Q&A with Tolkien Inspired Artist Jef Murray -Part 1

Jef Murray

Jef Murray’s work has graced Heren Istarion – The Northeast Tolkien Society, Beyond Bree calendars, The Tolkien Society (UK), Amon Hen, Mallorn, Silver Leaves, Mythprint, Parma Nole, and Aiglos. And the list doesn’t stop there. The Georgian artist is also the artist-in-residence for the St. Austin Review (StAR), and has collaberated with Tolkien biographer Joseph Pearce on an EWTN television special that will air in April of this year.

His art captures the very essence of Tolkien’s novels, and once you’ve viewed his work, I think you’ll agree: Jef Murray is one the great artists of our time.

1. You reside in Decatur, Georgia. Were you born and raised there as well?

I was born in Melbourne, Florida, and I’ve lived in Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Ethiopia (!). However, I’ve spent the vast majority of my life in Georgia, so I’m about as ”deep southern” an American as you’ll find anywhere.

2. How old were you when you first realized you wanted to become an artist?

We all tend to think “well, I’d like to be an artist, so first I’ll read up on art, then I’ll buy some paints and paintbrushes, and then I’ll take some classes, and I’ll study under someone, and then I’ll be an artist!” Sounds about right, yes? The problem is, it never works that way!

First, you must be an artist. That is, you must feel that you deeply and intensely want to create paintings and sketches; you want to make beautiful things, or tell wonderful tales with pictures; you want to release the emotions you hold within you through form, light, and colour. You have, if you will, a calling, or a vocation. Then, with the passion and the love of visual form that you have as an artist, you sketch, you paint, and you continually test out tools and techniques as you explore and fulfill your calling. This is a very medieval way of looking at life: the idea that we all are asked to perform tasks that are uniquely ours to perform, and presumably by someone a lot holier and a lot smarter than we are.

So, in answer to your question, I’ve always been an artist (!). And my job, going forward, is to continue trying to be the best one I can be.

"Chetwood"

3. Where did you study and develop you artistic abilities?

I started sketching before I even started writing, and my mother was a high school art teacher and a respected and award-winning artist in her own right. But, I didn’t take formal art classes until I was in college.

I trained as an engineer, but I would sneak over to the college of architecture at Georgia Tech and take what were called “visual communication” classes there, although they were in fact drawing/composition/studio classes. And I was usually the only non-architect major enrolled. After college, I took night classes at the Atlanta College of Art, which is now the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), in downtown Atlanta. But, as with most artists I know, I learned far more on my own than I ever learned in formal training, and that learning is always ongoing.

4. When did Tolkien’s novels first inspire you and your art?

Although The Hobbit was read aloud to me when I was in second grade, I didn’t read The Lord of the Rings until I reached high school, during the late 1970s. I recollect doing some pen and ink sketches that were Tolkien-themed as far back as the early 1980s…of balrogs, of all things. I went on to discover oil painting late in the 1980s, but for whatever reason, I never attempted any Tolkien-themed oils until about the year 2000, roughly the time when I left engineering permanently and began to develop paintings and illustrations professionally.

"Andunie"

5. Out of all of Tolkien’s works, what is the most inspiring to you and why?

Tough question! I love all three of Tolkien’s best-known works (The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings) tremendously, and if you search through my website you’ll find drawings and paintings inspired by all of them. I am moved and transported by them all, but each provokes me as an artist in a different way.

I love the deep mystical classicism of The Silmarillion, and find that it lends itself to lighting and drawing/painting techniques that are likewise classical and mythological. I love The Hobbit for its playfulness and child-like, fairy tale quality, and for the fact that it is a “coming of age” story about Bilbo. And The Lord of the Rings is the book that in many ways integrates the deep classical themes of The Silmarillion with those of The Hobbit; it tells a profound tale in a very accessible manner…one that takes, with its non- Elvish point of view, a very human and humane look at what it means to be alive in a deeply flawed, fallen, and vulnerable world.

Be sure to check back for Part 2 of the Q&A! To view more of Jef Murray’s art, visit jefmurray.com.

All images are copyright Jef Murray, and are used with permission.

‘The Hobbit’ Filming Begins Today!

Source: 'The Hobbit' on Facebook

Today is the day Tolkien fans! At the crack of New Zealand’s dawn, where it is already March 21st, cameras will begin rolling on ‘The Hobbit’ films—provided everything is still on schedule. Over the last month we’ve watched with fingers crossed as the shooting date was pushed back from February of 2011 to March 2011 to accommodate for Sir Peter Jackson’s surgery and recovery. Meanwhile shooting locations where chosen and the cast began their rigorous training with horseback riding, weaponry and the all-important dwarf camp. Over all, a very busy time, and now it seems the news has become quiet. Almost like the calm before a storm. There are still many questions left unanswered. Has David Tennant been cast for the roll of Elf-King Thranduil? Will Orlando Bloom ever admit he’ll play a small part in the film? And what of this IMDb rumor that “retired” Leonard Nimoy will be the voice of Smaug the dragon?

