Art Reflection - Murdoch
Dora Louise Murdoch (1857-1933) was an American watercolorist. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, studied art in France, and had a successful career back in the United States. Her ability to control watercolors is remarkable. If you haven’t tried this art form, you might gain a real appreciation for Murdoch by trying to make these paints go and stay where you want them.
This is a unique composition. Her perspective makes it so.This piece is bisected by a diagonal line, maybe a path. That Dora Louise Murdoch chose this segment of the estate is fascinating and her slant adds to this purpose. You notice this painting in pieces, beginning with the delicate and dense varied blooms of the lower triangle.The higher one holds both shades and tints of green in larger shapes. It also includes a hard to notice house and a sky that seems nearly forgotten by the artist. Your eye may move from layer to layer trying to resolve this view.
As we give thanks for spring and for artists like Aaron Copeland and Dora Louise Murdoch who help us hear and see this season in inspired ways, we also give thanks to God, our creator, for creativity.
In gratitude, faith and hope,
Sandy Prouty
Minister of Children and Families
Montview Church
Parmalee Estate in Bloom,1920 | Dora Louise Murdoch
*image from the National Gallery, D.C.