Jim Murphy and Peggy Van Valkenburg
Paintings and Pastels
Opening Reception
Friday, September 12
5:00pm- 7:00pm
Exhibit available for viewing and purchase Wednesday, September 10 - Thursday, October 2 at 12pm during open hours and by appointment.
Closing Event: Coffee and Conversation with the Artists -
Thursday, October 2 at 10am-12pm
Calendar: https://www.dubhub-nh.org/calendar
Interest in Purchasing Art? contact dubhubartcommitee@gmail.com
About the Artists:
Jim Murphy, a painter based in Keene, NH, is known for his large-scale works that merge abstraction and realism to capture the ever-changing play of light in the natural world. His last one-man show at the Jaffrey Civic Center featured his signature forest scenes, where rhythmic, mosaic-like brushstrokes create a shimmering sense of motion and depth. Over the past five years, Murphy has earned multiple regional arts awards, recognizing both his technical mastery and his contributions to the Monadnock Region arts community. In his work, he captures the fleeting shimmer of sunlight breaking through a dense forest canopy, inviting viewers to step into the woods and experience the delicate balance between shadow and illumination. Working primarily in acrylics, he draws inspiration from the forests of New England, layering color, light, and movement to evoke a sense of immersion, serenity, and vitality. https://murphyarts.com
Artist Statement
When I paint my tree and forest scenes, I’m chasing the elusive dance of light as it filters through a dense canopy. I work to capture that fleeting moment when sunlight breaks through and transforms the leaves into a living tapestry of shifting greens, yellows, and hints of blue. My brushstrokes are deliberate yet rhythmic—almost musical—layered in a mosaic of color that suggests both movement and stillness at once.
From a distance, my paintings come together as a dynamic forest scene. Step closer, and they break apart into abstraction—distinct strokes, textures, and colors that invite the viewer to explore how the image is built. This balance between realism and abstraction reflects the way I experience the woods: sometimes as a complete, enveloping space, and other times as fragments of color, shadow, and light.
I work primarily in acrylics, layering color to create depth, vibrancy, and energy. I’m inspired by the forests of New England, especially those moments when the light changes the mood of a place in an instant—suspending it between stillness and change. My goal is to create paintings that feel immersive and alive, a celebration of the resilience and beauty I find in the spaces between shadow and illumination.
Peggy Van Valkenburgh
Biography
Living in Peterborough and summering in northern lower Michigan has provided Peggy Van Valkenburgh with many opportunities to observe and interpret things of beauty. Her education in art began as a high schooler in studio classes and subsequet visits to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Peggy recently retired from teaching science to middle schoolers where she continually employed all the colored chalk she could get her hands on to create diagrams that might help students understand the content, utilizing art to communicate and as a clarifying tool. A few years before retirement, she began to work with soft pastels and studied in small studio classes or larger workshops with Betsy Craumer, Richard McKinley, Jeanne Rossier Smith, and Maryanne Mullett, and soon became obsessed with the depth of color available with pigment-dense chalks. She has been a board member of the Pastel Society of New Hampshire, chairing their annual Members Exhibition, where she won her first award. Peggy has exhibited at the Peterborough Town Library, and been part of the Monadnock Art Tour for the past four years. She looks forward to a busy fall season with her show at the Dublin Community Center in September and then at Del Rossi’s Trattoria in November.
https://www.peggyvanvalkenburgh.com/
Artist Statement:
I have always realized that the process of creating always energizes me. I come from a fairly creative family, and we all seem to recognize this. Pastels seem to encompass so much of what I am interested in. I am able to represent color, shape, and design as I please. The playfulness of painting is where I want to concentrate my efforts. My process is ever-changing, so stay tuned to see where it all leads!