{"id":119536,"date":"2024-09-24T12:57:26","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:57:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/?p=119536"},"modified":"2024-09-24T12:57:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T17:57:28","slug":"beautiful-stained-glass-for-your-cosy-hobbit-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theonering.net\/torwp\/2024\/09\/24\/119536-beautiful-stained-glass-for-your-cosy-hobbit-hole\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful stained glass for your cosy Hobbit Hole"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Here at TORn we were delighted recently to make a new friend: Ian Leino from Geek Orthodox<\/a>. Ian is a glass artist who creates incredible stained glass (and window cling replicas), and who has recently become licensed with Middle-earth Enterprises. So he’s launching a range inspired by Tolkien<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n

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Staffer greendragon recently had a chance to chat with Ian, to find out more about his stunning creations, and his passion for all things Tolkien. Here’s what he had to say:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was your first encounter with the work of J.R.R. Tolkien?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My parents divorced when I was an infant, but when I was four, my Mom started dating a man who would eventually become my step-father. When he would come to visit, he would always read to be before bedtime – but none of those [little] children\u2019s books; he launched right into The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe<\/em> by C.S. Lewis, and introduced me to the world of fantasy. It took a few years to get through the entire Chronicles of Narnia<\/em>, and by then they had gotten married and we\u2019d established the routine of a family reading time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Narnia behind us, the time was right to graduate to the world of Middle-earth, starting with The Hobbit<\/em> and progressing through The Lord of the Rings<\/em>, which captured my imagination in an entirely new way. That bond over Middle-earth is one of the things that bound our new family together, and it\u2019s a common interest that we still share.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why stained glass – is it a medium which particularly lends itself to images of Middle-earth, do you think?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

My interest in stained glass started with my first job, which was sweeping up at a glass studio on the weekends when I was in middle school. And it intensified in college when I studied art history with an emphasis on gothic art and architecture. As a medium, stained glass has always been used to evoke a sense of wonder and grandeur. From the heroes of history to the religious parables in cathedrals – we use stained glass artwork as a way of venerating and celebrating what is important to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The world and characters of Middle-earth are such a foundational fandom for so many of us that I feel that they deserve a similar artistic treatment. From the sweeping vistas that call us to adventure, to the coziness of a pub sign where we know our friends are inside sharing tales, these moments and places absolutely shine through the medium of stained glass in a way that they can\u2019t in any other medium.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Are there other Middle-earth artists\/interpreters who have influenced you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I likely have the same major touchstones as many other Tolkien fans my age – starting with the striking animation of the Bakshi films, later finding the stunning work of Alan Lee, and then being absolutely immersed in the world of Middle-earth by the amazing creative teams at WETA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my absolute favorite sets of illustrations ever, though, is the 1976 Russian version of The Hobbit<\/em>, illustrated by\u00a0Mikhail Belomlinsky. The illustrations are bold and unique with a touch of whimsy, giving the entire book the feeling of a folk-tale. More than anything, I love the breadth of inspiration that is possible while still being true to the original text, and the huge diversity of artwork based around these stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does it feel to be ‘officially licensed’?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It feels amazing! I feel like I should have a more sophisticated answer, but it\u2019s so overwhelming that all I can think is: \u201camazing!\u201d. I\u2019ve long enjoyed being part of a worldwide fellowship of artists who create original art that is inspired by these books. So it\u2019s an incredible honor to know that the stewards at Middle-earth Enterprises have selected my artwork to help officially represent that world to fans everywhere. I feel a responsibility to be worthy of that trust – being true to the original text and my own vision – to offer a new way of experiencing the world that Tolkien created.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Discover Ian’s gorgeous work for yourself<\/a> – and maybe bring home a piece to adorn your cosy Smial! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here at TORn we were delighted recently to make a new friend: Ian Leino from Geek Orthodox. Ian…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":119538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3357,1378,1360,84,198,197,7,35,18,1359,148,149],"tags":[313,4282,792,4283,221,2014],"class_list":["post-119536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","category-artwork-shop","category-collectibles-shop","category-merchandise-collectibles","category-fans-creations","category-fans","category-hobbit-book","category-lotr-books","category-merchandise","category-shop","category-hobbit","category-lotr","tag-chronicles-of-narnia","tag-geek-orthodox","tag-jrr-tolkien","tag-stained-glass","tag-the-hobbit","tag-the-lord-of-the-rings"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t