Two original John Blanche illustrations are due to go to auction at Sotherby’s in London on the 9th of December 2014.

These beautiful illustrations are of ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’, from The Hobbit and ‘The Destruction of Numenor’, from The Silmarillion.

The Battle of Five Armies. Published in-Ratspike by GW Books and Tolkien Bestiary by Mitchell Beazley Publishers and The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien
The Battle of Five Armies. Published in-Ratspike by GW Books and Tolkien Bestiary by Mitchell Beazley Publishers and The Hobbit by J R R Tolkien

 

Downfall of Numenor. A scene by John Blanche from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Published in Tolkien Bestiary Mitchell, Beazley Publishers.
Downfall of Numenor. A scene by John Blanche from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Published in Tolkien Bestiary Mitchell, Beazley Publishers.

If you’re interested in owning one, or both, of these unique illustrations you can find out more information on their Facebook page – John Blanche Gallery of Illustrations

Smaug detail FBOur friend, Artist Jerry Vanderstelt, has a brand new print ready for fans to add to their growing Middle-earth collections. If you’ve been wanting to own something Smaug specific, after seeing just how great he was in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, then today is your lucky day. You can now order an amazing print capturing Smaug the Terrible in this stunning portrait. This print gives incredible detail of the face of Smaug, with such great attention paid to the eyes, teeth, scales, fire, and even the gold being flung around by Smaug as he deals with Bilbo Baggins. As always Jerry offers this print in various sizes ranging from a 16×20 print for $35 to a Canvas Gallery Wrapped Giclee for $280. No matter which choice you go with you’ll be adding the best Smaug-centric piece on the market!

Mid-earthJ.R.R. Tolkien changed fantasy books and publishing forever with his inclusion of maps of Middle-earth. One of the staples of world-building fantasy novels since, maps tell readers they aren’t quite in Kansas anymore and help them know they are instead in places like Westeros or Randland.

So it’s absolutely fitting that the Middle-Earth DEM Project (somebody tell those amazing folks its lower case “e”) is putting Middle-earth in the hands of the public with views from space and can also be explored on foot virtually. The video above demonstrates that walk while the link to the project gives you choices of how you wish to see Middle-earth. Enjoy as team continues its work to put Middle-earth everywhere, including a demo you can download.

Artwork by Ted Nasmith I’ve always found it fascinating how J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth continues to captivate generations of artists around the world. TheOneRing.net has proudly produced 6 art shows over the years, shining a spotlight on both professional and fan artists alike. I was delighted to attend the opening reception of “Out of the Shire”, a new gallery exhibit in tribute to Tolkien and his inspiring work.

Nucleus is an art gallery and store located at 210 East Main Street in Alhambra, California. It’s a charming space that sells various art books, crafts, t-shirts and more. The gallery side is perfectly set up for exhibits with fantastic lighting. The artwork was laid out in such a way that it allows each piece to stand on its own to be admired. And there is some truly incredible artwork on display!

Out of the Shire I Am No Man

Over 30 artists are on exhibit, showing a wide variety of styles – from paintings to illustrations, paper craft to sculptures, and more. I especially loved pieces that were original interpretations of beloved characters, not inspired by images from the Peter Jackson movies. You could see how the artist interpreted a character based on the writing of Tolkien himself, just as you do in your mind’s eye when you read “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of the Rings”.

Bilbo Meets Gandalf The Smallest Person Out of Trouble

Stand outs include the whimsical watercolors of Justin Gerard, an incredible fossilized Balrog by Tohru Patrick Awa, the lovely paintings by Caroline Hadilaksono, and a charming acrylic of Bilbo meeting Gandalf by Erik Krenz to name just a few. A special treat is the gorgeous artwork on display by TORn favorites Donato Giancola and Ted Nasmith. Keith Noordzy, who took part in our “An Unexpected Art Show” last February, is also part of the exhibit.

Ents and Orcs Embers of the Darkness

If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I’d highly recommend you check out this special exhibit in person. It’s well worth a visit. “Out of the Shire” is free and runs until January 12, 2014.

TaurielLast night via his Facebook page artist Jerry Vanderstelt teased us with a great image of his upcoming print for Tauriel. Well, tonight this amazing print has gone up for sale! This print perfectly captures Evangeline Lilly as she played the character and the fierceness that the character has. You can get this fantastic print in 18×24 Paper Giclee for $75 and Canvas Giclee for $145. However, Jerry is offering a brand new size especially for this piece in 16×20 Paper Giclee for ONLY $35. If one Elf is not enough you can snag both Tauriel AND Legolas in the 16×20 Paper Giclee for JUST $60.

13-eowyn-and-the-nazgul
To the Death – Eowyn and Nazgul

Rare and Unique Items from Greg and Tim Hildebrandt Available Now!

Back in the 1970’s Greg and Tim Hildebrandt created 3 Tolkien themed calendars for Ballantine Books, beginning around the time of the 25th anniversary of the publishing of ‘The Lord of the Rings’. During this resurgence of popularity for Tolkien’s collective works, those calendars provided an entire generation’s vision of Middle-earth and all the characters within. Since the release of those calendars, very few alternative versions of those images have been available outside of the calendars and a few art books. Greg and Tim were always very particular about the quality of how their art was showcased. That is all changing, much of this work is now being released in multiple formats that meet with Greg’s exacting standards. Continue reading “Classic Hildebrandt Artwork Exclusively Available in New Formats”