I was very saddened yesterday to learn of the death of Murray Tinkelman, an illustrator and educator who has meant so much to so many. It is especially hard as this happens such a short time after the passing of his wife, Carol. Murray and Carol have been called the father and mother of illustration, and that’s no exaggeration. They worked together as a team; you rarely saw one without the other. And they approached the world with synergy, energy, and always, passion for each other and the art of illustration. Personally they were both inspiration and friends to me, and I appreciated their support.

The drawing above is of Murray giving a talk at the Norman Rockwell Museum, where he had been honored with a solo exhibit and named the 2014 Artist Laureate. Someone in the audience asked Murray if the work he did, which was full of detail and layers of cross-hatching, was “labor intensive.” His answer: “It is the easiest and most pleasurable thing I do.”

Rest in Peace Murray and Carol Tinkelman. And my sincerest heartfelt condolences to their family.