Hello and Happy New Year!
I’d like to share a story with you that’s 42 years in the making.
This last September, I was looking through my collection of drawings and prints, selecting a few to send off and be digitized. I came across an image I’d made back in 1978, one in a series I had drawn inspired by Tolkien's "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. At the time I didn’t have any plan for them… just the love of drawing and story. And there, like the ring, they sat waiting to be found again, until now! I sent the drawing off to Joseph Wilhelm of Meridian Fine Art, where it would be digitized and made ready for me to add color.
About a month later, I was walking in downtown Fortuna when I spotted an interesting cloud formation, quickly making it’s way south in the western sky. The light was beautiful, and I pulled out my camera and took a photo. At the time I didn’t look too closely at the image, but while looking them over at home, that’s when I spotted Gandalf's hat!
A couple of days later I was looking through proof images that Joseph had prepared from my original black and white, pen and ink drawings. As I made my way through the stack, I remembered I had included one of my Tolkien inspired images, where a hobbit can be seen reading his mail, standing underneath a large sky. Looking over the image, the proverbial light bulb switched on! Gandalf's hat!
I contacted Joseph to see if he could add the photograph of the cloud into the background of my illustration, and provide me with a new canvas to create from. He did it! I sat down and used my color pencils, adding color to the scene. "A Letter from Gandalf" is the finished result.
The Hobbit in, "A Letter from Gandalf," has no name, and he has no time. Could it be that Gandalf is initiating another adventure, or unexpected party, in another time? Before Bilbo...or after?
It's a simple little drawing, but it was such a fun creation, and I am quite pleased with how it turned out. I hope you enjoy it, too!
In other news, I have decided to make my artwork available in smaller sizes, and will be offering a sale with their release towards the end of February. Stay tuned for an email with a discount code if you would like to receive 15% off on all 3 sizes of my Fine-Art Prints.
Also a note that my Fine Art Prints and Greeting Cards will only be available for purchase locally from January 10th-February 25th. You can find them at The Art Center Frame Shop in Old Town Eureka (616 2nd St, Eureka), and at Humboldt Furniture in Arcata (1805 K Street, Arcata). My coffee mugs and tote bags will continue to be available on my website, www.rodneymarchetti.com
Thank you...
Rodney
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