Tree City
Artist: Charles Vess
The green leaf man is still there but has been joined by fae folk and a beautiful sorceress pointing the way to a fabulous menu. I've entered the large Gallery and have chosen Stardust Paintings. How can I resist a romantic name like that? The paintings are unique. Browsing, I found paintings of magical places, Fairies conjuring, and dragons. The one that attracted me is the Peter Pan style village in the tree known as "Tree City."
What cataclysmic event has perched all of these fine ships up in a huge tree? No wait, they are flying! Flying into ready made docks designed just for boats. The tree is immense, and literally dwarfs the huge ships that are in full sail. Little men get off and walk to the entrance of the city that has been built into the tree trunk. The city also has a castle complete with turrets and red pointed roofs. Warm colors make this fantasy world come to life with soft leafy greens and wooden browns.
We are high up in the tree which must go on to the heavens. I can even see a man climbing up to the crows nest on one of the magnificent ships. What glimpse I can see of the sky, past the massive grey tree trunk, is blue with scattered clouds. There is a class system in the city. A few smaller hovels grace the lesser branches. What fascinates me is, how this city came to be and how can we visit? I certainly don't know how to make a fine sailing vessel fly, do you? Perhaps artist, Charles Vess, will share the secret.
Our talented artist, Charles Vess travels all over the USA to exhibit his fine work. On the Greenman Press site, you are able to see what city he will be in next, and you may also order one of his paintings. He shares that his studio is in Abingdon, Virginia. The local Virginia Highlands Festival chose him to create their official poster this year. On the opposite end of the map, he's to set up shop in booth #1251 at San Diego Comic Con International. I understand that this event will be very soon, and if you live in the area, try not to miss it. Vess is having his famous work reproduced by POD Gallery in New York. They are using a new printer that is by Epson Roland; it will make prints large and beautiful, as well as durable.
Currently Charles is illustrating for The Big Book of Grimm. This is the 16th book in the "Big Book" series, to be published by Paradox Press. The idea behind the series is to allow all people to read comics. In addition he has illustrated The Books of Ballads and Sagas, paring with great writers like Jane Yolen, Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, Midori Snyder, Jeff Smith, Sharyn Mc Crumb and Delia Sherman.
I would love to catch up with Charles in-between one of his many tours to get an interview with him as an artist. Whether your passion is a painting of fantasy or magical mystery, Charles Vess is the artist to create it.
**All the artwork in the Stardust Paintings are from the book, "Stardust" written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles. A wonderful collaboration!
Article by: Terri Campbell
posted:01 Oct 2008
Related Link: http://www.greenmanpress.com
Who is the little green leaf man who has greeted me at Greenman Press? I'm intrigued but I have to click on him to enter the site. I don't know, he looks like he may not let me in. Ok Terri, let's see what treasures there are to behold. The welcome message is inviting, "Welcome to the virtual home of Green Man Press. Within these pages you will find an array of fantastic images and concepts from the illustrator/publisher Charles Vess and his collaborators. This is the place to interact with other lovers of old ballads, comics, fantasy, and illustration, and the fantastic." Ah, they do want me to visit! So here goes...
The green leaf man is still there but has been joined by fae folk and a beautiful sorceress pointing the way to a fabulous menu. I've entered the large Gallery and have chosen Stardust Paintings. How can I resist a romantic name like that? The paintings are unique. Browsing, I found paintings of magical places, Fairies conjuring, and dragons. The one that attracted me is the Peter Pan style village in the tree known as "Tree City."
What cataclysmic event has perched all of these fine ships up in a huge tree? No wait, they are flying! Flying into ready made docks designed just for boats. The tree is immense, and literally dwarfs the huge ships that are in full sail. Little men get off and walk to the entrance of the city that has been built into the tree trunk. The city also has a castle complete with turrets and red pointed roofs. Warm colors make this fantasy world come to life with soft leafy greens and wooden browns.
We are high up in the tree which must go on to the heavens. I can even see a man climbing up to the crows nest on one of the magnificent ships. What glimpse I can see of the sky, past the massive grey tree trunk, is blue with scattered clouds. There is a class system in the city. A few smaller hovels grace the lesser branches. What fascinates me is, how this city came to be and how can we visit? I certainly don't know how to make a fine sailing vessel fly, do you? Perhaps artist, Charles Vess, will share the secret.
Our talented artist, Charles Vess travels all over the USA to exhibit his fine work. On the Greenman Press site, you are able to see what city he will be in next, and you may also order one of his paintings. He shares that his studio is in Abingdon, Virginia. The local Virginia Highlands Festival chose him to create their official poster this year. On the opposite end of the map, he's to set up shop in booth #1251 at San Diego Comic Con International. I understand that this event will be very soon, and if you live in the area, try not to miss it. Vess is having his famous work reproduced by POD Gallery in New York. They are using a new printer that is by Epson Roland; it will make prints large and beautiful, as well as durable.
Currently Charles is illustrating for The Big Book of Grimm. This is the 16th book in the "Big Book" series, to be published by Paradox Press. The idea behind the series is to allow all people to read comics. In addition he has illustrated The Books of Ballads and Sagas, paring with great writers like Jane Yolen, Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, Emma Bull, Midori Snyder, Jeff Smith, Sharyn Mc Crumb and Delia Sherman.
I would love to catch up with Charles in-between one of his many tours to get an interview with him as an artist. Whether your passion is a painting of fantasy or magical mystery, Charles Vess is the artist to create it.
**All the artwork in the Stardust Paintings are from the book, "Stardust" written by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles. A wonderful collaboration!
Article by: Terri Campbell
posted:01 Oct 2008
Related Link: http://www.greenmanpress.com
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