I've been following Aaron Diaz (@dresdencodak) on twitter for a while. It was one of those follows that results when you read a few witty or eccentric tweets and think that you need something different in your feed. My twitter stream is composed almost entirely of educators, centred on my province, educational technology, social studies, and public education advocacy. This is awesome as a professional development tool but it sometimes makes for way-too-serious reading and often raises my blood pressure. I'm trying to add some colour and humour to my feed, at the same time trying to avoid anything connected to celebrity or sports.
As it goes sometimes with twitter, it took me while to realize that Aaron Diaz was a graphic artist (and author, illustrator, and internet curator of comics lore based in Portland, OR), and it took me even longer to realize that he had an interest in illustrating the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, something dear to my heart and the theme of course I just started teaching called Middle Earth 12. I came across his Silmarillion Project a few weeks ago and was blown away by his renditions of characters that are known by the select few who have been Inducted. I find that his sketches and art go right to the profound thoughts I have about key characters and skip past the mental images I have about what they might look like. This is a big deal for me because I don't want these characters to be fixed down (the way they become after you've seen a book turned into a movie), I want them to remain fluid and possessed of the ability to inhabit new interior landscapes depending on where I'm at.
Today I emailed Aaron Diaz and asked if I could use his images with my course on handouts etc. and for comparison and study. He said "sure thing... kids need Tolkien." So, I'm thrilled to share his unique art with my students and help make the connection for them that the passions and interests kids have in high school can translate to satisfying lifelong pursuits and even paid work!
This image above shows Fëanor, a troubled elven prince in Tolkien's world, who created great gems called the Silmarils and set in motion a chain of events that altered the history of Middle Earth. The story of Fëanor has haunted me for 30 years, and is never far from my thoughts. I'm not sure if this was wise (given his tragic fate), but my wife and I named our son Fëanor. We gave ourselves a backdoor, though, in the moniker Finn.
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