A Journey to Middle Earth
I had a wonderful time painting these two upcycled pieces... slowed right down to enjoy it for a couple weeks this autumn.
"To Isengard"
Mixed media on vintage painting on canvas
61 x 122 cm (2 x 4 ft) canvas
79 x 140 cm (31 x 55 inches) frame
Original - CAN $1200 -- on hold --
Watch the reel of this artwork being painted - coming soon!
Available as prints and printable digital download.
This epic landscape with its textured trees and mountains has been in my studio for a while… and I’ve taken my time deciding what to paint into it to give it a refresh. The idea of ents and hobbits has been one that I’ve wanted to explore for a while, so I very much enjoyed slowing down my usual pace to paint this piece.
With five ents and Isengard tower, it has a lot of elements to it. I couldn’t resist adding in the popular meme of the walking tree into the painting, I love that he is so tiny yet is leading the way… much like the hobbits were eager to join in the battles to help their friends. (The oldest instance of this twiggy tree meme I’ve found was dated 2010, does anyone know who originally took the photo of the twiggy tree?)
It was fun working in the style of the original artist, even using the trunk of an existing tree as the leg for one of the ents!
The original vintage painting by L. Godfrey was collected from a thrift store. I gave it a thorough clean, touched up the frame, and secured the wire on the back for display.
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“A Long Ways To Go Yet”
Mixed media on vintage painting on canvas
56 x 46 cm (22 x 18 inch) canvas
66 x 56 cm (26 x 22 inch) vintage frame
Original - my collection (my own, my precious)
Watch the reel of this artwork being painted!
Available as prints, framed prints and printable digital download.
I absolutely loved immersing myself in middle earth vibes while painting this piece. I had found this dreary painting at a local antique barn and while it isn’t the retro style I usually alter, it right away made me think of the Dead Marshes and I wanted to alter it for myself. On its own it was beautifully done, so I wanted to work with what was there and complement it with subtle additions.
The journey of Frodo, Sam and Sméagol through the Dead Marshes was a particularly depressing part of the journey to Mordor. I always feel touched by how forlorn they were stumbling through the marshes, walking closer and closer to the ominous glow of Mount Doom.
I hope you enjoy printing a copy for yourself at a size you like… I think it would look very nice in a white frame, but if you want to go more subtle you can frame it in a thrifted wood frame.
The original vintage painting “Connemara Bogland, July 1977” was by Pauline Scott. I bought this in an antique barn, and it was completely covered with dust and dirt… I gave it a thorough clean, ended up with a bucked of black water, yikes!
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