Kathleen Murphy

Kathleen has always been captivated by animals.  She was the one who brought home the baby bird, the kitten, the gerbil in her luggage, the chinchilla that needed a home.  She says, “I tried to keep a vole as a pet (it escaped in the house, ouch) and I stop anyone with a furry or non-furry animal friend in tow and take their picture.” It is no surprise that amongst her friends are ranchers, farmers, stable owners, environmentalists, forest rangers, birders, the list goes on.  She has ONLY two dogs, alas that’s her communities’ limit.

Kathleen has always been one to take photos as well.  In the 1970’s her brother set up a dark room in her Grandparent’s basement next door and while probably not always welcome, Kathleen inserted herself developing black and white film. Then came the opening of The Disney Institute in 1996 where she spent four glorious days learning photography.  Followed by the advent of digital cameras and she was truly a goner.

Interspersed over the years Kathleen took painting classes in a variety of mediums, including alcohol ink which I subsequently taught for two years. Her passion for photography and art has taken her on a creative journey, from traditional painting to digital artistry.  While she had edited her photographs for years, it took the COVID Pandemic for her to get serious about graphic art.  She spent that “time out” outdoors taking photographs of critters and their antics, then worked on her computer to create art that tells a story.  She strives for fun, whimsical and quirky artwork for how can we resist a tattooed goat with a motorcycle? Or a snoring dog with four legs straight up in the air, her idea of a great shot!

Kathleen says, “If it makes you smile, I have succeeded.”

Her incredible artwork takes time to create. She explained, “I take pictures of settings, subjects, props and accessories.  Each photo is then adjusted for color, exposure, lighting and depth of field.  These are then composited (blended) into one cohesive work of art.  It is not unusual for me to spend 30-40 hours creating an art piece.  This does not include the time I spend in the field taking the photographs I use. Yesterday I shot beach balls and wedding dresses.  5 hours of photography resulting in three images that will be incorporated into two pieces I am currently working on.  These are not AI generated!”