I can’t help my feelings of excitement, knowing that at this very moment, the cast has donned their beards and are in front of the cameras. The only catch is, it’s going to take a year and nine months until December 2012 arrives and I can finally see the fruits of their labor.

So here’s a “good luck” wave from middleEarthnews to everyone working on ‘The Hobbit’: “Utúlie ‘n aurë!” - “The day has come!”

Sources: Blastr, TheOneRing.net, IMDb, CBSNews

Tolkien Fans Rally For Japan

We’ve all been watching despairingly as the situations in New Zealand and Japan continue to play out. And now, Mad Dwarf Workshop and Dunedain Radio have announced their involvement with charities, giving us a chance to contribute to the relief efforts in these regions.

Source: Mad Dwarf Workshop

MDW with be auctioning off their exquisite Folkvrärthr sword, with 100% of the proceeds going to Samaritan's Purse for helping to rebuild Japan, New Zealand, and Haiti as well. The sword itself was forged from 1095 and 8670 pattern welded steel made by Rick Barrett of Barrett Custom Knives. Grinding, heat treating, and shaping as well as the antler carving was accomplished by David DelaGardelle , while the copper guard fitting was done by Andy Davis. The deer antler was donated by Shad Peters, a professional guitar building luthier and friend of MDW.

If you wish to bid, the auction begins this Saturday, March 19th at 7:00 pm EDT and will end on Saturday March 26th at 7:00 PM EDT. MDW asks that the starting minimum bid be $500 USD. Send bids to: MDWauction@gmail.com, with subject line the price of you bid and the content to include the price and your name. Updates on the current bidding status will be posted on Facebook and Twitter every day at 7:00 PM EDT and each individual bidder via email every night so that they know the current standing.

Source: Dunedain Radio

Dunedain Radio is also doing their part for those in need. With only 9 days left until the Tolkien-related station goes live, they have teamed up with artist Daniel Govar to create the “Map of the Dwarfs”. From now until April 15th, this uniquely crafted work of art is a gift to those who donate from $20 and $26 with 10% going to Hands on Tokyo.  The Japanese based charity aids communities in Japan and because they are local to the affected area, their efforts will continue long after many relief agencies leave. Your donation will also support Dunedain’s efforts to continue to buy music and bring you outstanding programs.

Sources: Mad Dwarf Workshop, Dunedain Radio

All images are copyright and used with permission.

The Tolkien Estate vs. Tolkien Enthusiasts

Source: Tolkien Library

My inbox has recently been flooded with the pairing of the name, Tolkien Estate, and the word ‘copyright’. The Texas author, Steve Hillard, has written the self-published book, ‘Mirkwood: A Novel About J. R. R. Tolkien’. In it, Hillard uses Tolkien himself as the main character. Amazon’s product description states, “[Mirkwood] re-invents J.R.R. Tolkien as a man haunted by the very myths he rewove into his famous works. As much literary criticism as boisterous epic, this episodically-driven plot explores the blurred borderlands where ancient tales, lost heroines, and epic journeys are stalked by dim monsters that will not be still.”

The printing of this book, of course, was met with fierce opposition by the Tolkien Estate. According to an article released by The Guardian, The Estate has demanded all copies of Mirkwood be disposed of, and quotes the Estate’s lawyer, Manches stating: "At no time have our clients granted permission to use the name and personality of J.R.R. Tolkien in the novel, nor would they in any foreseeable circumstances." Manches goes on to say the novel has taken an  "unlawful commercial advantage" and "trivialises the name, personality and reputation of the late professor".

Hillard refutes the Estate’s clams, only admitting to using one quote from a published Tolkien letter, and stands firm that all other material in his novel is fiction and of his own. Further on in the article Hillard goes on to state, "His stories were unearthed from his research... He would be somewhat concerned about attempts to stifle works that borrow from history."

With tensions high, other stories began popping up on the web, the one to gain the most attention being about a badge with the phrase, "While you were reading Tolkien, I was watching Evangelion.". Tempers flared as Tolkien fans learned the Estate demanded Zazzle, the company printing the badge, take it down, insisting the usage of the authors name was infringing copyright law. Scores of articles were posted, accusing the Tolkien Estate of going too far and being “censorious bent”. Questions were raised why other Tolkien-related badges were kept up, while that particular one was taken down.

