Monhegan Snow

Fishing the Chris

Sylvia Isabelle Murdock was born in Barre, Vermont in 1963. Primarily self-taught, she has painted seriously since she was 12 years old.

Since her move from Vermont to Monhegan Island over 15 years ago, she’s been asked to update her personal art philosophy, thoughts or feelings about her art and, how she views herself as an artist. This is some of what she has to say:

Someone asked me what I thought great art is. To me, "if it warms the heart, fills an empty soul, or moves the spirit in some small way, I feel the artist has succeeded. Do I think that this is what I create when I paint? I can only try, so I give it my best." Yes, I have grown as an artist and I’m reminded of how the "instinctive need to transform experience into image" is one of the things I’ve recognized through living my artistic life on Monhegan. I also recognize the artistic growth in the artwork when I view my slides. I realized as a young girl "that the power of painting is dependent not only upon my technical skills but also upon emotive powers ", and when you put it through the heart, head and hands of an artist you might come up with a painting that moves you.

After all is said and done, I paint because I must. I’m an artist and to grow as an artist, one must paint or perish.

• Lancaster Museum of Art, Juried Group Show w/ Pennsylvania WC Society, 1999
• Docent at the Monhegan Island Museum, 1999
• New England WC Society, Juried Show, Marble Head, MA, 2000
• Lupine Gallery, Woman Artist, Group Show, Island Visions, Island Voices 2000
• Acting President for Women Artist of Monhegan Island, 2000
• Pennsylvania’s WC Society, Juried Show, Hershey, PA - 1997, 1999 — Became signature Member in 1999
• Monhegan Artist Group Show, Capitol Building, Augusta, ME - 1996
• New England W/C Society, Group Show, Boston, MA - 1996
• Gallery-by-the-Sea, two woman show, Port Clyde, ME - 1990-96
• Round Top Center for the Arts, Monhegan Artist Group Show, Damariscotta, ME - 1994
• Lupine Gallery, Monhegan Island, ME - 1988-2001
• Weatherend Gallery, for Knox County humane Society Benefit, Rockland, ME - 1993
• Port Clyde Arts & Crafts Society, Port Clyde, ME - 1988-93-94-97-98
• Gallery at Six Deering St., three person show, Portland, ME - 1992
• Gallery at Six Deering St., juried show, received 1st place for best floral, Portland, ME - 1992
• Gallery-by-the-Sea, Monhegan Artist Group Show, Port Clyde, ME - 1988-99
• Brick House Gallery, Boothbay, ME - 1989-92
• Gallery-on-the-Green, Woodstock, VT - 1991
• Bangor Art Society’s Juried Show, Bangor, ME - 1990-91
• First prize for Watercolors in the Bangor Juried Show, Bangor, ME - 1990
• Camden National Bank, Camden, ME - 1989
• Barre Paletteers Group Art Show, Aldrich Library, Barre, VT - 1986-87
• First prize Barre Paletteers juried art show, Barre, VT - 1985
• Washington, D.C., portrait pencil drawing selected to represent Vermont State High Schools - 1981

• Pennsylvania Watercolor Society
• Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, ME
• Women Artist of Monhegan Island, ME
• Gallery-by-the-Sea, Port Clyde, ME
• Winter Works, Monhegan Island, ME
• Associate Member of the New England WC Society
• Associate Member of the American WC Society