About the Artist

After enjoying a career in advertising and marketing, Carol Murphy returned to a lifelong passion for drawing and painting. Taking workshops and painting regularly with studio groups, she honed her skills using soft pastels, and specialized in portraits and scenic images from her travels.

As luck would have it, one day while doodling, doodles turned into squiggles and her pastel technique, ‘kinetic color’, was born.

Beginning with a simple design of simple shapes, Murphy weaves brightly-colored lines, working layers of varied colors over a background tone that peeks through the vibrant hues and unifies the work.

While inspiration comes from all spectrums of life, what Carol enjoys most about her work is showcasing the intensity of pastels as a medium. “Ironically,” Murphy muses, “the word ’pastel’ evokes images of soft, pale colors that one might see at an Easter parade. I am delighted to be a part of changing that perception. Color ‘punch’ is what pastels can really deliver.”

There’s an unmistakable joy about the circular, patterned lines and the bright, juxtaposing colors which have become the trademark of her unique imagery. Murphy has exhibited her work in solo and group shows throughout Oregon, Washington, and California. She resides with her husband in Salem, Oregon.

Member:  Northwest Pastel Society, Pastel Society of the West Coast, Pastel Society of Oregon