Myth and Magic : The Art of John Howe

For the first time ever, a portfolio of illustrated work from the award-winning artist, John Howe, which reveals the breathtaking vision of one of the foremost fantasy artists in the world. Myth and Magic is arranged into six sections, which looks at the books by J.R.R. Tolkien that have inspired John, as well as a fascinating tour through the paintings that he has produced for some of the finest fantasy authors working today. From the beloved painting of Smaug which decorates The Hobbit, his numerous and bestselling calendar illustrations, the world famous "Gandalf" picture, which is synonymous with the HarperCollins one-volume edition of The Lord of the Rings, this large-format hardback will delight fans of Tolkien, and anyone who has been captured by the imagination of the artist who so brilliantly brings to life the literary vision of J.R.R. Tolkien.

John Howe studied Illustration at the Ecole des Arts Decoratifs de Strasbourg for three years before moving to Switzerland. He has produced backgrounds for animated television and written and illustrated comics but he is perhaps best known for his many contributions to a wide range of Tolkien projects. He has had personal exhibitions on show since 1983. In 1998 he spent many months in New Zealand working as Conceptual Artist on Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings Movie Trilogy. In 2001 he was awarded (with Reiner Knizia) the 'Sonderpreis Literatur im Spiel' by the Game of the Year jury in Berlin for his work on The Lord of the Rings boardgame. John Howe still lives in Switzerland with his wife, Fataneh, who is also an illustrator, and his son, Dana