Page 17 - Enso Circle Catalog September 2021

About BETSY MURPHY

the You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. – Maya Angelou

Artist I am a creative and have been since I was old enough to pick up a pencil or paint
brush. My parents valued fine arts and encouraged their children to pursue careers
in visual art, writing, music, and theater. I graduated with a BFA in Art Education from
The University of Texas and a master’s degree in Art Education from Texas Tech
University.

Throughout 36 years as an art educator, most recently at UT Austin, I developed
competence with a wide variety of art techniques and processes. Yet, in my own TOP:
artistic practice I focused on two-dimensional work, mainly acrylic and encaustic DUET 16 X 16 X 1.5 INCHES
ACRYLIC ON PANEL
painting. $600

Beyond my career as an art educator, I cultivated an interest in environmental BOTTOM LEFT:
CAFE AU LAIT 16 X 16 X 1.5
stewardship and in 2016 was certified a Texas Master Naturalist. I took advantage of INCHES ACRYLIC ON PANEL
$600
time at home during the Covid shutdown to start beekeeping. My interest in restoring
nature and supporting pollinators in my home landscape dovetails wonderfully with BOTTOM RIGHT:
my artwork, as these efforts inspire my paintings. CAMANO SHADOWS 16 X 16
X 1.5 INCHES ACRYLIC ON
PANEL $600
Through a personal relationship with the natural world, I have continued to develop
my curiosity as well as my powers of observation and in turn my appreciation of the
beauty and peace I find spending time there.
About In this series of three acrylic paintings, I investigate a newfound favorite in the

the garden, Dahlias. These floral pieces continue a larger body of botanical paintings that

have been a mainstay of my acrylic work.
Work In this series I work on a larger scale and begin by printing multiple layers of color

and pattern. The size of these prints emphasizes their textile-like quality. Printed
monotypes become the substrate for the up-close and personal color investigations
of petals as they unfurl, buds dripping with morning dew, flower heads that stretch
toward the sun, and leafy stems that twist and contort.

Earlier time spent in the garden planting, watering, and pruning translates to a similar
process in the studio. In cultivating the surface of each painting, I often use the alla
prima technique, where colors are mixed directly on the surface. The term cultivate is
my guiding word for 2021, and is a fitting metaphor for my creative process.

Through these paintings I pay homage to the last art movement of the 20th century,
the Pattern & Decoration movement. Perhaps my career as an art educator has
primed me to respect both art and craft as well as appreciate both in the non-Western
cultures that these artists celebrated. Whatever the case, my affinity to the richness of
the P & D movement of the 1970’s and 80’s is undeniable.

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