Artist in Residence at Clevelands House, Muskoka

Jennifer S. Murphy, artist in residence with Muskoka Chautauqua 2017, will be offering guided instruction and art appreciation at Clevelands House in Minett, Ontario, from August 28 through September 1. Her art workshops on the shores of Lake Rosseau will open “a window to wonder and magic” for children and adults. Jennifer is known for the beauty of her landscapes, which capture the essence of places she has lived in or visited: the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains, the American Southwest, and Ontario’s Canadian Shield.

© J. Murphy

“Art is the evidence of what it is to be free and found guileless,” said Dr. Kenneth G. Mills, Jennifer’s mentor. She acknowledges his “impeccable example of unlimited creativity in agreement with an Ideal or Principle.” Dr. Mills once recommended that she always include something living, such as a bird, in her pictures, an idea that resonated with her lifelong love of birds. On her website Jennifer notes that “it has been said that birds have ultraviolet vision and what we see as a drably colored sparrow is really wearing a brilliant array of feathers. Such is the magic that I attempt to convey in my paintings.”

© J. Murphy

“Generally, I do research on site with charcoal drawings, painted sketches, and photography. More drawings are done in the studio, and the drawings, sketches, and photographs are used as references for the finished painting. I work in oil and acrylic, building up many layers of color and texture on various surfaces including watercolor paper, canvas board, canvas, and wood.”

© J. Murphy

Jennifer teaches and exhibits in her studio, Arbutis Grace, in Sarnia, Ontario, but she is known internationally. Her oil and acrylic paintings have been shown in Ontario and the eastern United States in particular, with solo exhibitions in Pulaski (Tennessee), Garrison (New York), and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). This year a pastel was accepted in the Latcham Gallery annual show, Stouffville (Ontario). She has taught at the Summer Festivals of Light, Sound, and Peace hosted by the Kenneth G. Mills Foundation, as well as at Muskoka Chautauqua, and at corporate “Lunch and Learn Art Adventures.” Jennifer has studied under Greg Hindle in Canada and is a member of Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC). She is also a Chartered Professional Accountant, having obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Pace University, New York.

© J. Murphy

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