Thomas Canty (born 1952) is an illustrator and book designer in the field of
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
literature.
Career
Thomas Canty is credited with pioneering a style of book cover painting and design influenced by such 19th century romantic artists as
Alphonse Mucha
Alfons Maria Mucha (; 24 July 1860 – 14 July 1939), known internationally as Alphonse Mucha, was a Czech painter, illustrator and graphic artist, living in Paris during the Art Nouveau period, best known for his distinctly stylized and decorat ...
,
Gustav Klimt, and the
Pre-Raphaelites. His paintings are featured each year on the cover of the award-winning
Year's Best Fantasy and Horror
''Year's Best Fantasy and Horror'' was a reprint anthology published annually by St. Martin's Press from 1987 to 2008. In addition to the short stories, supplemented by a list of honorable mentions, each edition included a number of retrospective ...
volumes, as well as on numerous other books in the fantasy field and beyond, including:
Patricia Kennealy's
Keltiad series.
He has worked as an art director and designer for
Donald M. Grant Publisher, and collaborated on many projects with editor/author
Terri Windling
Terri Windling (born December 3, 1958 in Fort Dix, New Jersey) is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. She has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and the Bram S ...
, such as the ''Fairy Tales'' series (Ace Books and Tor Books) and the ''Snow White, Blood Red'' series (Avon). His poem, ''
A Monster at Christmas
''A Monster at Christmas'' is a fantasy horror poem by Thomas Canty. The poem, a stranger Christmas fantasy was first published in 1985 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc.
Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. is a fantasy and science fiction s ...
'' was published by Grant in 1985. Canty has won two
World Fantasy Awards
The World Fantasy Awards are a set of awards given each year for the best fantasy fiction published during the previous calendar year. Organized and overseen by the World Fantasy Convention, the awards are given each year at the eponymous annu ...
for
Best Artist,
among other honors. His work has been exhibited at the Society of Illustrators gallery in New York, as well as in museums and galleries across the United States. He is a founding member of
The Newbury Studio and a member of
The Endicott Studio.
References
External links
* https://www.tor.com/2018/04/17/ellen-datlow-and-terri-windling-an-appreciation/
1952 births
American illustrators
American speculative fiction artists
Book designers
Fantasy artists
Living people
Role-playing game artists
World Fantasy Award-winning artists
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