Seeing slowly is essential to the process of painting. Painting requires slow and persistent observation because there is much happening.  We are doing at least three things – observing, composing, and painting.  When a novelist begins writing a story a similar thing happens.  They need to have a plot – a direction and purpose they […]

As we have suggested before – the problem of painting may not be as critical as the problem of seeing.  Learning to see may present a much more significant problem for the beginning artist and even for the experienced artist.  Often when I am teaching in a classroom or on location I will observe a […]

One of the main difficulties artists face when they paint on location is the problem of seeing “correctly”.  To see an object as it is and to reproduce that accurately is no easy task as we all know.  Several difficulties immediately seem to jump out at us.  First of all the object we are trying […]

For some years now I have been considering writing some articles about painting that perhaps could be constructed into a book.  Since I am retiring I thought this might be a good time to start.  There are many very capable books about painting that go into far more detail than I would and written by […]

I am excited to have the opportunity to be able to be a part of BC’s Manning Park’s 75th Anniversary Celebration. Manning is a place of memories and retreat that is easy access to everyone. This is what they had to say about me. “Manning Park is thrilled to have Murray Phillips. Mr. Phillips has created […]

We were privileged to have another successful show at the Cloverdale Rodeo. View the video of our opening here.

Once again, teamed up with artist-friend Mark Hobson.  This was an invitation from him to join him at a cabin in the Hat Creek Area in the Southern Cariboo in late September.  A cabin was graciously made available to us by friends and we had some spectacular days of painting and travelling through this dramatic scenery. […]

Manning Park has a special place in my heart because my father served as a volunteer naturalist there and showed some of the summer slide shows many years ago.  It is a stunningly beautiful park that is sometimes overlooked by people on the coast.  It is one of my favourite places and part of my […]

I had an opportunity this year (June 2015) to teach painting on the Holland America cruise to Alaska.  We were aboard the luxurious Noordaam – the premier cruising ship for Holland America.  A fine group of emerging artists had registered for the trip which involved two days of classroom teaching and several days with opportunities […]