Ted Nasmith is a freelance illustrator and graphic artist, currently residing in Newmarket, Ontario. A natural artist from an early age, he entered a graphic arts program in high school, where his talent as an illustrator was discovered and developed. He graduated with honours in 1972, then quickly landed an apprenticeship, which led to a peer and industry respected career in architectural rendering. During these years, he was privately creating paintings and drawings inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle earth novels; chiefly The Lord of the Rings. By the mid 1990s he was gaining international renown for his published Tolkien art, with several illustrated Tolkien calendars and diaries to his credit. Then in the late 1990s/early 2000s he illustrated 2 separate editions of the posthumously published Tolkien epic The Silmarillion. In the mid 2000s Ted was commissioned to illustrate a series of castles and other scenes for the George R.R. Martin compendium The World of Ice and Fire, as well as a lavishly illustrated deluxe 2-volume limited edition of A Game of Thrones (2015). Ted has for a few years now been exploring more traditional imagery, creating pencil and pastel drawings, as well as paintings, of Ontario rural scenes, attracted to capture dilapidated barns and sheds. Currently he is taking commissions, mainly of Tolkien subjects, and continues to pursue an ever expanding canon of Tolkien art. This year marks another milestone, the publishing of an illustrated edition of Unfinished Tales by JRR Tolkien (October 2020), with artwork evenly divided between Ted, John Howe, and Alan Lee. Ted is known and praised for his high realism, attention to detail, and faithful, studied interpretation of his subjects. He also has a solidly musical side as a songwriter, singer and performer, and has extensive experience in choirs, folk ensembles, and rock bands.