Early Winter!

Well, fair autumn seems to have given way to early winter, at least in my part of the Shire.

Please enjoy our new welcome mat, and break out the tea!

Fairy-Tale Illustrator:Ivan Bilibin

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Oh, how I wish Ivan Bilibin had illustrated that most wonderful of books, The Hobbit! Add a grey robe and peaked hat to the figure above, and we see a wizard riding to the rescue of his friends (captured by trolls, no doubt). Or change that horse into a snarling warg, and we can imagine a wicked goblin warrior off to battle!

Ivan Bilibin was a Russian illustrator during the early 20th century, and his work is a wonderful example of Art Nouveau style.

What would The Hobbit have looked like if illustrated by Bilibin? Let's take a peek at Chapter IX, "Barrels Out of Bond" - the Bilibin version...

The Elves of Mirkwood

Barrels on the River

Lake-town


Nova Akropola has a very nice gallery of Bilibin's work. (Note: the site is in Russian.)

Enjoy!
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Welcome Mat for Autumn 2010

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Welcome back, friends!

According to Hob's Calendar, it is now quellë, late autumn, the time when cold weather arrives... and yet, I'm just not ready to change the welcome mat to something cold. I'm not quite ready for tea!


So our current welcome mat is something a bit more warm, a reminder of gentle, golden days. We'll be in the arms of winter all too soon!
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