CHAGFORD artist Alan Lee was in Los Angeles last week to be rewarded with an Oscar for his stunning work bringing the fantasy world of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy to the big screen.

Alan, who worked on the set design of the film with his artist daughter Virginia, celebrated with the Hollywood A-list when he picked up an Oscar for Best Art Direction at last week?s star-studded ceremony.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King swept to a record-equalling eleven statuettes at the 76th annual Academy Awards held on Sunday, February 29.

On a night of few British successes, Alan was one of a handful of home-grown talent to win at the ceremony.

Alan accepted the award with fellow set decorator Dan Hennah and paid tribute to director Peter Jackson in his acceptance speech. He said: ?I?d like to thank the real wizard who led us through this amazing journey and inspired us with his energy, his vision and his nerve. And Peter Jackson thank you very much for delivering these to us. And that?s all folks.?

Daughter Virginia said her father was ?very happy? about winning the Oscar and had a great time at the ceremony itself.

?He really enjoyed it, Billy Crystal was presenting. Dad was nominated last year, but it was quite a sombre occasion.

?This year it was more glamorous and glitzy and he enjoyed receiving his award from Angelina Jolie,? she said.

Alan flew from LA straight to New Zealand where he is adding the finishing touches to the illustrations for the forthcoming DVD version of The Return of the King.

He has been involved in working on the film for six years.

Virginia worked on the film for around two and a half years, working first on set design and later on collectable statues of the characters.

Virginia said she had contributed something to each of the films, but the largest part of her work was in The Return of the King.

Virginia said she and her father had enjoyed their time filming on location on the other side of the world. ?New Zealand is a lovely place. The people are really nice and it was a really good experience.?

She said her father had not worked out yet where he would put his prized Oscar. ?He will be coming back soon and will have to find somewhere special to put it,? she said.

Virginia said after working on the film trilogy for six years her father was not looking to immerse himself in another film project immediately.

?He is inundated with offers of work, but he is keen to get back into illustrating books again, which is his first love,? she added.

Alan grew up in London, where he studied graphic art and design at the Ealing School of Art. He moved to Chagford in the mid 1970s and worked as a book illustrator, his book Faeries, inspired by Dartmoor proved a great success.

In 1992, he illustrated the centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings books, which brought him to the attention of Peter Jackson. The director felt Alan could be the right man to bring Tolkien?s Middle Earth to the screen and invited him to his native New Zealand to discuss the film project.

Virginia studied illustration at Kingston University and since finishing her stint working on the film has been trying to develop her illustration career here in Britain.

Virginia?s contribution to the films include designing the gates for Minas Trith, the White City of Gondor and a number of sculptures.

One of her Lord of the Rings pieces of artwork is now hanging on the wall of New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Virginia said she had read the J R R Tolkien fantasy in her teens and her father had also been spellbound by the books when he read them at a young age.

Despite the lure of Hollywood, Alan still maintains his connection to Chagford.

Last year, he donated art work to the Chagford Peace Group?s Art for Aid exhibition. He has also signed copies of the Lord of the Rings books which he illustrated, in the town?s bookshop.