So who is in the right? It was blog post by Jonathan Crowe, titled “In Defence of the Tolkien Estate” that caught my attention on the matter. In it he writes, “ ...I think this is more about publicity rights than trying to trademark Tolkien’s name, or giving the estate a veto over works about Tolkien.” He goes on to explain, “Publicity rights mean the right to control how your name and image are commercialized: it means no one else can make money off your name, your likeness, or your works...” However Tolkien fans have written me with their views, reminding me of all the names and places Tolkien himself used and pulled from to create his own published works- something author Steve Hillard was also quick to point out.

The topic of copyright is a heated debate, and middleEarthnews wants to hear your opinion on the matter. Who do you think is in the right, the Tolkien Estate or the Tolkien enthusiast's inspired by his works to write their own?

I have written to the Tolkien Estate, regarding the above mentioned issues, and will inform you if they choose to reply.

Sources: The Guardian, Amazon, Jonathan Crowe

Q&A With The Man Who Walks LOTR Everyday

Any fan of Tolkien will agree, when you watch ‘The Lord of the Rings’ films, New Zealand has a magical way of transporting you to the lands of Middle-earth. Now imagine being able to walk those same paths Frodo and the gang took, everyday. That’s what it’s like to be Jack Machiela. The Wellington tour guide lives a life many of us only dream of and that includes numerous run-ins (and the occasional lunch) with celebrities. His humorous and witty blog posts made me an instant fan, and I longed to know what it was like to live a day in his shoes.

1. When did you first become a LOTR tour guide and why?

I became a LOTR tour guide back in 2004, mostly by accident. I had been driving a season of a 28-day (non-LOTR) tour around NZ, and was pretty tired of that, so I walked in to the Wellington Information Centre (iSite), and asked them if they knew of any tours that came back home every evening. They said to go talk to the guy from Wellington Rover Tours - apparently he'd been so busy with these new LOTR tours that he'd not had a chance to go look for new staff yet. Next thing I know, it's seven years later and I'm still at Rover. I met my wife on the tour as well - she was a guest back in 2005, and we got married two years ago.

2. What do you love most about being a tour guide?

Where to start! The guests, talking about LOTR/Tolkien all day, the landscape, the outdoors, the excitement, the not-being-in-an-office - I could go on but that will do for now... :)

3. Have you always called “Wellywood” home?

Nope, I'm not even born in New Zealand! I'm originally Dutch - still have my passport, in fact. I grew up in Hawke's Bay (350kms north-east of Wellington), but came to Wellywood at the end of the 1980's. I've been here for most of that time except for a 5-year stint back in the Netherlands. I'll be here for the foreseeable future though!

4. What is you favorite spot to visit in “Wellywood”? ( Cafes and such)

The best coffee and best chocolate (my two weaknesses) can be found at Ciocco cafe, on Tory Street. It's a tiny little place and you could walk past it three times before you noticed it, but the chocolate is from Schoc in Greytown, and pretty much unbeatable. Disclosure - the guy is a good friend of mine, but only because I go there so often! For breakfast there's no going past Sweet Mother's Kitchen in Courtenay Place (near the Embassy Cinema, where ROTK was premiered in 2003).

Actually, now that I start to think about the question, there's probably a dozen other excellent places for coffee or second breakfast - the Chocolate Fish [Cafe] and the Chocolate Frog [Cafe], and Scorch-o-Rama Cafe, all on the Miramar Peninsula ("Wellywood central"); Memphis Belle on Dixon Street; Arabica [Cafe] in Petone; I could go on. It's hard to get bad coffee in Wellington these day[s]. Starbucks isn't doing too well in NZ, with all these excellent smaller cafes.

5. Since the filming of LOTR began, have you noticed any changes in the city around you, compared to present day?

We're getting a lot more people coming to visit now. Fifteen years ago, Wellington used to be famous for only two things - parliament, and the ferry stop to the South Island. First, we got Te Papa Museum, and all of NZ came to visit - and secondly, LOTR happened, and the rest of the world turned up. This tourism season, we had about 60 cruise ships come for a visit - fifteen years ago that would have been ten ships, tops. Obviously all those thousands of people aren't all LOTR fans, but a fair percentage of them are. My job is pretty stable all year round.

On the negative side, we've not really been adapting to the LOTR visitors fast enough. I'd want to see more help from the Wgtn City Council. There's a tiny little sign on top of Mount Victoria (where the famous "Get Off The Road!" scenes were filmed), and as far as I know that's all the council has done for LOTR fans. It would be nice if they could divert the Mountain Bike track away from "our" trees, for instance.

6.You mention on your blog, you have met an astounding amount of actors, have you ever met Sir Peter Jackson? And if so what was your first impression?

