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Kelly Murphy

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Follow Kelly on Twitter: @yllekyhprum
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Born in Boston, MA, USA. Lives and works in the US East Coast.

Bio

Kelly Murphy is an award-winning, New York Times-bestselling illustrator working predominantly with traditional and mixed media.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, 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 (Magnolia Pictures, Sesame Workshop).

Children's Literature

An accomplished children's book author and illustrator, Kelly's books have been published by worldwide leading publishing houses—including Disney Hyperion, Penguin Books and Random House—and were translated in 15 languages, earning starred reviews and countless awards. Kelly's books have been consistently selected by the Society of Illustrators for its Original Art show, and feature on best books of the year lists by Kirkus Reviews, People Magazine and The New York Times. Her 39th and 40th books were published in 2018.

Awards

Kelly's work has been featured in international curated shows, gallery exhibitions and magazines and has been distinguished 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. In 2012, Kelly received a Gold Award and a Bronze Award from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. In 2013, she received an additional 2 Gold Awards in the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles's Book and Children's market categories, and was a 3x3 Magazine Spotlight Illustrator. In 2014, she has been selected as one of the world's 200 Best Illustrators by Lürzer's Archive.

Teaching

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. She and her husband, illustrator Antoine Revoy, reside in New England.
Teaching
  • RISD, Illustration Concepts 1, Fall 2009 - 2018
  • RISD, Illustration Concepts 2, Spring 2009 - 2015
  • RISD, The Portfolio, 2015 - 2018
  • RISD, Senior Degree Project, 2016 - 2017
  • RISD, Art for Children, 2017 - 2018
  • Brown-RISD, Dual Degree Capstone Advisor, 2016 - 2017
  • Montserrat College of Art, Illustration 2 - 4, 2002 - 2014
  • Montserrat College of Art, Children's Book Illustration, 2002 - 2014
  • Montserrat College of Art, Illustrating Fiction, 2002 - 2014
  • Montserrat College of Art (Study Art Abroad, Viterbo, Italy), Journalistic Drawing, Summer 2011, 2014, 2015
  • MassArt, Media Techniques, Fall 2008

Juror
  • Illustrators 57 Professional Show, Society of Illustrators NY, 2014
  • The Original Art, 2014

Select Exhibitions

Speaking Engagements

Select Bibliography

Interviews and Features

Publications
  • A Festival of Ghosts (2018, Illustrator, written by William Alexander)
  • The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 4: The Case of the Perilous Palace (2018, Illustrator, written by Jordan Stratford)
  • A Properly Unhaunted Place (2017, Illustrator, written by William Alexander)
  • Trouble at School for Marvin & James (2017, Illustrator, written by Elise Broach)
  • The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 3: The Case of the Counterfeit Criminals (2017, Illustrator, written by Jordan Stratford)
  • Anton and Cecil: Cats Aloft (2016, Illustrator, written by Lisa and Valerie Martin)
  • The Slowest Book Ever (2016, Illustrator, written by April Pulley Sayre)
  • The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 2: The Case of the Girl in Grey (2016, Illustrator, written by Jordan Stratford)
  • The Door by the Staircase (2016, Illustrator, written by Katherine Marsh)
  • James to the Rescue (2015, Illustrator, written by Elise Broach)
  • Anton and Cecil: Cats on Track (2015, Illustrator, written by Lisa and Valerie Martin)
  • The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency, Book 1: The Case of the Missing Moonstone (2015, Illustrator, written by Jordan Stratford)
  • Flying Tizzy (2014, Illustrator, written by Lindsey S. Craig)
  • The Miniature World of Marvin and James (2014, Illustrator, written by Elise Broach)
  • Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea (2013, Illustrator, written by Lisa and Valerie Martin)
  • Romping Monsters, Stomping Monsters (2013, Illustrator, written by Jane Yolen)
  • The Mouse With The Question Mark Tail (2013, Illustrator, written by Richard Peck)
  • Face Bug (2013, Illustrator, written by J. Patrick Lewis, photographs by Fred Siskind)
  • Behind the Bookcase (2012, Illustrator, written by Mark Steensland)
  • The Scorpions of Zahir (2012, Illustrator, written by Christine Brodien-Jones)
  • Alex and the Amazing Time Machine (2012, Illustrator, written by Rich Cohen)
  • 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)