“I first met Murray when he came to my school in Great Neck, Long Island. His slide presentation opened up the whole world of illustration. He was so passionate that his enthusiasm gave me the alibi I needed to pursue a career in the field. Murray was the fiercest proponent of illustration I’ve ever met. He made it clear to me that I was in a noble profession.”
– Peter de Sève.
Murray Tinkleman, a legend of the illustration field and an influential educator, died January 30, just several weeks after the passing of his wife and studio partner, Carol. Inquisitive, kind, and giving, Murray was a mentor to many and an advocate for artists everywhere. He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2013 and the video I’ve attached at the end of this post marked the occasion.
Vincent Di Fate’s celebration of his friend’s multi-faceted career is far more knowledgeable and eloquent than anything I might say, so after you read it, you can enjoy some of Murray’s art below. It’s a good way to remember one of the greats.
This is a huge loss for the world of illustration and even more so for those of us who knew him well and considered him a mentor as well as a dear friend. Murray's personality was infectious and his enthusiasm for and knowledge of illustration was boundless. He along with his dear wife Carol adopted all of us when we entered the Hartford Art School MFA in Illustration program and I was proud to call them my “Jewish parents”. I will miss them both tremendously. RIP Murray and Carol. Our loss is Heaven's gain.