Donita Murphy

REFLECTING BEAUTY IN ART

By Joan S. Peck

I met Donita over the telephone. Like most of us, it’s easier for me to get a greater feel of someone by talking to them in person. However, due to the times I made do by downloading a photo of her from her website. Then I could view it during our conversation. Donita appears pleasant and upbeat in her photograph, which I found to be true during our discussion.

Like so many of us, life kept Donita busy, and she didn’t have the time to delve into her passion until later in life after she retired as an Early Childhood Educator six years ago. Until then, Donita had learned how to paint on her own or by taking advantage of various workshops, one of which was in Santa Fe with Ted Nuttall, a national artist.

When I viewed her watercolors (her favorite medium) displayed on her website. I found that I loved them all! But what drew my attention, again and again, were Donita’s portraits and animal paintings, which are so expressive. With her talent for depicting the innate sense of the subject, I immediately picked up their personalities from the cowboy’s sense of self to the strut of the roadrunner to the droopy eyes of the lumbering elephant and more. In discussing this with Donita, she affirmed that, although she loved painting portraits, they can be a hard sell, especially if you don’t know the subject.

Painting by Donita Murphy

Although she has enjoyed success in all fields of her artwork, what is her bestselling type of artwork? Florals.

“Sundance” by Donita Murphy

Donita has become the recipient of numerous awards for her watercolors – Sundance being one of them. She also is a Signature Member of the Nevada Watercolor Society and a member of the Sun City Summerlin Art Club. Her works have been exhibited in New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada, and are in private collections across the country.

What is your goal for your artwork? “I want to bring a bit of joy to people by having my paintings reflect God’s creations.”

Find Donita online at: donitamurphy.com