LINN — Kay (Swyers) Murphy, of Loose Creek, described her approach to art as a passion that she has always enjoyed.

“I’ve always loved doing art,” she said. “It’s been a passion of mine. I would just sit down and color all the time. I have a lot of older brothers, and they didn’t really want to have anything to do with me, so I did a lot of art.”

Murphy joked about her motivations as one of her brothers and his children provided support at Saturday’s reception to kick off her art show, “Wondrous World,” in the Woodland Art Gallery at the Osage County Library, which will be displayed through March 28.

Murphy knew she would pursue art at an early age. “I started doing commissions when I was 14, which were mostly paintings of wildlife, landscapes, pets, and cake decorating,” she said.

During her time at Fatima, Murphy studied art under veteran teacher Sonya Walker, who is now retired. “She inspired me so much,” said Murphy. “I loved painting in her class.”

After graduating in 2019, Murphy continued her education at Mizzou, though not in a straight line. “I went for pre-med and worked in the hospital for a little bit, but decided I did not love that at all,” she said. “I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts.”

During her time at MU, Murphy created digital art for the Mizzou Study Abroad program, and painting for her student ministry.

At the University of Missouri, she was involved with a ministry focused on prayer for a six-week series. “I divided a painting of a man’s hands clasped in prayer into six grids, and painted one section a week live,” she noted. “Each week it would be another little part, and then as the sermons went on, you could see the full picture.”

She begins a lot of projects with sketches on her iPad, which later become the basis for her artwork. “It’s a bit easier with sizing,” said Murphy.

Deciding the medium is an interesting process. “ I actually try to thrift a lot of things that I can paint on,” Murphy explained. “I will go to a thrift store, find a frame, take everything out, and use that as the base.”

Some paintings are presented on plate frames, others on repurposed canvas, and other items that many people would not consider useful.

Combining her passion for art and the outdoors has resulted in breathtaking paintings.

One effort, titled “The Rut,” drew its inspiration from a photo. “My boss, Kevin Dudenhoeffer, shot a deer, said Murphy of the manager at Linn Drugs (Walgreens), where she works as a Pharmacy Technician. “I took his pictures, asked if I could put that in a painting, so he didn’t have to mount it. He agreed, so I took his photo, and then I asked him what kind of background he wanted, and when he shot it.”

Seeing the final piece is worthwhile, along with the others on display at the library. Another fascinating depiction shows a man on a horse holding a lantern.

Kay and her husband, Camdon, were living in Kansas City at the time, and she was trying to get her business off the ground. “I wanted something gritty, something like hard work, and I was really inspired by my dad’s hard work,” said Murphy.

She founded Open Air Studio, which features a pencil drawing of a fox.

Moving forward, she aspires to earn a full-time living creating art. “That is my goal,” Murphy said. “The Missouri Department of Conservation inspires me, that’s for sure. I believe in anything that protects our environment. I don’t know how I could ever do stuff like this for them, but just being able to paint full-time is the dream.”

Murphy uses acrylic to get a glossy appearance, and gouache for a drier type of paint, which sets fast and creates a matte look. She also uses colored pencils on some pieces.

One sketch features different birds in Missouri, which Murphy hopes to turn into a magazine. It features an adult male and female, a chick, where they live, what they eat, how they nest, and how we can help them thrive.

Regardless of the medium, Murphy lives in the details. “I didn’t realize how much like photography art really is,” she said. “Honestly, there’s a big connection with the rule of thirds and everything, and I try to get as many small details as possible in each painting.”

At this time, with her full-time pharmacy job, it’s difficult to find time to paint, but Murphy is committed. “I only get a couple of hours a day after work, so it’s challenging,” she admitted. “I’m motivated by the passion I have for it. I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s like when somebody is passionate about music or something like that. This is my passion. I would do this every single day if I could.”

Visit https://oas-art.com/ or check out Murphy’s Facebook page.