Jay burst onto the Tolkien art scene in 2013 with a major exhibition at the largest Tolkien conferences ever, Return of the Ring, organised by the Tolkien Society at the University of Loughborough. His unique and fresh approach to Middle-earth astounded everyone and he has gone from strength to strength.
He was artist guest of honour at 2014 TheOneRing.net Oscar party in LA which was there to support Peter Jacksons nomination of The Hobbit. He has exhibited at the Tolkien Society annual meeting Oxonmoot in Oxford for the past 4 years.
He is also the founder and driving force behind the www.scififantasynetwork.com. and in his spare time he runs HJMS an award winning design and marketing agency.Taking inspiration from Byzantine iconography to the great works of Gustav Klimt, Jay Johnstone works with traditional methods and techniques exploring the relationship of people in literature from the motivations of core characters to the defining inspiration of their creation.
The results are a stunning collection of painting, manuscripts and sculptures that could have been made in the monasteries of Greece in the of Middle ages or in the libraries of Minas Tirith. He exhibits and lectures on his work and some of the very original concepts and ideas that have come from his work.
Jay has been a devote fan of fantasy literature since his youth and an avid collector of his books since reading the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit at college. Jay explained, ‘These Tolkien inspired character paintings are a very personal expression of my passion and love of stories, poems and characters form literature. I have been painting Tolkien themed illustration for around 30 years but only exhibited for the first time in August 2012. My first show at Loughborough University, during the Tolkien Society Return of the Ring convention, was very well received and has led to further shows and lectures across Europe and the US. It has giving the opportunity to travel widely and engage with like minded people”.
COVER
Gandalf in the Minas-Tirith library
by Jay Johnstone
