Smaller Projects
Labyrinth
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From Greek myth, the Labyrinth of Crete, home of the Minotaur - half bull, half man. Part of the 'Myth and Legend' collection.
Acrylic on canvas, painted as a mosaic; the piece measures 1m x 1m. In fading light, and from various viewing angles, the gold tesserae take on the appearance of a constellation of stars.
Metal Earth
On a large canvas, combining painting, gilding and cartography, Daniel has created Metal Earth. The piece evolved and changed as it progressed, metamorphing into something unexpected, but better than originally planned! Completely unique. It was exhibited with the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts Autumn 2019 exhibition, where it was sold.
Gandalf portrait
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Daniel's portrait of Gandalf the Grey is now for sale at Weta Workshop. The portrait matches the one of Bilbo Baggins which Daniel drew for The Hobbit films. Both were drawn with pen and ink, on paper. Click here to view the items for sale at Weta Workshop
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Elven monogram signet rings
The Ring Maker meets the Ring Writer!Having created this elven-inspired script over several years, Daniel has partnered with Jens Hansen the Ringmaker, makers of the One Ring in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, to create Elvish Signet Rings, engraved with the elven monogram of the wearer. The hundreds of combinations of two initials have been catered for by creating a system which merges the initials together into a single ligatured monogram where appropriate (in other cases the two elvish letters already sit perfectly well beside each other). Jens Hansen has created five elegant signet ring styles, offering smaller or larger 'face' sizes in round, oval, landscape, navette and quadrant shapes in yellow, red and white gold, and platinum. Click here to view the rings for sale at Jens Hansen. |
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Get NZ on the map
Tourism New Zealand continued its #getNZonthemap campaign with a second instalment, featuring NZ's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, comedian Rhys Darby, and this time including Sir Peter Jackson and a cameo by Ed Sheeran... and this map by Daniel Reeve.
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The campaign was launched in May 2018 with a light-hearted video in which conspiracy theorist Rhys Darby tries to discover the reason why New Zealand keeps getting missed of world maps, with Prime Minister Ardern agreeing that he might be onto something...
On 26 October 2018 Tourism New Zealand released Part Two, in which the bizarre theories proposed by Rhys are countered by Sir Peter delivering the Middle-earth map, which places New Zealand indelibly at the centre of the world.
Daniel was delighted to be involved in this project for Tourism NZ, putting New Zealand where it belongs!
The Writer's Map
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The Writer's Map, An Atlas of Imaginary Lands, is published today! This book is a wonderful compendium of writers' thoughts on the geographies they describe and the wild landscapes of their imagination. A treasure trove for anyone who loves maps, real or fanciful! Daniel is honoured to be included among the amazing cast of contributors to this book, lovingly put together by historian, explorer, expedition guide, teacher, photographer, and champion of the environment, Dr Huw Lewis-Jones of Polarworld.
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Wellington Paranormal (2018)
Artwork seen in Episode Three....
He Tohu Scroll
"In May 2017, three of this country's important historical documents were re-housed, moving from Archives New Zealand to the National Library, where they are on permanent display in an exhibition called 'He Tohu: Signatures that shape New Zealand.'
I was asked to make a scroll to commemorate the event of the opening of the He Tohu exhibition; a scroll to be signed by the Governer General, the Prime Minister, various dignitaries and invited guests, and members of the public who came to witness the occasion. The scroll now becomes a historical document in its own right.
I cut a scroll long enough to write the heading text in English and in Maori, four times each, plus a bit of room at each end - over five metres in total. I painted the New Zealand crest at the start of the scroll, then the calligraphy runs along the top; the visitors signed underneath."
- Daniel Reeve
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The BFG (2016)
Movie based on the Roald Dahl book; Daniel contributed numerous pieces of lettering in the Giant's untidy hand.
Dr Strange (2016)
Daniel devised language alphabets, symbols, and pages in a book of spells...
Hami Grace memorial pieces
Daniel created two calligraphic pieces for the Hami Grace memorial.
Dungeons and Dragons scripts
Daniel devised various scripts for some Dungeons and Dragons role-playing games.
Krampus (2015)
For this movie, Daniel contributed the packaging for the bad toys, plus various bits of lettering and design and calligraphy.
Sekabo (2014)
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Daniel designed maps and a cover for Richard Woolley's new sci-fi novel Sekabo, a thriller set in England in the future (2097) and recent past (1990). Daniel designed the Sekaboan flag, drew two maps (one shown here), and designed the cover of the book, featuring the Sekaboan flag flying over a fragmenting Union Jack.... The book launched in September 2014 |
The Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards (2014 - )
Each year Daniel is privileged to calligraph the certificates for finalists and winners of the Prime Minister's Education Excellence Awards.
Spartacus: Blood And Sand (2011)
Daniel created several props, set dressings, and transition elements for the TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand....
Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans (2009)
Once again Daniel's role was to create documents and scrolls. It's a vampire flick, so it's time to dust off the blackletter calligraphy styles!
The map was an interesting brief: make it obviously European, but we don't know quite where; it belongs to a historical age, but we're not sure when; it can have lots of writing on it, but we mustn't be able to read it; show us the main location, but don't let us see what's behind it.... so this is what I made:
Kingdom Come (2008)
This was a biblical film, unfortunately never completed. Daniel did a lot of Hebrew calligraphy, as well as Syriac, Aramaic and Phonecian. Much of it was done with reed pens, on papyrus.
The Legend of the Laundry Warrior (2007)
"The Legend of the Laundry Warrior" was shot in Auckland in 2007; it was released some years later, re-named "The Warrior's Way". It's a martial arts movie, for which Daniel did the calligraphy and illustration for an in-movie book which tells the legend....
Dead Letters (2006)
A New Zealand short film, directed by Paolo Rotondo. Set in Wellington during WWII, the film explores how war and distance affect relationships.
Daniel's part was to write the various 'hero' letters used as props, and to write on-screen for the lead character in extreme close-up, so that only fingertips, pen nib and paper are visible.
Van Helsing (2004)
Weta Digital did some effects shots for Van Helsing - so they asked Daniel to create this map to be inter-cut with scenes of Van Helsing travelling across Europe. It was originally to be used to track the full journey from Rome to Translyvania, but in the final cut only part of it is seen, during a chase scene near the Carpathians.
