About Miriam Ellis
Greetings! I'm Miriam Ellis. I'm an award-winning fine artist and an author. My work has taken first place in many adjudicated art exhibitions in California and is held in private collections throughout North America.
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My book, The Art of Mercy in Middle-earth: Paintings Inspired by Tolkien's Legendarium, will be forthcoming in the summer of 2025 from Uppsala Books. This book features 48 full-color paintings and essays rich in the themes of mercy, recovery, escape, consolation, high beauty, and fellowship in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. Advance praise for the book from Tolkien community luminaries including Tom Shippey, Ted Nasmith, Holly Ordway, Sara Brown, Alan Sisto, and many more may be read here on the catalog page of Uppsala Books. I will publish updates here on my website as soon as the book is available for purchase, and also invite you to follow my wonderful publisher on social media.​
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Coming Soon from Uppsala Books
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My Tolkien-inspired paintings​
My Tolkien-inspired art has been featured on the cover of the Tolkien Society's Peter Roe Series XXIII, Translating and Illustrating Tolkien, edited by Will Sherwood and showcased by Amon Hen Magazine and Mallorn Journal. It has been featured on the cover of the Beyond Bree Calendar and in popular YouTube channels including Nerd of The Rings and In Deep Geek. My work has been used to illustrate the conference presentations of highly respected speakers at major Tolkien community events. My illustrations are also included on many pages of The Tolkien Gateway and in numerous online and offline publications of various businesses, organizations and societies.
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Commissions
I am not currently accepting private commissions, but am glad to consider all publisher, institutional, organizational, and commercial inquiries.
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Why I paint
I have been painting and illustrating stories since I first was able to hold a crayon in my hand, and have been working at my art all my life. The inspiring reception my Tolkien artwork has received from the wonderful and diverse fandom has encouraged me to specialize in this theme that is so dear to my heart. I was raised on Tolkien, and he is beloved by all my family.
Overall, regardless of subject, my work tends to be unified by an appreciation of goodness. I celebrate Creation, family, ancestry, history, literature, and the great beauty of the natural world. It is my pleasure to meet clients, patrons, and fellow travelers on the shared road who likewise deeply value these things.
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Please visit my Tolkien Art page to purchase prints and my gallery to view a wide array of other pieces. Thank you so much for viewing and considering my work.
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