Artist's Biography

Mary Murphy was born in south central Ohio and has a BS degree in the College of Education from The Ohio State University and an MA degree from Marycrest College, Davenport, Iowa.

She began her art career by studying at The University Of Maryland College Park and continued her studies with Linda Pflug in Fort Myers, FL.  Murphy has also studied with Cassandra James, instructor at Ringling School of Art & Design, in Texas, Montana, Mexico and North Carolina.  On the Eastern Shore of Maryland, she has studied with John Losonczy, Mary Ekroos, Scott Yeager, Kevin Fitzgerald, Camille Przewodek and Nancy Tankersley. 

Artist's Statement

As a young child, I lived on a small farm that had a wooded area in a rear corner.  I loved the play of the light on the grass, the leaves and trunks of trees, and on the nearby shrubs.  When I began painting en plein air, that love for the landscape came back to me.  I take my easel to a location - the park, the ocean, the mountains, or the field - and set up and paint in the sun, wind, rain, and insects.l  In the words of the poet, "no matter whether you have sunburn, bug bites, lost your brush, or spilled your paint, you've still had a good day."

         Gallery Affiliations and Other Recent Showings

 Ocean City Library Solo Show, Ocean City, MD (scheduled for October 2009)

        Cathedral Square Gallery, Mobile, AL

        Globe Restaurant, Berlin, MD

                  Spring Fest at Ocean City, MD           

        Sea Star Gallery, featured artist, Matlacha, FL 

          2009  Foyer Gallery Solo Show at the Art Institute & Gallery, Salisbury, MD

        Atrium Gallery, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD

        Water's Edge Gallery, Berlin, MD

        Ocean City Library, Ocean City, MD

        Dorchester Center for the Arts, Cambridge, MD

        Art Institute & Gallery, Salisbury, MD

        2008  Art League of Ocean City, Ocean City, MD 

      Artiques Art & Antiques, Snow Hill, MD

        2007  A Step Above Gallery, Berlin, MD