Reading is one of the most wonderful simple pleasures in life ; a means to escape into a world unlike our own , a chance to let our imaginations take hold , even if only for a little while . Danish artist , Anne Lysa , takes traditional stories a step further , bringing them to life by actualizing characters born only of imagination . For as long as she can remember , Lysa has been heavily influenced by fantasy and science fiction , with the inspiration for her series of elfin portraits based on the dreamy landscapes of J . R . R . Tolkien ’ s Lord of the Rings . This series of portraits , entitled Creatures of Gondolin , explore Tolkien ’ s hidden elf city of Gondolin and its inhabitants . Each portrait is carefully and meticulously styled to bring out a definitive quality of elfin magic in each of Lysa ’ s models .