His precious.
One diehard “Lord of the Rings” lover took his fandom to the next level by intricately carving scenes from the series into a van that he now calls home.
“I was drawn to this life as I’d always wanted to be a guardian of a woodland,” 60-year-old artist Glen Michael Herbert explained of his decision to live in nature out of the vehicle, which has been parked in the UK’s Dartmoor National Park for the past five years, Jam Press reported.
Herbert purchased his mobile compound in London, in 2017, and then spent nine months renovating it so it could be habitable.
These updates included adding thermal insulation, a king-size bed, a pull-out double bed for seating, woodland wallpaper, a dragon door, a porch, a boiler and electric.
In all, Herbert — who is a woodcarver by trade — estimates he spent about $36,000 on the project, including the price of the van, which he named after a character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium.
“I decided to name the van Radagast — he is the brown wizard and also a guardian of the woods,” Herbert added.
In another homage to the “Lord of the Rings,” he carved a scene inside the van depicting the dragon Bolton being recreated, his wings spread as he is reborn from a tree.
Although Herbert travels constantly to sell his creations at shows, he initially built the van out with the intention of selling it.
“I didn’t intend to have a life on the road, even though I do travel,” he explained, but then he “fell in love” with his carvings and decided to keep the van.
Although there have certainly been challenges, he reports that he couldn’t be happier.
“I have two beautiful daughters who are proud of what I’ve achieved,” he said, adding, “My friends love to visit when they can too which is great.”
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