Featured Artist

Glenn Murray – Southwick, MA
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I’m a traditionally trained, realistic painter. My art is sometimes described as photorealistic and it may look like a photograph, but my style is more painterly using layers of color built up to achieve the effect I’m looking for. I create my paintings using traditional methods of laying down thin transparent washes of color until I reach the final result.

My original subjects are how I see America, usually larger canvases using acrylic or oil. I was influenced by Robert Cottingham and Richard Estes, sparking some of my early work. Following my formal education and apprenticeship under Armando L. Balboni, I took a sabbatical from painting and left to travel the world as a Naval Officer and Intelligence Operative. This experience culminated with me living and working in over 50 countries, and being a veteran of foreign wars in Libya, Iraq, and Afghanistan. These travels made me appreciate the wonderful art of the world, but more importantly how different American style was.

I began painting again in 2015 with renewed passion after I returned from the wars – feeling the need to depict the American story. My strong memory of uniquely American style during simpler times drives my passion. I continue to explore classic themes and environments intent on sharing my American vision with others. I measure success when the viewer has the feeling of being in there, in that space from looking at my work. If you can smell the coffee, or hear the sounds from viewing my painting then I have done my job!

Many of my original subjects begin from 35mm slides I took in the 1980’s, but I’m also working with new digital technology to continue to capture images of subjects which will inspire and amaze. Currently, I’m working on expanding my Neon Sign and Diner series while also beginning some new automotive inspired work.