ARTIST STATEMENT

I have a desire for simplicity and calm—to balance chaos and order, spontaneity and control, and to see the beauty that occurs between these counterpoints.

My paintings reflect a sort of quiet expressionism—quiet on the surface with noise underneath. Applying layers or transparent veils of white on top, the vibrant story now lies beneath, inviting closer inspection. Conveying a sense of calm, with the colorful messiness of real life underneath.

An ongoing dialogue with the piece, to see what is there and how it works together—abstract art has a rebelliousness, an unpredictableness that my alter ego craves.

I want to spark connections through abstraction—to encourage seeing in a new way, invoke a feeling, and inspire healing. Beginning with a healing intention, my energy-infused art can be the catalyst for this change.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Jocelyn Murray is an abstract artist creating paintings exploring the balance between spontaneity and control, and finding the beauty between. Working mostly with oil and cold wax, her work is characterized by thin layers of paint and intuitive mark-making. Often producing quiet, expressionistic images, her paintings seek to elicit curiosity and connection.

Born in Iowa, and raised in Wisconsin, her love of mark-making took root early from studying unsettled skies—watching for tornadoes and storms—to learning the lost art of shorthand. Having spent much of her childhood summers camping in Colorado, Murray now lives and works in the inspiring landscape of western Colorado, further informing her work.

Murray graduated from UW-Whitewater with a BA with honors in Journalism and an emphasis in photography and advertising—a background reflected in the reveal and conceal nature of her art.

Murray’s work has been nationally exhibited and accepted into numerous juried exhibitions. She has been honored Juror’s Choice at the Aspen Red Brick Biennial by notable Timothy Standring, Curator of Painting and Sculpture, Denver Art Museum. Murray’s work was selected for critique by artist Teresa Booth Brown and former Aspen Art Museum Curator Courtenay Finn. Her works are in private art collections throughout the US.