Barbara Remington, Illustrator for Tolkien

One of the illustrators for JRR Tolkien's books lived in nearby Susquehanna County Pa

Barbara Remington, in an interview, once mentioned that she had not been able to get hold of the books before making the illustration, and had only a sketchy idea from friends what they were about. Tolkien, the author, could not understand why her illustration included what he thought were pumpkins in a tree, or why a lion appeared at all (the lions were removed from the cover of later editions). Remington became a huge Tolkien fan, and would have "definitely drawn different pictures" had she read the books first.

Barbara Remington, 90, of Thompson, Pa., prolific artist and renowned cover art illustrator of J. R. R. Tolkien novels "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," died Jan. 23.

Born into a St. Paul, Minn., family of artists and political activists, she moved to Chicago alone in her teens to pursue her art and discover city life. She later returned to Minnesota to continue her art studies and married musician Robert Tweedy from the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra.

The couple ventured West to the gold mining town of Central City, Colo., where Remington worked steadily as a freelance artist/illustrator.

After ending her marriage she moved to New York's East Village, becoming a fixture among its burgeoning beatnik/hippie community, befriending such poets as Allen Ginsburg and personal mentor Lionel Ziprin. She opened up the Boggle Shop on Manhattan's Lower East Side, focusing on handmade crafts and supplies (a brick-and-mortar Etsy precursor), and as a former boat builder, volunteered restoring (and crewing on) the Petrel, the 70-foot yawl moored at South Street seaport. For 44 years she regularly opened her East 17th Street loft to itinerate artists, musicians, Union Square Farmers Market vendors, and even members of a traveling circus in need of shelter. She frequented late-night music venues and clubs, such as Max's Kansas City, sketching many breakout personalities of the punk rock era.

Following two additional marriages (to the late Ed Preston, and later Brian Brughbinder), Remington settled full-time on her 25-acre remote rural property in Susquehanna County, Pa., where she was a beloved figure of Northeast Pennsylvania's artists' and writers' community.

Her illustrated books include "Boat," "The Christmas Mouse," "Really, Not Really," "The Billy Goats Gruff" and illustrations in Highlights Magazine and Cooking from a Country Farmhouse.

Remington was predeceased by her parents, Heck Remington and 'Pete' Remington; and brother. Bob Remington.

Published in Scranton Times on Jan. 27, 2020