Father Christmas Letters: 1928

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

I wonder if JRRT simply hadn't gotten around to writing earlier and thought of this fictional excuse?

That's cute.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I think normally, with painting (if we look at the rest of the pictures), it does not - and that is perhaps even explainable by the different technique - but I wonder if the somewhat shaky contures of the suns, moons etc. framing this picture is not the intentional attempt to put the idea of "shaky handwriting" also into "shaky drawing", if you get what I mean.

I'm pretty sure you're right. Drawing simple symbols such as suns, moons and stars etc. can be awfully boring: they're not difficult and you know how to do them, so you don't have to concentrate on getting them right. Instead you can think of ways to make them more interesting, not only to the viewer but also to you, so you probably end up painting them so that they support the picture and the characters it relates to. I bet they would look different if they were framing a picture of Galadriel, or Tom Bombadil, or Bilbo, or Tolkien's self-portrait - you name it.

I haven't read the Father Christmas Letters in ages and I don't even have a copy of it so I didn't remember how fantastic the pictures are. I absolutely love this one, it shows a mastery of perspective and colour. The staircase must have taken ages to paint even if he had a model.