I met Peter Jackson only once on tour (although we see him from time to time, around town). I completely screwed that one up - I approached him to say "hello", and ended up saying "wow, you look really tired, Mr Jackson". Nice.

Of course, he was also yelling "action" and "cut" towards me during my famous 3 seconds in King Kong, but I don't think he really noticed me in the background there. :)

7. Can you list off all the actors/actresses you’ve run into on your job?

Ai, the big name-drop! I'll do my best. Also, don't forget I didn't start touring until after LOTR was finished, so not that many LOTR people. The list would include people like John Rhys-Davies (came to Armageddon convention in Wgtn), Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan (saw them in town a few years ago), Andy Serkis (many times during King Kong), and from King Kong there's Jack Black, Naomi Watts, Adrian Brodie, and Jamie Bell.

Then there's NZ actors and stunt people like Jed Brophy, Colin Bleasdale, Todd Rippon and Shane Rangi (the two Harad Mumak riders from ROTK). Todd and Colin are LOTR tour guides in between acting gigs, so we meet reasonably often. I mentioned on my blog that we spotted Lee Tamahori a few weeks ago while we were touring, he's a reasonably famous director (did a James bond movie amongst other things). I met Costa Botes, who did the special documentaries for LOTR. And Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, of course - and I've spotted Katie (their daughter) in the pro-hobbit rally crowd last year (she's credited as "Cute Hobbit Child", "Cute Refugee Child", and "Cute City Child" in the trilogy along with her brother Billy). Didn't really meet her though, and I had no reason to approach her that time.

And then there's famous artists and Weta crew, like Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger, Alan Lee, John Howe, Greg Hunt (LOTR sculptor), Greg Broadmore (rayguns), Gino Acevedo (all-round amazing guy), Carlos Slater (Orc designer), Chris Guise (designer), Daniel Reeve (cartographer and calligrapher), and Peter Lyon (the sword smith). There's probably others but that'll do for now! Oh, and I almost forgot Guillermo del Toro! He signed my Hobbit book - I'm hoping his leaving the project will mean the book becomes MORE valuable, not less! :)

Jack and Guillermo del Toro/ Source: The Noldor Blog

And of course I can't leave out other industry people like Erica Challis (TORn founder), and Ian Brodie (author of the LOTR Location Guidebook). They've both done so much for Wellington!

8. With all the actors you’ve met, who where you most excited to meet?

Jack and John Howe/ Source The Noldor Blog

I was pretty stunned to run into Alan Lee and John Howe at the end of 2009 - I'd just come out of the Weta Cave with a group, and the Weta crew just told me there that neither of them were in the country yet. I walked towards the car park and suddenly noticed them about 5 meters away! I'm afraid I may have said something like "oh my God!", to which John Howe replied "yes?"... He's a funny guy! They were both really nice, and actually I've found that with almost all the people I've met. When we met Andy Serkis at the cafe we go to for lunch, he has come to our table a few times, and talked to everyone at the table. He's a really cool guy indeed.

Alan Lee/ Source: The Noldor Blog 

9. Out of all the LOTR and Hobbit locations you tour, which is your favorite and why?

So far there's only LOTR locations, of course - but I have a few favourite spots for different reasons. Mount Victoria because it's such a nice place in the city to walk, and full of surprises. There's always another LOTR location just around the corner - I think I could run a full day tour just on the hill and not run out of material!

I love Rivendell just because it's such a gorgeous place - it's an ancient rain forest with stunningly beautiful trees - some of them over a thousand years old. And at the end of the summer (like right now) I'm always keen on visiting the Hutt River (Anduin, and the river where Brego rescued Aragorn) as it's blackberry season, and we have some quick snacks on the way. Everyone joins in!

10. Is there any cast that you haven’t met and wish to meet?

I'd like to meet Sir Ian McKellen. Apart from his film career, he's done so many stage roles and seems like such an approachable person. But I would REALLY love to meet Sir Christopher Lee. The man is a living legend! I heard he used to be a pilot in WWII - amazing!

11. As a tour guide, are there any questions you are asked repeatedly? Are there any questions you are tired of hearing, or any you wish they did ask?

Usually there's the same questions that always arise from the information I provide (like "wow, is Gimli really the tallest of the fellowship?"). There's one question I won't answer - "Can you tell me where Peter Jackson lives?". The answer will have to remain "yes, but I won't".

I'm actually not tired of any questions - the more questions I get, the more involved the guests are with the day. As with anything - you get out of it what you put into it.

That ends the Q&A, but you can follow Jack Machiela on Twitter and The Noldor Blog.

All images are copyright by Jack Machiela and are used with permission.

Other sources: IMDb, and WetaNZ