Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Sheppard Murray.
Hi Kelly, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I am a practicing artist that has focused most of my career on teaching others to be artists but eventually decided that it was important for me to not only teach techniques and methods for making art but also model what it means to live a life as an artist. This meant that I needed to figure out how to make work, run a business, spend time with my family and make art. I needed to determine a way to work with steady focus in small increments, day by day to make this happen. I still juggle a lot of things but I manage to do all of those things at a pace that allows me to sustain my art practice, spend time with my family and give the appropriate time and attention to my community college students.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would not say it has been a smooth road to be a practicing artist, I wonder if any artist can say that? But, managing my expectations and working with the resources I have has been the key. The biggest obstacles were my own excuses for why I couldn’t make time to make my artwork. I eventually decided that the perfect studio and lots of long days in a studio wasn’t necessary to make the art, it was really about me showing up consistently so that I could hone my artistic voice.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a sculptor that makes colorful biomorphic nature-inspired forms that are often clustered into groups. I work with a material called encaustic that is a wax painting technique where the color is in the wax. This technique give the forms I make their color and texture. It is kind of like sculpting with color or painting dimensionally.
What does success mean to you?
Success for me is being able to continue to create the work I feel good about and sharing it with others. If others appreciate and value the work, it provides the means to continue and grow the work – this is success.
Contact Info:
- Email: ksm@kellysheppardmurray.com
- Website: www.kellysheppardmurray.com
- Instagram: kellysheppardmurray_art
- Facebook: kelly sheppard murray art
Image Credits
Edde Burgess Photography
Kristen Austin of Aray
