Art & Life with Emily Murman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Murman.

Emily, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I’m an author and illustrator who specializes in mixed media, mostly in ink and watercolor or ink and marker. I often incorporated acrylic, collage, and pencil as well. I’m eighteen years old and will graduate from Lake Forest College with my bachelor’s in December.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I create mixed media illustrations. Usually I will draw out my picture in pencil, go over the draw indrawing and add value with a ballpoint pen, and then add color. Sometimes I layer different materials to create new surfaces, too. At two years old, I made my mom a drawing of a turtle from two perspectives and have never stopped creating since. My biggest hope is simple, I suppose; I want people to feel something when they see my work that kick starts their imagination. For years, teachers have been telling me my artwork is “too weird,” and I want people to know that it’s okay to break out of the more classical constraints often placed on art students.

Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
I suggest that you way out your pros and cons. If you need to pick up a part-time job, that doesn’t diminish the worth of your artistry. Not all of us are able to spend all day in a loft studio creating masterpieces and selling them for a fortune. I believe that there’s no right or wrong way to live as an artist. Sometimes, you’ve got to pull yourself through by the skin of your teeth. It makes you stronger, and you’ll find new inspiration along the way.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can see my work at emilymurman.weebly.com or on my Instagram account @emilymurman. I also illustrated ten works for Ben Goluboff’s book Two Short Plays by Kenneth Sawyer Goodman, which is available on Amazon.

Contact Info:

• Website: emilymurman.weebly.com
• Email: octopi1999@gmail.com
• Instagram: @emilymurman
• Twitter: @emilymurman

Image Credit:
Emily Murman

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.