it to life! What a difference.

One lesson I have learned today is there is a difference of how you feel when making art for yourself and not for customers. There's something about pleasing yourself without any expectations to deliver "goods".

So true!

Thank you M for your kind words.

Iolanthe wrote:
Philipa, your blog is really shaping up and I love the way you've shadowed the sunflower with an off-set colour. It really does bring it to life! What a difference.

One lesson I have learned today is there is a difference of how you feel when making art for yourself and not for customers. There's something about pleasing yourself without any expectations to deliver "goods".

So true!

Thank you Iolanthe. Today I ordered more materials from Dick Blick. They're so reasonable. I was checking out their presses and my husband is thinking of making me one. Let's see if that comes to fruition. It's easy to come up with a workbench but a press with 1000lbs of pressure....that's a challenge.

I love ordering from Blick. They have simply everything and you can't beat their prices. I think the key is to wait (if possible) until you can make the largest order you can so the shipping cost is worth it. Even at that ... I am a fan.

I do hope you get your press one way or another, Philipa. I would love a press if I had the space. At the moment I have to make all my prints by hand which I find completely exhausting - that's the reason why my printmaking has been confined to relatively small items so far!

marbretherese wrote:I do hope you get your press one way or another, Philipa. I would love a press if I had the space. At the moment I have to make all my prints by hand which I find completely exhausting - that's the reason why my printmaking has been confined to relatively small items so far!

Exactly M. I do one at a time. But right now it's all an experiment and to have a press is probably over kill. I'm just having fun with the medium. I've bought a wonderful book entitled Print Workshop Handprinting, Techniques and Truly Original Projects. Everything from block printing to making cyanotype prints is in there. Lot's of food for thought in more projects. It's endless really.