MARTIN MURPHY CV
BACK TO PAINTINGS
I’ve had the urge to create from an early age. It’s all I know. My father used to say I was in the imagination business. My oil paintings are large in scale with a traditional feel. My focus is on realism and figures but occasionally I paint still life and koi.
BIOGRAPHY
Martin Murphy’s award winning career has been a mix of oil painting, visual effects for film, and as a performer in theatre. After studying Editorial Illustration at the Ontario College of Art Martin put his art on hold to perform across Canada in such productions as Cats, The Stratford Festival, and Phantom of the Opera while painting portrait commissions in his spare time. Once retired from theatre Martin moved to California to work for LucasFilm's Industrial Light and Magic for over 14 years as a digital artist and supervisor working on such films as Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars, and Jurassic World. Martin returned to Canada in 2017 to work two more years in visual effects before focusing full-time on his own art. Martin paints full-time out of British Columbia and Ontario concentrating on the human figure. His style can be described as a mix of contemporary and traditional realism focusing on anatomy and drama.
MEMBERSHIPS
Martin is an Elected Member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.
WORK EXPERIENCE
2019 - PRESENT, OIL PAINTER - ONTARIO AND BRITISH COLUMBIA
July 2024. Juror for the 56th Society of Canadian Artists National Juried Exhibition November 2023. Juror for the 2023 No.3 Road Art Columns Exhibition - Burnaby, BCJune 2023. Guest Speaker - Society of Canadian Artists' Annual General Meeting, Toronto, ON
2002-2019, DIGITAL ARTIST AND SUPERVISOR; LUCASFILM’S INDUSTRIAL LIGHT AND MAGIC - SAN FRANCISCO, CA, AND VANCOUVER, BC
Supervising and creating digital film assets including any supporting international ILM offices and outside vendors. Supervising and mentoring artists on the crew. Creating looks and workflows for textured assets.
1999 - 2001, DIGITAL ARTIST; DIGITAL EXTREMES, LONDON ONTARIO
Creating computer game character and environment textures, promotional images for print and packaging.
1997-1999 FREELANCE DIGITAL AND TRADITIONAL ARTIST, TORONTO
Digital illustrations for magazines, online advertisements, packaging. Commissions for oil on canvas portraits.
1984 - 1997 PERFORMER, CANADA, USA, FRANCE
Performed in various stage productions as a dancer/singer.
EDUCATION
1983-1985. ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART - TORONTO
Communication & Design: Editorial Illustration
EXHIBITIONS
July 29 - August 18, 2024. Federation of Canadian Artists On the Edge Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
June 1 -21, 2024. Federation of Canadian Artists 365 Calendar Online Exhibition
April 5 - May 1, 2024. Double solo show 'I Am Here Are You', Gallery House, Toronto, ON
November 8 - 13, 2023. Solo Exhibition 'Single Figures', McKay Art Centre, Unionville, ON
July 1 - July 14, 2023. The Federation of Canadian Artists 2023 Online Chapter Challenge Exhibition
April 13 - 16, 2023. The Artist Project Art Fair, Toronto, ON
March 1 - 31, 2023. Toronto Invitational Online Art Show for the Federation of Canadian Artists
September 26 - October 15, 2022. The Federation of Canadian Artists Annual International Representational Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
October 1 - 15, 2022. The Society of Canadian Artists Elected Member's Exhibition, Montréal, QC
November 15 - 27, 2022. The Federation of Canadian Artists 2022 Water Exhibition, Vancouver, BC
August 1 - 14, 2022. The Federation of Canadian Artists 2022 Vancouver Salon, Vancouver, BC
March 15 - June 15, 2022. The Society of Canadian Artists International Open Juried Online Exhibition May 5 - 8, 2022. Art Vancouver International Art Fair, Vancouver, BC
April 2022 TMAC2021 Canada Wide Online Art Competition and Exhibition
February 2022 Attractive Distraction Gallery, White Rock, BC
February 27, 2022. Langley Arts Portrait Competition and Live Painting Event, Langley, BC
February - December 2022. No.3 Road Art Columns Art Exhibition, Burnaby, BC
January 2022. Abbotsford Art gallery, Abbottsford, BC
December 3 2021- January 2, 2022. ArtRich Art Exhibition, Burnaby, BC
October 8 - November 24, 2021. Artspacific Art Exhibition, Langley, BC
AWARDS
July 2024 'Medusa' awarded First Prize in the Federation of Canadian Artists On The Edge International Exhibition
June 2024 'Emotion Censor' awarded First Prize in the Federation of Canadian Artists 356 Online Exhibition and Calendar Competition
July 2023 'In the Moment' awarded Second Place in the Federation of Canadian Artists Chapter Challenge Competition
March 2023 'The Landscaper' awarded Award of Excellence for the 2023 Federation of Canadian Artists Toronto Invitational Exhibition.
December 2022 'The Dream' awarded First Place in the Boynes Emerging Artist Award International Competition
November 2022 'Koi #6' awarded First Place at the Federation of Canadian Artists 2022 Water Exhibition, Vancouver BC, Canada
September 2022 'Holly' awarded Honourable Mention at the Federation of Canadian Artists Annual International Representative Exhibition, Vancouver BC, Canada
August 2022 'The Dream' awarded First Place at the Federation of Canadian Artists Vancouver Salon 2022 Exhibition, Vancouver BC, Canada
April 2022 'Male Figure Reclining' awarded 1st place for Marketer Magazine's TMAC2021 Canada Wide Art Competition and Exhibition.
March 2022 'Koi #5' awarded 1st place Award of Excellence for Best in Show for the 2022 International Open Juried Online Exhibition for the Society of Canadian Artists
February 2022 awarded Honourable Mention at the Langley Arts Portrait show and Live Painting Competition, Langley BC, Canada
December 2021 'Koi #4' was awarded Certificate of Artistic Achievement as a finalist in the Boynes Emerging Artist Award International Competition.
October 2021, 'Koi #5' was awarded First Prize/Best in Show at artSpacific 2021, Langley BC, Canada
February 2012, awarded Visual Effects Society Award for work on the feature film Rango, Los Angeles, California
Martin was on the Industrial Light and Magic crew whose work won the 2007 Visual Effects Oscar for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and the 2012 Best Animated Feature Oscar for Rango
PUBLICATIONS
Art Avenue Magazine September/October 2024 - Cover and feature
Art Avenue September/October 2022 - Cover
Computer Graphics World February 2005 - feature
Digital Designer Magazine March/April 1999 - Cover Illustration and feature
Graphic Exchange Magazine April/May 1999 - Cover Illustration and feature
Show News Magazine 1999 - Various Cover Illustrations
Digital Imaging Magazine June 1999 - feature
Real World Bryce Book 1998 - Chapter feature
Digital Fantasy Painting Book 1998 - feature
COLLECTIONS
New York City, Naples, San Francisco, Stratford, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Windsor, Edmonton