This was the first piece I made after returning from the Tolkien 2005 conference in Birmingham, greatly inspired by all I had heard and learnt during those days. It also gave me the chance not only to have a very close look (and I am talking like one inch away, nose almost touching the glass) at the original work of what doubtlessly are the great masters in this particular section of Faerytale world, Alan Lee and Ted Nasmith (alas, John Howe could not attend) aswell as Anke Eissman, but also have an extended chat with my far famed colleagues.
So how come I made such a bloody battle after such positive experiences? Guess it just was a scene from Professor Tolkien´s Silmarillion that had somehow stuck to my mind and I had never seen illustrated before. It also was a challenge to try out something really complex again.
What scene? If you do take the time to read the book you will find that there are only two battles that take place on fens and only one mentioning a group of men with long spears saving the life of an elven king ...