Ted Nasmith

During his third year of high school, however, Nasmith's sister introduced him to The Lord of the Rings, and it quickly became a huge inspiration and focus in his life.

[3] Nasmith writes: It opened up in me a dormant love of lost and misty times, myth and legend.

I began immediately to draw scenes inspired by this magical, nostalgic realm, becoming absorbed for many hours at a time.

[2] Tolkien responded by letter a few weeks later, both praising the work and making the comment that the rendition of Bilbo Baggins seemed a little too childlike.

[6] In early 1999, representatives for Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema invited Ted Nasmith to join John Howe and Alan Lee to work as a concept artist for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

However, I was going through a personal crisis unrelated to my art, and in the end, being that it would also force me to abandon my freelance obligations and be away indefinitely, I reluctantly declined, settling the question in my mind after very careful deliberation.

He has worked on a musical project entitled Beren and Lúthien: A Song Cycle, with his friend Alex Lewis,[2] and has a close friendship with one of the founders of The Tolkien Ensemble.

In latter years, he has illustrated a deluxe 2-volume limited edition of George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones novel.

Nasmith in 2005
Nasmith's first attempt at illustrating Tolkien , his 1972 gouache painting The Unexpected Party depicting a scene from the start of The Hobbit . Tolkien commented that it made Bilbo look like a child. [ 2 ]
Nasmith's 1972 illustration of a Buick Skylark convertible, in the style of Art Fitzpatrick . [ 2 ]