Thomas Canty is an illustrator and book designer in the field of fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 literature.

Career

Canty is credited with pioneering a "New Romantic" style of painting, influenced by such 19th century artists as Alphonse Mucha, Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. His major works include paintings, murals, sketches, and other art objects...

, 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

Year's Best Fantasy and Horror is a reprint anthology published annually by St. Martin's Press. In addition to the short stories, supplemented by a list of honorable mentions, each edition includes a number of retrospective essays by the editors and others....

 volumes, as well as on numerous other books in the fantasy field and beyond, including: Michael Moorcock

Michael Moorcock

Michael John Moorcock is an English writer, primarily of science fiction and fantasy, who has also published a number of literary novels....

's Elric series and Louise Cooper

Louise Cooper

Louise Cooper was a British fantasy writer who lived in Cornwall with her husband, Cas Sandall.Cooper was born in Hertfordshire. She began writing stories when she was at school to entertain her friends. She continued to write and her first full-length novel was published at the age of twenty...

's Time Master and Indigo series.

He has worked an as art director and designer for Donald M. Grant Publisher, and collaborated on many projects with editor/author Terri Windling

Terri Windling

Terri Windling is an American editor, artist, essayist, and the author of books for both children and adults. Windling has won nine World Fantasy Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, the Bram Stoker Award, and her collection The Armless Maiden appeared on the short-list for the James Tiptree, Jr. Award...

, 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

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.. Though a well known artist, Canty chose Phil Hale to illustrate his book. While the book's colophon states that 1,050 copies...

was published by Grant in 1985. Canty has won two World Fantasy Awards, 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 member of The Endicott Studio.

External links

• Rose and Thorn: The Art of Thomas Canty
• Thomas Canty Gallery
• http://greenmanreview.com/book/interview_canty.html