Earthwork: Map of Middle Earth

Misty Mountains upper left.  Mirkwood upper right.  River Anduin coming through.  Fangorn on left.  Emyn Muil on right.

Mirkwood in left.  River Anduin.  Misty Mountains on right.

View from the West.  Sea of Rhun on the lower right.  7 Palintir on left.

View from the Northeast.

Closer view from the Northeast.  Upright stones are memories of those who bravely fought for truth in Middle-Earth.  Artists liberties.

View from the South.  Unfinished.

River Anduin.  Emyn Muil in upper right-hand corner.  Fangorn in background.  Lothlorien, the Goldenwood on left side of river in the middle - crosses both sides of the tributary that flows into Anduin.  Mirkwood on right.

Iron Hills upper left.  The lonely Mountain front and center.

Echos.  Artist liberties.

Oh here we are again!  I must really like this angle.

Shire.  Hobbiton is the brighter patch where the sun is resting.

This is my earthworks project that I have been working on for the past three plus years.  Middle Earth.  These pictures were taken late summer 2010.  I didn't take any pictures of the eye, or Mordor, Gondor, or Rohan, Helms Deep, etc....sometimes you don't realize what pictures you didn't take until you are going through them and looking for specific shots.  This year I'll get it photographed real well and post the pics!  It's almost finished.  My Client has been so kind and patient to allow me the freedom in creativity and time that it has required to produce this artwork.  I have really enjoyed it, especially those Saturdays when my dad and sometimes siblings came to help - even my mom came up with my dad once.  My dad really enjoys working in the map, and it's fun to have him be so excited to make the mountain drive and dig rivers and seas, or give ideas on water, etc.

See - so right now, I love my job.  How could you hate doing this?

Oooh - one more.  The seven palintir.