The Edge of the Wild
Our next grand Cotswalds gathering in Moreton-in-Marsh is already being planned. Entitled "The Edge of the Wild", it will be a celebration of all things Tolkien, featuring the latest paintings by Ruth Lacon, Ted Nasmith, Peter Pracownik, and myself. In addition, the exhibit will include original sketches from Black and White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien; Angie Gardner and I will be there to sign copies of the book. Also, look for an additional fantasy book announcement prior to the gathering! The event will be held in the Redesdale Hall, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos, UK. on 26-29 March 2010. Entry and parking are free. See the "Edge of the Wild" Facebook page for up-to-the-minute information.

Festival in the Shire
A brand new Tolkien festival is being planned for August 13th -15th, 2010, in Wales. This event will feature a conference, an art exhibit, and a festival, with really a bit of something for everyone. I will be attending along with Ted Nasmith, Ruth Lacon, and many other artists. There will also be some exceptional literary guests. Please check out the latest list on the official webpage at www.FestivalintheShire.com.

The Return of the Ring
A spectacular Tolkien celebration is being planned for summer, 2012. Although it's too early to know how big, who will be the guests, etc., it's certainly worth putting on calendars. The official webpage for the event is at www.returnofthering.org. I was privileged to have been asked to design the logo for the event, and you can see it by clicking here.

Lands of Enchantment
A spectacular Tolkien celebration is being held in Morton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire on April 3-6, 2008. This gathering will feature an exhibit of original paintings by Ted Nasmith, Ruth Lacon, Peter Pracownik, and myself. The exhibit will also include original sketches from Black and White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien, and Chris Tolkien, Angie Gardner and I will be there to sign copies of the book. Plus there will be music, costumes, live eagles, prizes, etc. You can hear the audio advertisement for Lands of Enchantment by clicking here.

Black and White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien
ADC Publications is releasing the first of two books by and about Hilary Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien's younger brother. This first book is a collection of children's stories and reminiscences based on a notebook kept by Hilary Tolkien over many years. I was asked to illustrate the stories, and have posted a brief reflection on the development of the book in my January, 2009 newsletter. In addition, the Tolkien Library has just published an interview that I did with Pieter Collier just this month.

Silver Leaves, Volume 2
The White Tree Fund is releasing the second issue of its journal Silver Leaves. I was delighted to have been asked to contribute images for illustration of several of the articles in this issue, most of which reference C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. For more details and to reserve your copy, please go to the The White Tree Fund website.

Heren Istarion Calendar, 2009
I am delighted to have been able to contribute, along with fellow Tolkien artists Catherine Karina Chmiel and Colin Williams, to the second annual Heren Istarion Shire-Reckoning Calendar. Previously published and unpublished works by all of us will be included, and the calendar was designed by Phil Goss (The Compleat Gyde To Tolkien Calendars) and his daughter, Megan. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go to benefit the nonprofit Heren Istarion smial of the Tolkien Society. Please click here for details.

A Long-Expected Party, 2008 I will be a guest of honor for A Long-Expected Party (ALEP), September 25th-28th, 2008, in Shaker Village, Kentucky. In addition to participating in forums and the art show, I am also honored to have been asked to contribute several images for the event (see image on left).

Oxonmoot 2008
I will have prints and possibly some original works featured in the Oxonmoot 2008 art show this year, all courtesy of ADC Books. Unfortunately, I will not be attending in person this year due to a conflict with ALEP (see above).

Divining Divinity
Joseph Pearce, world-renowned biographer of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and G.K. Chesterton, in addition to being editor of the St. Austin Review, has just released his first book of verse entitled Divining Divinity. I was privileged to have worked with Joseph to develop illustrations for each of his poems, and Leslie Kaufmann did a magnificent job of pulling our efforts together into a jewel of a book. The latest issue of the St. Austin Review details how to order a copy directly from Kaufmann Publishing; the book should also be available at Amazon.com and other sites within the month.

Castles in the Mist
A spectacular Tolkien celebration is being held in Morton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire on April 4-7, 2008. This gathering will feature an exhibit of original paintings by Ted Nasmith, Roger Garland, Ruth Lacon, and myself. The event is free, and will also feature books, music, costumes, prizes, etc. I am deeply honoured to have been asked to participate in this event (Domine, non sum dignus!), and hope to meet many of you there! You can hear the audio advertisement for Castles in the Mist by clicking here.

