
Wayward Artists and the Trip to Napa
In September, Kate and I traveled by car from Seattle to Napa, California. Along the way I made art, gathered materials and explored new ideas. Kate is pregnant so this trip was a way for us to spend quality time together for nearly two whole weeks! After quick stops in Portland and Oakland, Oregon we headed west to the California coast. We spent a few days in North Humboldt County before we headed to Napa. Some friends of ours allowed us to use their fire pit to fire pottery

Paintings October to December 2014
These paintings were made from October to December 2014, as an evening exercise. I painted with watercolor, ink, and gouache on different paper surfaces. Many of the paintings are based on photos taken by the artist at various locations. Others are entirely made up. #art #aaronmurraypaintings #AaronMurrayart #CapitolHillWatercolorSociety #Duwamish #MeglerBridge #Seattlewatercolor #Sodopaintings

Sauk River Walk
Yesterday I took a day for myself and drove up to the Sauk River to walk along one of my favorite trails. I was hoping to find some Lobster Mushrooms, since I had found one there before. I like these trips into nature because it makes me look at the world a little closer. Oso #AaronMurrayart #artinspiration #Cascades #FoundObjectart #natureart #naturephotography #sculpture #OldSaukRiverTrail

Painting at Lake Chelan
In the last week of September, we had a fabulous 4 day stay at a resort off lake Chelan in the town of Manson. We had stunning views, sunny weather, and no breeze. It was ideal for painting. Kate and I brought along our watercolors and sat on the back porch and painted each day. First I layered on different washes of ochre, green gold, and blues.Then I went in to try and detail the vegetation, roads, houses, etc. View from the back porch I made a series of small paintings o

The Hermitage at Lewis Park
The Hermitage at Lewis Park was recently part of an interactive art exhibition hosted by the NEPO House on Beacon Hill. The NEPO hosts an annual exhibition of a wide range of artists engaging the public throughout a 5 kilometer route. This year was the first year I had applied and was lucky enough to be among the artists selected. For the exhibition I wanted to create a replica of a lean to structure that I had previously build in the Cheasty Forest, however I also wanted

Pasco Paintings
Last Fall, I drove down to Pasco, Washington. Pasco is where my father's family lives, and it is situated near the confluence of three major rivers: the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima. It is also downwind of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, and surrounded by many agricultural fields. I've always been intrigued with the old downtown core, a mix of shady businesses, warehouses, Mexican tiendas, and places for rent. I went out early on a Sunday morning, taking photos and exploring

Bug: The Realm of the Insect (Part One)
Bug: Realm of the Insect (Part One) South Seattle Rare Insects and their habitats In Part One of the series we focus on the beetles and winged insects of the Cheasty Forest The Cheasty Widlife Refuge or Greenspace, provides an interesting and unique environment to explore local rare insects. Located along South East Beacon Hill the area provides abundant flora, winding trails, a wet land, and a cliffside. Among the different variables of landscape are several insect species

Life of Pelicans
When I'm in the Humboldt Bay I love to watch the Pelicans play They dance on water thrashing about diving head first water on snout In the fog you can only hear the splash of the pelican diving in for the catch No tern, nor skimmer could make such a sound as the pelican diving heard all around At the marina, where dinner is had the pelican is circling-- and then a crash! It appears to be gone but is really swimming near a beak full of minnows and water running rear. Then it p

Shadow Boxer
Sometimes we fight against things we don't understand. The world is broad, and there are all sorts of forces battling for control over our attention, our values, and our time. We may think we know the enemy, but our targets are often misguided by external forces using media and propaganda to hide their own crimes. They wear masks. Then there is the struggle within, our constant battle with emotion and truth while trying to find our place and our reason to exist. This is

Collage, Pocket Picture Book, and Altered Texts 1997-2013
In March of 1997, I packed up all of my possessions and moved to Washington State from Denton,TX. I was out of college, having recently graduated from the University of North Texas. I was without a permanent home and a studio to make art. While trying to figure out where to live and work I had a strong yearning to make art to help combat the stress I was facing with the uncertainty. Lo and behold, while staying a few nights in my grandmother's basement in Pasco, WA, I disco