An exhibition of works in oil and oil pastel by area painter and jewelry and landscape designer Cynthia Murray is on display at Swarthmore Borough Hall, 121 Park Avenue, Swarthmore, from November 9, 2016 to January 2, 2017.  The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The exhibit, entitled “A Painterly Perspective,” presents local artist Cynthia Murray’s works in oils and in oil pastels.  Ms. Murray, a Springfield resident who is a trained landscape architect in addition to being a painter and a jewelry designer, describes herself as beginning her creative pursuits early when, in childhood, she and her five siblings would do summer art projects under their mother’s direction.  She says that “As I conquered skills more complex than gluing greeting cards to scrap pieces of wood, I understood how art could be an effective way to communicate ideas that often felt too complex for words, a way to tell my story.”

Combining her appreciation for art with her interest in mathematics and science led her to the study of landscape architecture at Rutgers University and the University of Illinois, and from there to an international career in landscape design that brought her to locations throughout the US and abroad.  Her work in this field, culminating when her completed construction documents were turned over to the contractors, led her to the desire to be a more active participant “during that part of the design process where dreams imagined become a physical reality.” She was led to find creative outlets that would give her the opportunity to develop an artistic idea through to a finished product she could craft with her own hands.  “Oil painting, oil pastels and jewelry design allow me to explore different areas of interest. Each project, whether landscape design, painting or jewelry design, is a way for me to interpret the world around me, not necessarily how I see it, but how I feel it… to capture the emotional essence of any subject [in a manner]…that is hopefully both captivating and thought provoking.”

Ms. Murray’s work has been exhibited widely in local art venues, including Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Beauty Gallery in Newtown Square, Patrone in Lansdowne, AK Interiors in Lancaster, Sweet Mabel Folk Art and Craft in Narberth, and area Arts Centers including our own Community Arts Center in Wallingford.

Examples of her work can be found on her website, http://cjmurraydesign.wixsite.com/cynthiamurraydesign