Mallorn 45
The latest issue of Mallorn, the journal of the Tolkien Society, has just been published. This issue, number 45, features the first change in cover design in literally years. Previously, the cover image was a black and white sketch of a mallorn tree by renowned illustrator Pauline Baynes. The latest issue, under the editorship of Henry Gee, features my painting of Lothlorien on the cover. Future issues will hopefully feature the work of other artists.

Heren Istarion Calendar, 2008
I am delighted to have been able to contribute, along with fellow Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith, to the first ever Heren Istarion Shire-Reckoning Calendar. Previously published and unpublished works by myself, Ted, and other Middle-earth artists will be included, and the calendar itself will be designed by Phil Goss (The Compleat Gyde To Tolkien Calendars) and his daughter, Megan. All proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go to benefit the nonprofit Heren Istarion smial of the Tolkien Society. It is our great hope that this will be the first of many calendars highlighting the work of contemporary Tolkien artists, many of whom rarely have their work made available to Tolkien fans and scholars. Please click here for details.

Premiere Issue of Silver Leaves
The White Tree Fund will soon be releasing the premiere issue of its new journal Silver Leaves. I feel honoured to have been asked to contribute images not only for illustration of articles in this first issue, but also for the inaugural cover of the journal. For more details and to reserve your copy, please go to the The White Tree Fund website. Silver Leaves Volume 1 will be published on September 22nd, 2007

Oxonmoot 2007
I will have about eight pieces featured in the Oxonmoot 2007 art show this year. This year's Oxonmoot will be in Lady Margaret Hall of Oxford University, Oxford. In addition to the prints, I was honored to have been asked to design the covers for both the July/August and the September/October, 2007 issues of Amon Hen; the latter will be published just in time for Oxonmoot, and the former is out now. Amon Hen is the bimonthly journal of the British Tolkien Society, and is ably edited by Andrew Butler.

The Children of Hurin Online Release Party The kind folks at the Tolkien Library have invited me to be a guest at the upcoming online release party for J.R.R. Tolkien's The Children of Hurin. Sponsored by the Tolkien Library and the Tolkien Gateway, full details on the April 15-18th event can be read by clicking here. I will be answering questions about my Tolkien-inspired artwork online at 5pm Eastern Daylight Time (21:00 GMT) on Monday, April 16, 2007, and have also contributed three signed prints as prizes for participants. I hope you can join us!

"Rivers, Reefs, and Reading Rooms" The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA) will host this latest showing of my wildlife paintings through the end of April, 2007. The exhibit is very child-friendly, with subjects ranging from sea turtles to birds to woodland and "reading" critters. Gallery hours during April will be from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and from 10:30am until 12:30pm on Sundays. For directions or additional information, please see the UUCA website.

The Little Shop of Stories
Starting in January, 2007, almost a dozen of my cutout paintings will be on display in the Little Shop of Stories, a children's bookstore located at 515 North McDonough Street in Decatur. This shop is delightful, and it has the most amazing selection of books for the very youngest children up to adults. If you get a chance, please swing by and see the dragons, unicorn, griffin, and "reading animals" that are now inhabiting the shelf-tops and walls! "Little Shop" can be reached at 404-373-6300.

Sep/Oct St. Austin Review
The great folks at the St. Austin Review have included one essay/reflection, several sketches, and many of my painting images in their Sep/Oct 2006 issue. It also features, on the cover, my recent painting of "Eve". Entitled "Toward a Definition of Culture", the issue includes essays by folks such as Robert Asch, Alice Von Hildebrandt, Joseph Pearce, James Schall, and many others. Many of the articles discuss the nature of Catholic art, and the whole is well worth a read (perhaps despite my contributions :-)!

"Into the Woods: Tales of Myth and Magic" The Defoor Centre will host this latest showing of my paintings through the end of October. The exhibit is very child-friendly, with subjects ranging from dragons to woodland "critters" to angels and saints, including paintings from Middle Earth and Narnia. Details are available by clicking here. The show continues through Oct. 29, 2006. Gallery hours are M-Th 9am-9pm, Friday 9am-4pm, and Saturday 10am-4pm (note that Fri. and Sat. hours are subject to change; please call 404-591-3809 in advance).

Oxonmoot 2006
Some of my work will be featured in the Oxonmoot 2006 art show. In addition to prints, I was honored to have been asked to design the cover for the Oxonmoot Information booklet for participants.

