John Jude Palencar is a rarity among modern artists, mixing meticulous technique reminiscent of the old masters with a soaring, darkly surreal imagination. There are touches of Bosch and Da Vinci in his visual allegories of netherworld landscapes and doomed characters. His painted book covers and illustrations for works by Stephen King, Lovecraft, Tolkien, and many others have won him wide acclaim, but Palencar is perhaps best known for his covers to the fantasy novels of Christopher Paolini. Origins is a sumptuous tribute to his work.