Middle-earth Journeys

A NEW HOBBIT calendar!!! Tell me where you ran across this, as I can't find anything on Amazon ( of course while looking I ordered two more of the History of...books !!!!)

I saw it in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, Varda. Smaug, in all his glory, is on the front.

I'd love one of those! I wonder if Amazon will have them eventually - I guess they won't be available in the UK any other way. Will keep my eye open for it.

I have just made Tolkien's drawing of Rivendell my wallpaper, and I am really enjoying looking at it so often. Among his many talents is the ability to visualize places so well. I wonder if he drew the place first, and then wrote the words about it, or the other way around?

I love his maps too. What a multi faceted man he was.

I picked up a copy of 'The Hobbit' calendar when I was in Toronto in September and was looking through it today, marking up appointments for next year. It's beautiful and I particularly like the two maps on the centre pages.

Aflon!!!

Hi Philipa Well I had a serious disappointment today resulting in my holiday plans crashing in totally, so when I had to take my son to Borders this evening, I treated myself to 'J R R Tolkien Art & Illustrator' which I have been lusting after for ages, but never indulged in. It's a beautiful book to add to my collection. There was also a wonderful hard back edition of 'The Reader's Companion', but as I already have a copy of that, sadly I couldn't justify buying that.

Ah when you've digested the new book let us know what you think. This Christmas I asked for Lee's latest however J R R Tolkien Art & Illustrator is one I would love to own.

I'd love the discuss both these books!!!! They are both treasure troves. I have them close by me and pick them up often so fire away both of you! What do you like best?

Well, Iolanthe, this thread has been dormant over a year now, but as you were kind enough to give me a copy of Hammond & Scull's "J R R Tolkien: Artist & Illustrator" for my birthday a few weeks ago I'm now in a position to continue the discussion (even though I'm still only working my way through chapter 2).

First, a comment on the book: it IS a treasure trove, isn't it, and includes so much information on Tolkien himself, as well as his drawings & paintings. That's why I'm taking my time with it - I need to absorb everything slowly. It is difficult to resist the temptation to rush though!

One of my favourite illustrations is the one which Riv chose when she set up this thread: "Bilbo comes to the huts of the Raft-Elves". I particularly love the trees, which have an almost cartoon-like quality - I can imagine them coming to life like Walt Disney's "Fantasia". The Art Deco design element is very strong in this picture and - like much of Tolkien's work - it's completely of its time (1937). And - oh my - I've just noticed that the Bodleian Library online bookshop has a poster available . . .

I bought that poster at the Bod last summer and it is now framed in my bedroom. I love it!

You're right--it's a terrific book. I haven't paged through in a while. Tonight's a stay home night (wind chills of about twenty below zero!), so that might be just the thing.

Maybe we should all name our favorite Tolkien illustrations?

Ooooo, what a fun idea! But very hard . Looking through the book again there are so many I love for different reasons.

Bilbo Comes to the Huts of the Raftelves is masterly. It's his best painting, I think, with wonderful perspective and detail, and I also think the trees are wonderful! I love the dark colours - this is no Lothlorien (See p 162 The Trees of Lothlorien in Spring, another favourite). We can feel the delight of coming finally through the trees into the open light of the small bay with it's cosy lit houses. I love the sweeping, elegant stylized branches, rounded forms suggesting groups of leaves so delicately shaded, the wonderful roots creeping over the bank edges. It's lovely and, as mabreterese has said, very Art Deco in the best way. It's a masterly, elegant design and the design doesn't get in the way of the story. I bet it's a fabulous poster (we must make that visit to Oxford, mabreterese!!!! ).

The more I look at it the more I think it ought to be my favourite! But up until now my favourite has always been Rivendell (p117). I just really, really want to go there . It's just as elegantly designed as the raft picture but so sunny, pretty, protected. I want to walk down those steps on the right and have a good wander around .

I so wish he had had the time to do more watercolours like these - a whole Tolkien illustrated Hobbit, LOTR and Sil would have been tremendous. But then, of course, he wouldn't have had time to write them....

Another favourite is the completely astonishing The Gardens of the Merkings Palace (p 83). It surprised me more than anything when I first got the book. Don't you just love the smiling whale? I'll have to stop here or I'll write an essay on it!!!!!

Merry - your idea is a great one, and I look forward to hearing more about other people's favourites!

If I remember correctly, according to Hammond & Scull, "Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft Elves" was also Tolkien's personal favourite (this is the problem with posting from work, where I don't have the book to hand!!).

I haven't yet come to the others you mention, Iolanthe, but one which has had a profound effect on me is the painting on the front cover of the edition you gave me: "Taniquetil" (aka "The Halls of Manwe"). The mountain itself is intended to be rock but could be taken for crystal. And the symbolism of the three levels could as easily apply to consciousness or angelic kingdoms as to Tolkien's own mythology. I could - and probably will - study it for hours.

We will definitely take a trip to Oxford, come the Spring. But I might just order the Raft Elves poster online in the meantime

Spring it is!

'Taniquetil' is a beautiful painting and was a close run thing for favourite. I like the observation that the mountain has a crystal like quality - it does. And I hadn't thought about the three distinct layers before, but now I look at it it's clear he intended something of the kind by the fact that he has kept the sun and moon in the bottom layer as though confined to one world. And then the next layer looks like islands rising out of a silver sea . Never noticed that before! If you cover the bottom it's even clearer.

How wonderful .