Imperishable Flame Nomination
I am deeply honoured (and somewhat dumbfounded!) to find that I've been nominated for one of three "Imperishable Flame" awards to be presented at the Gathering of the Fellowship, 2006 conference in Toronto this year. These awards are given for Inklings Scholarship, Tolkien Fan Support, and Creativity. If you'd like to learn more, or if you'd like to vote (for me or anyone else!), please see http://www.herenistarion.org.

The Gathering of the Fellowship 2006
I am very grateful to have been named a guest of honor at the Gathering of the Fellowship, 2006 conference, July 2006, in Toronto. In addition to participating in forums and the art show, I will be giving a presentation entitled The Art of Jef Murray: Tolkien, Fairy Tales, and the 'True Myth' of Christianity . I am also deeply honored to have been asked to create the logo for the event. For the Gathering's list of all guests (with photos!), please click here.

Rome and Romanticism
The Mar/Apr 2006 issue of the St. Austin Review (StAR) features numerous sketches and illustrations supporting the theme of the issue, which is "Rome and Romanticism". If you are a fan of Auden, the Bronte sisters, Shelley, and others of the literary romantic era, you will enjoy this issue. Also, WarOfTheRing.net, a popular Tolkien fan site, has graciously highlighted my work in their art gallery section this month.

Tolkien and Lewis Illustrations in StAR
The Jan/Feb 2006 issue of the St. Austin Review (StAR) features numerous sketches and colour illustrations of scenes from Narnia and Middle Earth, several of which were created to celebrate the release of the latest film version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Articles include a lovely opening editorial by Joseph Pearce, plus reflections on Lewis' works, the relationship between the world he created (Narnia) versus the one created by Tolkien (Middle Earth), and much more. I am very honoured to have my work featured in this tribute to C. S. Lewis.

Art Show Review
The latest (November/December 2005) issue of the St. Austin Review (StAR) includes a review of the recent Saints, Serpents, and Sirens show at the Red Wall Gallery. The review was written by John Weaver of Emory University. The full review (with photos!) is not online, but the issue cover and some sample articles can be found at www.StAustinReview.com. This issue of StAR includes numerous excellent articles by and about Pope Benedict XVI, and for this reason alone (if for no others :) it is well worth a look.

Saints, Serpents, and Sirens: Fairy Tales for a Skeptical World
On Friday, September 9, from 7-9pm, the Red Wall Gallery will host an art show reception for some of my latest work. The show will feature some 22 framed paintings and cutouts, many of which were featured recently in the July/August issue of the St. Austin Review (StAR) (see below). In addition, there will be several Tolkien canvasses on display. The show continues through the end of September, 2005.

Interview in the St. Austin Review (StAR)
The latest (July/August 2005) issue of the St. Austin Review (StAR) includes an interview with me on Fairy Tales and Christianity. The issue, which focusses on children's literature, also includes examples of my paintings throughout.

StAR is an international magazine of Catholic culture, and it regularly features articles on faith, literature, the visual arts, music, film, etc. Joseph Pearce (StAR editor) is a world-renowned author of biographies of Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Hillaire Belloc, Roy Campell, and other giants of Catholic and orthodox Christian literature. You can read the StAR interview online by clicking here.

Tolkien 2005
Some of my work will be featured in the Tolkien 2005 conference art show. In addition to prints, I was honored to have been asked to contribute the cover for the fifth Progress Report for participants. The latter can be seen at the Tolkien 2005 website by clicking here.

New Book Released in April, '05!
Some of my sketches will be featured in a new collaborative book with my wife, Lorraine V. Murray. Entitled How Shall We Celebrate? (Resurrection Press, 2005), the book features spiritual reflections by Lorraine. Please click on the link, above, to view Lorraine's website page featuring this collection. The book is also be available from Amazon.com and local bookstores.

"Mystical Realms" Show at UUCA
I am honored to be featured as the solo artist at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta (UUCA) gallery during the entire month of March, 2005. Hours during March will be from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and from 10:30am until 12:30pm on Sundays. There will be an opening reception at the church from 3pm until 6pm on Sunday, March 6, 2005. Original works will include images inspired by Tolkien, religious works, and a wide variety of wood cutout pieces including wildlife and mythological "critters." Prints will also be available. For directions or additional information, please see the UUCA website.