Kathleen Murphy Art

Featured composite photographic artwork. The collection is updated regularly, so please check back often.

About Kathleen:^{I have always been captivated by animals. I am the one who brought home the baby bird, the kitten, the gerbil in my luggage, the chinchilla that needed a home. I tried to keep a vole as a pet (it escaped in the house, ouch) and I stop anyone with a furry or non furry animal friend in tow and take their picture. It is no surprise that among my friends are ranchers, farmers, stable owners, environmentalists, forest rangers, birders, the list goes on. I have ONLY two dogs. Alas that is my community's limit.Always one to take photos as well. In the 1970’s my brother set up a dark room in my Grandparent’s basement next door and while probably not always welcome, I inserted myself developing black and white film.Then came the opening of The Disney Institute in 1996 where I spent four glorious days learning photography. Followed by the advent of digital cameras and I was truly a goner.Interspersed over the years I have taken painting classes in a variety of mediums, including alcohol ink which I subsequently taught for two years.My passion for photography and art has taken me on a creative journey, from traditional painting to digital artistry. While I have edited my photographs for years, it took the COVID Pandemic for me to get serious about graphic art. I spent that “time out” outdoors taking photographs of critters and their antics, then working on my computer to create Art that tells a story. I strive for fun, whimsical and quirky. How can we resist a tattooed goat with a motorcycle.
A snoring dog with four legs straight up in the air is my idea of a great shot.If it makes you smile, I have succeeded.}

What is Composite Photographic Art?^{Composite photographic art is the combining of multiple photographs into a single, seamless image.Each piece begins with two or more photographs. Some images are used as full backgrounds, while others are carefull separated into individual subjects or elements and placed into a new scene.Every element is then refined - adjusting color, brightness, contrast, saturation, and light - either individually or across the entire image. Additional effects such as light rays, shadows, gradients, clouds and mist are often added to enhance depth and atmosphere.In many cases, entire enviroments are built from scratch using a blend of photographs and digital effects.The final artwork is a layered composition - often consisting of 12 to 75+ layers. A single finished work can take up to 40 hours to complete.Each piece is designed to tell a story - often whimsical, sometimes unexpected, and always unique to Kathleen's imagination.}