Guestbook

HAPP BIRTHDAY, John!

Hello Mr.Howe,

I stopped by to leave a small message of appreciation for your wonderful artwork. Thank you for drawing the magical world of Tolkien’s stories and giving them a shape, an image. I’m a big enthusiast for everything related to the Lord of the Rings movies, books, Tolkien’s world in general … and pencil drawing as a form of artistic expression, being myself a hobbyist in this type of drawing.
I think your artwork is great and inspiring.

My best regards,
Andreea

Hi John,

Just wanted to drop by and tell you I love your work. I'm an aspiring illustrator working towards my degree and I wasn't sure how else to contact you other than through your website. I wondered how you started your career, and what you've found is the best aspect of being represented at Arena for you 🙂 Hope you're well.

Thanks for all your work
Cerys

Dear John Howe,

I was recently watching the making of the Lord of the Rings again and wished to send this to you and Alan Lee. You were both given great talent in artistry. In the Genesis tale of the Fall of Man, the serpent is generally portrayed as a snake. Yet one of the punishments given the serpent is to crawl on its belly. Well if we were talking about a garden snake it might say. “Great. no problemo, thanks for nothing”. If you were talking about a serpent, that is to say a dragon such as you two have so often wonderfully drawn the rebuke makes far more sense with the tempter now rendered wingless and cast from the heavens. This idea of a dragon as the source or symbol of great evil is seen across many, it seems to me all cultures. I apologize that I am neither an artist nor one who may comment knowledgeably on other’s art. That said, personally, I have never seen in art the serpent of the Garden of Eden portrayed as a dragon, a portrayal which I would say is entirely consonant with the text.

Like the Pieta and other portrayals signifying and commemorating the sacrifice of the Messiah, the Fall of Man is a quite serious and disturbing topic occurring within the context of the redemption of Man. To put it another way as JRR Tolkien once said (if my memory is not a myth) “Christianity is the myth that came true”. As the Alpha and Omega Jesus the Messiah would have in some sense been witness to all that happened, while our ancient for-bearers might not, I would say likely could not, have recognized the evil the serpent was relaying or it would have been rejected.

So the cartoon version is the serpent of Eden was a dragon as attested in varied cultures and strongly hinted at in the text. The more correct version is it is a most serious topic, outside of myth the story of whatever the tragic fall of man actually was, which you might care to ruminate on and illustrate for us with your considerable talents. I don’t know if I would want to, or find it too disturbing. It is enough to, as the great Italian mystic Padre Pio said, “work pray and be happy”. All that said to cut to the chase, you both have wonderfully drawn many dragons. I would say Genesis tells the most dramatic story of a dragon, I kinda bet you would like to illustrate it.

Kind Regards,

Paul “Duffy”

Thank you, John for sharing Hobbit Prime movie. I do enjoy nature and learning Hobbit started at University of Oxford. I think you are setting an example in a changing world. I studied science and mathematics at Marlboro College in Vermont. Lots of nature and rural landscapes! I suggest teaching a art sketch course on the Hobbit. To me will be like art therapy type of class.


Jeff McGuire
588 Sutter Street #620
San Francisco CA 94102

Vous êtes un champion de lillustration
Chapeau

I hope that things are going well with you and your family these days. I also wished to thank you for your contributions to fantasy art - especially Tolkien - over the years. I quite enjoyed your Myth & Magic, Forging Dragons, and the somewhat recent Middle-earth Traveller books. Speaking of Middle-earth Traveller, can we expect some of the images from that book to be added to your portfolio on your website?

The reason why I'm writing today; is that I'm interested in possibly obtaining a print of 'Smaug the Golden' : https://www.john-howe.com/portfolio/gallery/data/media/1/Smaug.jpg . Are there any prints for sale, and how much would one cost? If yes, how would one go about obtaining one? That image of Smaug is among my favourite-ever pieces of Tolkien related art. No one does dragons quite like you do.

I know it's included in the long out of print poster collection called Images of Middle-earth, though they go for quite a bit these days on the marketplace. Unless you have a spare one...... 😉 [half joking.]

That's pretty much it! I hope things are going well, and I wish you the best of luck on the art and design on Amazon's Middle-earth series. I also look forward to your new artwork featured in the forthcoming Unfinished Tales 40th anniversary illustrated edition (and the corresponding 2021 Calendar), as well as your forthcoming art in general.

Looking forward to hearing back from you. Have a great weekend!

Carved Dwarven pipe -

Hi there John,
I hope this message finds you well.

I recently finished a small project of mine, turning a Dwarven pipe illustration from your book, into a fully functioning hand carved pipe.

Below is a link to some images of the pipe which I believe can just be copied from here. The bird is made of walnut, the stem is oak, and both connected with a steel spacer.

Your illustrations are very informative for craftspeople such as myself.

Very inspiring work. Many thanks.

Sam
Stonecarver and sculptor from England.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/W9rLBGvAGX4hU95AA

Cher John,
J'imagine et espère que vous trouverez ce message quand vous rentrerez de votre dernier et long voyage (intense en ces temps je suppose).
J'avais eu la chance de faire un workshop avec vous à Paris il y a quelques mois, et pour vous dire vos paroles résonnent encore fortement en moi. J'aurai aimé en recevoir tellement d'autres encore.
Je suis tombé par hasard à Noel sur un exemplaire du Voyageur en terre du milieu -tronant désormais fierement chez moi- qui m'a refait voyager et suis émerveillé devant tant de finesse, humour, sensibilité et pragmatisme. De mon coté, tout progresse à bon rythme, je rattrape mon retard, comble plus que jamais mes lacunes et défauts. Et même si mon projet au long cours de livre illustré n'est toujours pas fini, j'en vois la fin et vous enverrai peut être le tout pour avis quand cela sera fini, si cela est digne et si cela ne vous dérange pas.
Je vous souhaite en tout cas beaucoup de bonnes choses, de prendre plaisir à continuer d'explorer des contrées et paysages et de dispenser votre savoir encore longtemps.
A mon niveau, je me replongerai toujours avec un immense plaisir dans vos illustrations et découvrirai prochainement la Suisse en famille avec, au passage, une nouvelle fois une pensée vers vous.
La vie est un voyage, et en tant que tel, ce qui compte, reste le chemin parcouru, ses détours et ses rencontres. Merci pour cette dernière.
Sincèrement
Guillaume

I hope you can find the time to get your work back onto a store somewhere; the one currently linked to in the artworks is no longer operating. I for one would love to buy some of your Beowulf prints!