2023. Graphite on paper, 6 x 9 in. The third of three book illustrations I created for J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

“Then the great spider: who had been busy tying him up while he dozed, came from behind him and came at him. he could only see the thing’s eyes, but he could feel its hairy legs as it struggled to wind its abominable threads round and round him. It was lucky that he had come to his senses in time. Soon he would not have been able to move at all. As it was, be had a desperate fight before he got free. he beat the creature off with his hands, it was trying to poison him to keep him quiet, as small spiders do to flies until he remembered his sword and drew it out. Then the spider jumped back, and he had time to cut his legs loose. After that it was his turn to attack. The spider evidently was not used to things hat carried such stings at their sides, or it would have hurried away quicker: Bilbo came at it before it could disappear and stuck it with his sword right in the eyes.”