Artist husband and wife a “union” of styles

Photo by Josiah Garber

The first art exhibit of the semester in the library features works by Rob and Jill Murphy Spackman entitled, “Art Union: Works on Paper, Old and New.”

EMU’s newest art exhibit brings together images from everyday life and contrasts them with complex and colorful pieces.

January’s exhibit, titled "Art Union: Works on Paper, Old and New," features artists Rob and Jill Murphy Spackman. The couple’s artwork shows nature and life in two very different ways. Rob’s ink prints are true-to-life images of tools, trees, tables, and other common sights. He uses mostly black ink, creating black and white pieces. In contrast, Jill Murphy’s work is more complex and open to interpretation. Her pieces convey meaning through bright colors. She uses a variety of techniques, including charcoal, ink, watercolor, and etching.

Both are inspired by nature to create art. Rob is "fascinated by the unusual in nature." Jill’s inspiration also comes from everyday personal experiences. Her work focuses around nature and its interactions with animals and people. Many of her pieces depict wildlife. She created some of the pieces to be views into anatomy and transparent images into the living.

Rob remembers having a passion for art since childhood. He has "always loved to draw for as long as I can remember." As a fifth grader, he developed an enthusiasm for medical illustration. He enjoyed creating detailed pictures of human anatomy. Rob majored in fine arts while attending Southern Illinois University and went on to earn his Masters in Art from James Madison University (JMU).

Because of advances in graphic design, computers became the standard tool used to illustrate medical textbooks. Rob disliked working with computers, so he changed his focus to printmaking. Two of his most detailed prints display a walnut and peanut. Commenting on his art, Rob said, "Feel free to laugh at it; at the nuttiness of life."

Jill grew up in rural New York on a dairy farm. She remembers being fascinated as a child by the night sky, which sparked her interest in conveying nature through art. She moved to Virginia at the age of 15. She earned her B.S. in Art Education from JMU and went on to receive her Masters of Fine Art in painting and drawing.

Together the two artists have a 26-month old daughter, Laura. Possibly following in her parents’ footsteps, she has a piece of art on display, as well.

"Art Union" is on display in the gallery on the third floor of the Hartzler Library and continues through Jan. 30.