Abby Howard Murphy

This award-winning NE Florida artist developed a love of place and an appreciation for natural wonders with inspiration from an adventurous travel agent mother, a DIY father, an artist babysitter and the impressionists. With a B.A. from the School of International Service at The American University with a minor in Environmental Studies, her perspective and creative side intersected during a diverse professional career: addressing hazardous waste at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; consulting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Everglades restoration; launching the University of North Florida Environmental Center; educating youth and adults on the St. Johns River with SJRWMD; and assisting the North Florida Land Trust preserve special places.

While a retail banking and marketing executive, she applied her craft to themed events and murals for non-profits. Meanwhile her paintings began receiving awards. Now a full-time artist, she is featured at regional plein air events and galleries in Florida and Georgia. Self-taught, working primarily in oil, her seascapes, skyscapes and forests are inspired by her travels and northeast Florida home, often framed in rescued vintage frames. Her paintings continue to celebrate and inspire a sense of place and have been collected on four continents.