This is one in a series of four paintings of my nieces and nephews in Middle Earth. I chose locations and roles for them based on their personalities. The whole thing was inspired by this nephew, Samuel. My family and I have always been convinced that he’s a hobbit–I mean, obviously his name, Sam, makes him hobbitish all by itself. But he’s also short (obviously), had curly hair when he was little, loves to eat as much as the next kid…in short, the perfect hobbit. I wanted to paint him in the Shire, and I decided I’d paint the other nieces and nephew in Middle Earth in races that fit their personalities, too.
