This was part of a three-part color series I created back in 2011. The backgrounds are from fractals, put together in Paint Shop Pro.
Green As the Grass
Red As the Flame

A fantasy winter landscape created in Vue. I wanted a winter scene that focused mainly on the landscape but was obviously fantasy. This was also an experiment in working with snow, getting it to sparkle and reflect the light for an “other-worldly” effect. It was an extremely long render on account of all the lights and reflective and translucent surfaces, but I was able to just run it in stops and starts over about a month.

I found this virtual chandelier model and decided to render a close-up of it in Vue. I made a couple versions, this one with cool evening lighting, and a warmer, more colorful version I called Sunset in Crystal.

This was an experiment in digital reflections and refractions.

How did the bridge break? Is he responsible? Can it be repaired - or is there another way over? Does he even really want to get to the other side? Is the sun rising or setting on the other side? This piece lends itself to many interpretations - and raises many questions.

Lake Nojiri near Nagano, Japan. This is where my family used to go on vacation in the summer and sometimes winter, and I took this picture there, probably around Christmas of 2000. Although it wasn't cold enough to form much ice on the lake, because it was in the Japanese Alps there was usually a lot of snow in the winter.

I used Terragen to make this landscape. Since the software didn't allow for any objects, in order to get this castle and bridge I had to shape them out of the landscape as well.

“It glittered like polished gold overlaid with silver light, and a white stone in it twinkled as if the Even-star had come down to rest upon her hand.”
- The Lord of the Rings, Book II, Chapter 7

This is my stylized version of Nenya, the ring of water, one of the three Elvin-rings. The background is an Apophysis fractal, the rest was drawn in Paint Shop Pro.

I was playing around with a tutorial for creating interesting backgrounds, intending to overlay it with some kind of filigree design. But it turned out so dramatic on its own that I didn't think I should add anything to it. Doesn't it make you think of a brilliant sunset just as storm clouds are clearing?