Wikipedia

Brian Lee Durfee

(Redirected from The Blackest Heart)

Brian Lee Durfee is an American wildlife, landscape, and fantasy painter, and a fantasy and horror writer. His paintings have appeared in various genre and other magazines, games, and books. One of his wildlife paintings is in the permanent collection at the Grand Canyon National Park visitors center.

Brian Lee Durfee
At Phoenix Comic Fest (2018).
At Phoenix Comic Fest (2018).
Pen nameBrian D. Lee
Occupation
  • Artist
  • Writer
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Alma materBrigham Young University
Genre
Years active1994–current
Notable works
  • The Forgetting Moon (novel)
  • "Grand Canyon Cliffs–Peregrine Falcons" (painting)
Notable awards
Website
brianleedurfee.weebly.com

Saga Press published his epic grimdark fantasy series, beginning with The Forgetting Moon. He also has a horror alternate history series.

Biography

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Durfee grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska and Monroe, Utah.[1][2] He played high school football,[3][4] then served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Connecticut,[4] though he is no longer a practicing member of that church.[5] He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in illustration and fine arts.[4][5]

In 1992, he won second place in the second quarter Illustrators of the Future contest and was chosen to illustrate "The Monitor" by John Richard DeRose and "Lady's Portrait, Executed in Archaic Colors" by Charles M. Saplak in Writers of the Future, Volume IX.[4][6] He was a member of the Society of Illustrators in New York.[7] Durfee cites works by Robert Jordan, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, Larry McMurtry, Mötley Crüe, the Oakland Raiders, and Tad Williams as being influential on his life and his works.[1]

His oil painting, "Grand Canyon Cliffs–Peregrine Falcons", won the 1999 Bird Award of Merit and the Grand Canyon National Park Association Purchase Award.[8] One of his paintings is in the permanent collection at the Kolb Gallery at the visitors center at Grand Canyon National Park.[1] He was the artist guest of honor at CONduit 10 in 2000.[9][10]

Durfee works as a prison guard at the Utah State Prison, where he has worked in the mental health unit, the gang unit, processing new inmates, and overseeing the six libraries within the prison.[1][11] He initially got the job because he wanted to be a police officer, but then decided to stay in that job.[11] He worked with author James Dashner to put on a convention for the inmates at the prison,[11] and he has taught creative writing classes to some of the inmates.[1]

Bibliography

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The Five Warrior Angels

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An epic grimdark fantasy series.

  • The Forgetting Moon (August 2016, Saga Press, ISBN 978-1-4814-6522-9)
  • The Blackest Heart (February 2019, Saga Press, ISBN 978-1-4814-6525-0)
  • The Lonesome Crown (November 2022, Saga Press, ISBN 978-1-4814-6528-1)

South Severe

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An alternate history horror series set in a small, rural town, published under the pseudonym "Brian D. Lee".[5]

As artist

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Cover art

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Interior art

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Collectible card games

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Durfee illustrated several cards for Magic: The Gathering collectible card game, including four mountain cards,[20][21][22][23][24] "Blossoming Wreath",[25] and "Sylvan Hierophant".[26] He also illustrated three cards for the Middle-earth Collectible Card Game: "Black Númenóreans", "Returned Exiles", and "Hey, come merry dol!".

Wildlife and landscape works

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  • "The Bear" (1998, oil)[27]
  • "Red Tailed Hawk" (1998, oil)[27]
  • "Grand Canyon Cliffs–Peregrine Falcons" (1999, oil)[8]

Awards and honors

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Year Organization Award title,
Category 		Work Result Refs
1992 Bridge Publications Illustrators of the Future,
Second Quarter 		– 2 [4]
1998 Sevier County, Utah Sevier County Commissioners' Art Show "The Bear" 1 [27]
1999 Arts for the Parks Bird Award of Merit, and
Grand Canyon Purchase Award 		"Grand Canyon Cliffs–Peregrine Falcons" Won [8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Bolton, Raymond (November 6, 2017). "The Write Stuff – Monday, November 6 – Interview With Brian Lee Durfee". Raymond Bolton. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Utah writers honored at ceremonies". Orem-Geneva Times. October 13, 1993. p. 1.
  3. ^ Friant, Daryl (September 18, 1985). "South Sevier Rolls, Beats North Sanpete 21-0". The Richfield Reaper. p. 10.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Durfee Honored In Hollywood For His Illustration Talent". The Richfield Reaper. October 6, 1993. p. 1.
  5. ^ a b c Durfee, Brian Lee (February 16, 2021). "My first novels, a self critique / South Severe & Bedlam Blues / Should I Self Publish? U Decide!". YouTube. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Publication: L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Volume IX". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Baird, Betsy (March 19, 1997). "Utah Valley Artists". The Springville Herald. p. 4.
  8. ^ a b c "Winners from Utah". The Salt Lake Tribune. October 24, 1999. p. 7.
  9. ^ CONduit 16: Wizards of CONduit Program Book. Salt Lake City, Utah: CONduit Planning Committee. May 26, 2006. p. 49.
  10. ^ "CONduit 10". The Salt Lake Tribune. May 19, 2000. p. 5.
  11. ^ a b c "Brian Lee Durfee Interview – Prison Comic-Con". Fantasy Faction. April 6, 2020. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  12. ^ "Publication: The Leading Edge, February 1996". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. May 27, 2019. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  13. ^ "Publication: Adventures of Sword and Sorcery, Spring, 1996". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  14. ^ "Publication: Adventures of Sword and Sorcery, #3, 1996". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. November 12, 2017. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  15. ^ "Publication: Pirate Writings, #14 1997". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. June 2, 2016. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "Publication: Dragon Magazine, #239, September 1997". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. July 8, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  17. ^ "Publication: Tomorrow Speculative Fiction, February 1994". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. October 20, 2016. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  18. ^ "Publication: Tomorrow Speculative Fiction, April 1994". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. September 6, 2014. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  19. ^ "Publication: Spectrum III: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art". isfdb.org. Internet Speculative Fiction Database. March 13, 2014. Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  20. ^ "Mountain". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Mountain". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Mountain". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  23. ^ "Mountain". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  24. ^ "Mountain (Portal) MtG Art from Portal by Brian Durfee". Art of Magic: The Gathering. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "Blossoming Wreath". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "Sylvan Hierophant". Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  27. ^ a b c "Monroe Artist Wins Top Honors". The Richfield Reaper. May 6, 1988. p. 1.
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