New Masters of Fantasy - Judges

We are excited to have an amazing panel of legendary fantasy artists lend their "Master's eye" to select standout pieces of fantasy art from our collections for awards.

Donato Giancola   Jeff Easley   Don Maitz   Janny Wurts  
Larry Elmore   Boris Vallejo   Julie Bell  

Visit Donato's Website	Donato Giancola Donato Giancola balances modern abstract concepts with realism in his paintings to bridge the worlds of fine and illustrative arts. He recognizes the significant cultural role played by visual art, and makes personal efforts to contribute to the expansion and appreciation of the science fiction and fantasy genre that extend beyond the commercial commissions of his clients. Since beginning his professional career in 1993 Donato’s list of clients has continued to grow. From the major book publishers in New York to design firms on the West Coast, his commissions include companies such as LucasArts, National Geographic, Microsoft, DC Comics, HarperCollins Publishers, Hasbro, Playboy, Penguin Books, Sony, Tor Books, The Franklin Mint, Milton-Bradley and Wizards of the Coast. His illustrations have won numerous awards, including six nominations for the Artist Hugo Award, eight Chesley Awards from the Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists, and Gold and Silver Awards from Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art. In addition, his work has been exhibited in dozens of shows at New York’s Society of Illustrators and various galleries around the country. Donato appears as a guest lecturer at various colleges, institutions, Magic tournaments and science fiction conventions around the globe, where he interacts with fans, performs painting demonstrations and displays original artworks. A comprehensive listing of his work, technique, and in depth biographical information is available on his website at: www.donatoart.com. Donato currently resides with his wife and two daughters in Brooklyn, New York.
Visit Jeff's Website	Jeff Easley Jeff Easley is well-known for his numerous cover illustrations for TSR / Wizards of the Coast and other top publishers.
Visit Don's Website	Don Maitz Don Maitz has produced outstanding work in exploring paths of fantastic realism. For twenty five years, he has produced narrative paintings containing fantasy, science fiction, and historical images. He has received considerable exposure as the original and continuing artist of the Captain Morgan Spiced Rum pirate character.
Visit Janny's Website	Janny Wurts Janny Wurts is the author of Traitor's Knot and To Ride Hell's Chasm and twelve other novels, a short story collection, as well as the internationally best selling Empire trilogy, co authored with Raymond E. Feist. Her most recent title in the Wars of Light and Shadow series, Traitor's Knot, culminates more than twenty years of carefully evolved ideas. The cover images on the books, both in the US and abroad, are her own paintings, depicting her vision of characters and setting. Through her combined talents as a writer/illustrator, Janny has immersed herself in a lifelong ambition: to create a seamless interface between words and pictures that will lead reader and viewer into the imagination. Her lavish use of language invites the mind into a crafted realm of experience, with characters and events woven into a complex tapestry, and drawn with an intensity to inspire active fuel for thought. Her research includes a range of direct experience, lending her fantasy a gritty realism, and her scenes involving magic crafted with intricate continuity. A self-taught painter, she draws directly from the imagination, creating scenes in a representational style that blurs the edges between dream and reality. She makes few preliminary sketches, but envisions her characters and the scenes that contain them, then executes the final directly from the initial pencil drawing.
Visit Larry's Website	Larry Elmore Larry Elmore has been creating fantasy and science fiction art for over 20 years. Besides creating covers for Dungeons & Dragons, AD&D and other gaming books and scenarios, he may be best known for his work with the world of Dragonlance.
Visit Boris' Website	Boris Vallejo Boris Vallejo has done a great volume of work for the Fantasy field, having worked for virtually every major publishing house with a science fiction/fantasy line. Boris has also illustrated for album covers, video box art and motion picture advertising.
Visit Julie's Website	Julie Bell Julie Bell has established herself as a force to be reckoned with, rubbing elbows with the top luminaries of the art world. Born in Beaumont, Texas, her art studies always centered around drawing, especially of the human figure. Her unique sense of color and dramatic composition puts her paintings in a class by themselves.