“At the end of the second week in September a cart came in through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge in broad daylight. An old man was driving it all alone.... Small hobbitchildren ran after the cart all through Hobbiton and right up the hill. It had a cargo of fireworks, as they rightly guessed.”
(p36, Chapter 1 A Long Expected Party, "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien)
This altered painting has been on my to-do list for a very long time... and while I am aware it was started much later than I hoped to, I keep Gandalf's words in mind, that a wizard is never late, nor is he early, but arrives precisely when he means to. The same goes for art!
While painting this piece, I tried to be sensitive to the original painting to add the wizard and his fireworks wagon in a subtle way, to not detract from the beautiful composition and landscape. I imagined Gandalf driving the cart very, very gently across the bumpy roads until it reached its destination.
This original vintage painting was collected locally in Ontario. It is in very good condition, having been well cared for over the years.
"A Gentle Country Drive"
altered painting by Heather Castles
40.5 x 51 cm (16x20 inch) vintage painting on board
57 x 67 cm (26.5 x 22.5 inch) original vintage frame
