"My paintings are concerned with the workings of grace: with what is sacred and what is profane. And they explore what G.K. Chesterton called "the Ethics of Elfland." This is a quest-centered "knowing" of how the world really works versus how, as adults, we're often taught that it works. We all absorbed the fundamental truths of Elfland from fairy tales when we were children. In Elfland, good and evil, light and darkness might be difficult to distinguish at first, but their true nature always wins out in the end. Because of what we learned from Elfland, we recognize grace when we see it. And whether I'm painting a sea turtle, a mountain path, a maiden in a forest, or an angel contemplating all of creation, I am always seeking to explore grace...its presence and its absence. Through grace, all of creation is blessed and bounded, and it is our task in this life to know its true nature and to call it by name." I thank you for visiting and invite you to keep in touch with me by subscribing to my email news list. Through it you'll receive news of upcoming events and new works. To subscribe, please click here." --- Jef Murray