Brenda Murphy, "Caprock Sentinel", charcoal on board

18 x 24 in. 

A striking charcoal portrait of the iconic buffalo. Brenda continues to be a strong local favorite.

Brenda Murphy’s love for the American West is evident in her sensitively rendered drawings of horses, Native Americans, cowboys, and ranch life. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and began her career as a graphic designer and illustrator in Dallas before transitioning fully into fine art.

Murphy has received numerous awards for her work, including the 2003 Patron’s Purchase Award at the Bosque Art Classic in Clifton, Texas; the 2005 Patron’s Choice Award at Western Visions at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming; the 2006 Museum Purchase Award at the Desert Caballeros Museum’s Cowgirl Up! exhibition in Wickenburg, Arizona; and the 2008 Patron’s Choice Award at the National Cowgirl Museum’s Heart of the West Art Show and Auction in Fort Worth, Texas. Her artwork has been featured in major publications such as Art of the West, Southwest Art, and Western Horseman. She is represented by Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Jackson, Wyoming, as well as Settlers West Fine American Art Gallery in Tucson, Arizona.

Born and raised in Texas, Murphy maintains close relationships with her models, whose insights help ensure authenticity in her work. She and her husband, Tom, reside in Arlington, Texas, where she maintains her home studio.