u/MiriamEllisFineArt

One of Tolkien's supreme moments of Faerian consolation on the slopes of Weathertop, in which Strider consoles himself while consoling the little hobbits with the ancient tale of how Beren and Lúthien Tinúviel became one another's sources of consolation in tree-tangled Middle-earth. Remarkable! If you'd like to see close-ups in a video short, please enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DS1-b37G-Q

“...Frodo kept up the custom of giving Bilbo's Birthday Party year after year until they got used to it...he had a good many friends, especially among the younger hobbits...Folco Boffin and Fredegar Bolger were two of these; but his closest friends were Peregrin Took (usually called Pippin), and Merry Brandybuck..." - The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 1, Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past 

Something a bit different to share from my easel this week. I am continuing the work of painting not just from Tolkien's legendarium, but also from his life, times, and connections, and have a new blog post to share about his meaningful friendship with C.S. Lewis and how that contributed to the lighting of the famous Narnia lamp-post. Please, come enjoy: https://www.miriamellis.com/post/lucy-the-lamp-post-and-the-lewis-tolkien-connection

I hope the wonderful, supportive community here will enjoy hearing the news that my second book, A Shire Walking-Party: Paintings Inspired by Tolkien's Little Folk, was published today by Uppsala Books in both hardcover and paperback and is now listed on Amazon in the US and will be coming soon to other sellers and in many lands. With over 60 paintings, the book invites you on an immersive walk through hobbit homelands, history, and culture in the place J.R.R. Tolkien said he felt most at home. Thank you to all the kind folks here who are so supportive of my work. You can read advance praise of the book from Ted Nasmith, Tom Shippey, Michael D.C. Drout, Alan Sisto, Graham Judd, Tom Hillman, Sara Brown, and many more on my website today or on the Amazon listing here:https://www.amazon.com/Shire-Walking-Party-Paintings-Inspired-Tolkiens/dp/1961361388/ref=sr\_1\_1?crid=3NGIOYMBQBPZ9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4GuxuXW-tsoPNKDrEbbaareJQKkrQFjM-84W3aP7\_yM.9GwvwF1H2eVuh5FYmgr-WITUXiohRx490OnrRfNsTiU&dib\_tag=se&keywords=a+shire+walking+party&qid=1787843124&s=books&sprefix=a+shire+walking+part%2Cstripbooks%2C199&sr=1-1

Christie's is auctioning a previously-unknown letter in which Tolkien confirms that Sam's cousin Hal did, indeed, see an Ent, that Gandalf had asked one or two of the Ents to guard the Shire, and that Treebeard knew more about hobbits than he revealed to Merry and Pippin. I am so thrilled with this confirmation of my best guess at what Hal really saw, and I have the full details of the letter over on my blog today in celebration. What a red letter day!

Hello, my friends! This little watercolor is my celebration of Professor Tolkien championing the wisdom of Old Wives' Tales, such as the rhyme Ioreth is reputed to know about athelas and the healing hands of the king. Cheers to all who share Tolkien's love of the ancient lore and who listen to wise women. Wishing everyone a good weekend, and if you're attending Westmoot remotely, I am keynoting on Saturday and would be very happy if you said "hello" in the Discord server for the event.

I wanted to take a moment to share this news with the kind community here. I've so appreciated the generous response to my paintings so many of you have given, including so many encouraging comments. I'm in a bit of a daze at the moment trying to understand that I have received such an honor, and I want to thank everyone here who has been so supportive. A happy day! You can see all the winners in the different categories at: https://www.tolkiensociety.org/2026/04/winners-of-the-tolkien-society-awards-2026-announced/