Printmaker Rachael K Murphy was born in Massachusetts and spent her childhood on Cape Cod and in the Boston area. Her family has a camp in Weld, Maine where she would spend her summers and she moved to Maine permanently in 2017. The artist began her studies at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design before transferring to the University of Maine Orono. She graduated in May 2022 with a BA in Art Education and a BFA in Studio Art, and a minor in Art History.

The artist sees her art as a vehicle for processing personal interactions with the world and how they fold into more significant issues. Her style employs complex patterns and colors that leans towards abstraction but retains scientific accuracy in her subjects. Her art is inspired by outdoor exploration, fixations on scientific studies, and personal introspections that can be universally understood.

In some of her work, she finds inspiration in how human activity impacts wildlife in New England ecosystems. Compositions juxtapose animals and aquatic life with hints of human activity — whether it be a bridge, powerline, invasive species, or other intrusion. The concept for the series began early in the pandemic when spending time in nature was deemed one of the few safe activities. Remnants of humanity still exist even when the world goes quiet. Her newer work explores how we perceive and measure time. It includes “tree cookies” (prints of tree rings), constellations, and human measurements of time.

Job Experience and Residencies:

Murphy has experience researching and framing artwork through her positions at picture framing shops and galleries. The artist also worked as a curatorial intern through the Zillman Art Museum in Bangor. She held a freelance position cataloging the life work for abstract-expressionist Harold Garde’s that includes over 5000 pieces. These experiences have exposed Murphy to artists of varying backgrounds, past and active, using both 2D and 3D media. The sheer quantity of different artwork that has passed through her hands is unmatched and inspires her to push forward with her own work.

In 2022, Murphy’s work was featured on the cover and in an article of Spire: Maine Journal of Conservation and Sustainability located at the University of Maine. In the summer of 2022, she was among the first artists to participate in the Running with Scissors EMERGE artist residency program for recent college graduates. The artist is currently working as a picture framer in Portland, ME and is a member of Circling the Square Press printmaking co-op in Gardiner, ME. She is also a featured artist at Common Roots Studio in Biddeford, ME. She participates in events and exhibitions in Maine throughout the year.