I am Edward J. Stonehill, born and raised in New York City. As an artist, I follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, who was an illustrator, cartographer, and commercial artist on the East Side of Manhattan. Throughout life, art has been a constant companion.

Growing up, I was surrounded by my grandfather’s paintings and illustrations, which I always admired. Art has always been an important cultural touchstone in my family. Being in New York City gave me the opportunity to regularly visit some of the best museums in the world.

While art remained part of my life, some of my most active joys were reading and Magic: The Gathering (a fantasy-based trading card game). I had the advantage of being introduced by my father to a world of the written word, where I could enjoy a countless number of tales, legends, fantasies, and narratives. I gravitated toward books in science fiction such as the classics by Verne and Wells, and even Star Wars novels, to fantasy from authors like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and later George R.R. Martin.

Separately, I had been introduced by my oldest friends to the magic planes captured by Magic: The Gathering, enjoying some of the earlier sets such as Mirage and Ice Age, where the artwork was an integral part of my building and playing decks. I loved the idea of being a wizard casting spells to defeat my fellow casters! This experience in itself afforded me a new imaginative playground to explore.

It became apparent to me that through my art, I could explore these places that I would frequent and return to the real world to share some of these experiences. Dipping into these wells of interest fuel my passion to create art.

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