Eileen Murray

I have forever been fascinated by the interplay of color, line and texture, and the way they create mood, evoke emotion, and trigger memories. My eye is always caught by a play of light, a grid of texture, a combination of color. When creating, inspiration can emerge from a musical note, a memory, a thought, or a concept. Fragments of life that often escape notice can leave a lasting effect on me.

When in the studio, the work takes me where it wants to go, and I follow, with interest and passion. A circle leads to a line leads to a grid. I have begun to explore the concept of t...

I have forever been fascinated by the interplay of color, line and texture, and the way they create mood, evoke emotion, and trigger memories. My eye is always caught by a play of light, a grid of texture, a combination of color. When creating, inspiration can emerge from a musical note, a memory, a thought, or a concept. Fragments of life that often escape notice can leave a lasting effect on me.

When in the studio, the work takes me where it wants to go, and I follow, with interest and passion. A circle leads to a line leads to a grid. I have begun to explore the concept of time; the continuity of it, the lapses of it, the passage of it. I’ve always loved the imagery of maps (though I have no sense of direction!), the connections of line and place. They seem to me an answer to the question, “what does time look like?”

After graduating from The College of New Jersey in Trenton with a Bachelor of Arts, I worked for 20 years as a graphic designer, creative director and art director. Today, I am the associate director of the Matheny Arts Access Program in Peapack, an alternative fine arts program for people with disabilities. In working with artists with disabilities, I am inspired by their fearless approach to artmaking, and they have greatly influenced my approach to my own art creation.

My study of art continues, both formally and informally. I have studied jewelry design at the Newark Museum, and continue to be greatly influenced by the printmaking courses at the Center for Visual Arts in New Jersey. My artwork has been exhibited in a number of group and solo shows in Chatham, Madison, and Denville, and most recently at the inaugural exhibit at the Gallery of Summit Library in 2005, the Ocean County Artists’ Guild 2006 NJ annual juried exhibition, and the Edison Arts Society 2006 NJ annual juried exhibition.