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Kelly Murphy
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Born in Boston, MA, USA. Lives and works in the US East Coast.

Kelly Murphy is an award-winning illustrator working predominantly with traditional and mixed media. Born and raised in southeastern Massachusetts, USA, she studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, her student work receiving distinction from The Society of Illustrators. Since earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1999, Kelly has been globally freelancing across the various fields of editorial, educational and book illustration as well as character design and concept art for the film, theater and toy industries.

An accomplished children's book author and illustrator, Kelly's books have been published by worldwide leading publishing houses and translated in 13 languages, earning starred reviews and countless awards. Her thirteenth and fourteenth picture books will be published in 2012.

Kelly's work has been featured in international curated shows, gallery exhibitions and magazines and has been consistently selected in the field's most prestigious juried competitions, notably winning recognition from American Illustration, The Society of Illustrators and 3x3 Magazine. In 2009 Kelly Murphy earned an E.B. White Read Aloud Award for illustrating the New York Times Best Seller Masterpiece and in 2011 she was awarded a Silver Award in the 3x3 Magazine Children's Show for her editorial illustration work.

On the side of these numerous and versatile creative achievements, Kelly has engaged in a lasting involvement with art education and has been a member of the illustration faculty at the Montserrat College of Art since 2002, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design in the Fall of 2008 and the Rhode Island School of Design since Spring of 2009.
Teaching
  • RISD, Illustration Concepts 1, Spring 2009 - 2012.
  • RISD, Illustration Concepts 2, Spring 2009 - 2012.
  • Montserrat College of Art, Illustration 2 - 4, 2002 - 2012
  • Montserrat College of Art, Children's Book Illustration, 2002 - 2012
  • Montserrat College of Art, Illustrating Fiction, 2002 - 2012
  • MassArt, Media Techniques, Fall 2008

Select Exhibitions

Select Bibliography

Speaking Engagements

Interviews and Features

Publications
  • Secrets At Sea (2011, Illustrator, written by Richard Peck)
  • Creepy Monsters, Sleepy Monsters (2011, Illustrator, written by Jane Yolen)
  • The Unicorn's Tale (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 4) (2011, Illustrator, written by R. L. LaFevers)
  • Haunted Houses (Are You Scared Yet?) (2010, Co-illustrated with Antoine Revoy, written by Robert D. San Souci)
  • The Wyverns' Treasure (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 3) (2010, Illustrator, written by R. L. LaFevers)
  • The Basilisk's Lair (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 2) (2010, Illustrator, written by R. L. LaFevers)
  • Flight of the Phoenix (Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist, Book 1) (2009, Illustrator, written by R. L. LaFevers)
  • Over At The Castle (2009, Illustrator, written by Boni Ashburn)
  • The Peach Boy (2009, Illustrator, written by Alex Frith)
  • Brand-New Baby Blues (2009, Illustrator, written by Kathi Appelt)
  • Hush, Little Dragon (2008, Illustrator, written by Boni Ashburn)
  • Masterpiece (2008, Illustrator, written by Elise Broach)
  • Gallop-O-Gallop (2007, Illustrator, written by Sandra Alonzo)
  • Fiona's Luck (2007, Illustrator, written by Teresa Bateman)
  • Good Babies (2005, Illustrator, written by Tim Myers)
  • Dancing Matilda (2004, Illustrator, written by Sarah Hager)
  • Loony Little (2003, Illustrator, written by Dianna Hutts Aston)
  • A Place To Grow (2002, Illustrator, written by Stephanie Bloom)
  • The Boll Weevil Ball (2002)