I illustrated and painted this round hobbit door last year, mainly for fun, but it took me a year to add the calligraphy!
This spring, I had the pleasure of showing my original calligraphic artwork at Caffe Luce here in Tucson. This hobbit door calligraphy composition HAD to be on those walls!
I believe I was looking at excerpts and poems about “home” when I came across this passage from John Muir’s 1854 book, The Mountains of California:
Few places in this world are more dangerous than home. Fear not, therefore, to try the mountain passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action.
John Muir
I love it paired with this comforting, welcoming front door. Firstly, because it’s an unexpected sentiment and I love to surprise the person viewing my work. But secondly, I love the pairing because it resonates with me. I’m the person who is perfectly happy at home. I’ve made a cozy space for myself and my sons. But there is more to experience in this world, including the new things I always discover about myself when travelling.
While Italic Script is an unexpected pairing, it’s pretty and inviting enough to get the reader to bite. I wrote it in my favorite indigo watercolor. The coolness of the blue contrasts the warm colors I used in the painting, emphasizing them.
I used a warm brown mat around the composition, mainly because I couldn’t find a warm green mat board. I chose a wooden frame to hang this piece in — black would have been too formal for the way I wanted to present it. The final piece measures 9″x12″.
Hobbit Door Calligraphy on Etsy
The first time I used it in a design was for our printable Hobbit Door Thank You Cards.
