Rings artist a guest at Elements
Daniel Reeve is bringing his own brand of magic to Porirua’s Festival of the Elements on Waitangi Day.
The Lord of the Rings’ artist plans is to tread the middle earth of Te Rauparaha Park, as he paints a creation in amongst all the festival activity.
His canvas will show his special perspective of a particular action scene of the festival.
The finished canvas will be sold in a charity auction on Trade Me.
Proceeds will go to the Titahi Bay Surf Life Saving Club.
A Porirua firm has offered $100 toward the framing of the picture.
Examples of Reeve’s work will also be on display at Pataka Museum and during the day he will be able to meet people and discuss his exhibits.
Reeve shot to fame through his work with the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and The Hobbit, among other prominent productions.
His paintings these days are quickly snapped up, as are his unusual renditions of calligraphy and cartography.
Tolkien’s stories have always fired his imagination and been his inspiration.
As a schoolboy he copied the Middle Earth scripts and maps and to his surprise and delight, he is now considered one of the leading artists in the world in that type of specialised artistry.
Most of his creative work happens in his hilltop home in Titahi Bay.
‘‘I get paid for what I love doing,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s hard to believe. ‘‘ It’s not work, it’s enjoyment.’’
He described his success with his art as a plunge into the unknown, a sort of leap of faith.
When he heard Peter Jackson was going to make movies from his favourite book right on his doorstep he sent off examples of his work.
It was a case of being the right person in the right place at the right time. He got the job. ‘‘I was able to be imaginative and inventive and people liked what I was doing,’’ he said.
Parchment maps and prop replicas from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies are on display at the Weta Cave in Miramar.
At Festival of the Elements people will be able to watch his creation in progress.
About 40,000 people are expected to attend the festival and Reeve will be under constant gaze.
Will it be Unlikely.
He has already been on show to millions of fans around the world.
off- putting?