Kelly Murphy is an award-winning illustrator working predominantly with traditional and mixed media. Born and raised in southeastern Massachusetts, she studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Since earning a B.F.A. in 1999, Kelly has led a multidisciplinary career in the realms of picture books, editorial illustration, posters and character design for both the film and toy industry. An accomplished children's book author and illustrator, Kelly's books have been published by leading international publishers including Candlewick Press, Farrar Straus and Giroux, Henry Holt & Co., Houghton Mifflin and Random House. In conjunction with these 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, the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and RISD. Kelly is the co-founder of Shybird™ Studios, which showcases her collaborative work with french artist Antoine Revoy.

Academic research/areas of interest

Concept development, color theory, story pacing and narrative development, refining pictorial mood and atmosphere, painting.

Fall 2018 Courses

• ILLUS-8900-05 ISP Major
• ILLUS-2000-04 Visual Thinking

Spring 2019 Courses

• ILLUS-3616-01 Art For Children: Beyond The Book
• ILLUS-8965-03 Collaborative Study
• ILLUS-8900-04 ISP Major
• ILLUS-8900-06 ISP Major
• ILLUS-4012-03 Senior Portfolio