Bob McMurray considered a career as a commercial artist in high school but opted instead for the business world. After establishing his practice as Chartered Accountant he renewed his interest in oil painting, attending night school classes given by Alexander Sutherland in 1973. Bob has been influenced by the works of Edward Hopper and Robert Genn and has worked in watercolour since attending the Federation Workshop on Saltspring Island in 1986 and subsequent years. He completed the Federation Foundation Courses in the 90's, returned to oils and other media and was elected to Signature status (AFCA) by the Federation of Canadian Artists in 1995. |
Bob McMurray Artist Statement:
I am inspired by memories and a sense of history. Wherever I travel, down a local lane or across a continent, images from an earlier time call out to me. Nostalgia is everywhere. I look around and see art in both the natural and human-built heritages that give us a strong sense of permanence.
With each stroke of my brush, heart-warming memories find their way into my work. I use a variety of media, which I choose according to the subject matter and the feeling it inspires: Watercolour, oil, acrylic, pastel and mixed media. My work is representational in style and drawn from a wide range of subject matter, with a strong influence from the impressionists.
On canvas, I explore my yearnings for other times. I pay close attention to colour harmonies and use the paint unfettered by the colour constraints of a realistic scene. The unifying element, which gives shape to the visions of my paintings, comes from my fascination with the contrast between light patterns and dark passages. It is deeply satisfying for me when my work connects the fine, memorable experiences of my life to a viewer who remembers, I’ve been there, or I used to go there when I was a child. Then my paintings become a way for my audience and I to meander down a few nostalgic roads of bygone days together.
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