John Murdoch

John Murdoch (born 1971) is an American painter, portraitist, and art teacher. He is the founder of Gold Light Studios and the Classical Art and Atelier Fund.

Life and work

Murdoch was born in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. From an early age he developed drawing skills in anatomy, perspective, and figure drawing. He attended the American Academy of Art on scholarship where he was mentored by artists Lou Ann Burkhardt and Fred Berger. Murdoch's work at the academy was influenced by William Mosby and realist painter Richard Schmid.

Following this he studied at The Atelier, Minneapolis, and at the School of Representational Art in Chicago Montgomery MiddleSchool, Princeton University, and at his own Gold Light Studio in Bucks County where he promotes the "apprentice-style" training of classical ateliers.

His work has been published in International Artist Magazine, American Artist Magazine, The New York Times, The Times, and the Doylestown Intelligencer.

Style Murdoch is a classically trained artist. He chiefly paints with an "otherworldly edge". His subjects are angels, the human figure, and portraits, worked primarily in oil on wood panel or canvas, and with the use of gold leaf. His artistic influences include Jacques-Louis David, J.W. Waterhouse, and Paul Delaroche.

Awards Salmagundi Club, Forbes magazine Award International Artist Magazine, First Place, Still Life and Florals Residency, Galesburc Civic Art Center Resident artist teacher of the year, Arts Council of Princeton Residency, Baltonfured Hungary John and Anna Lee Stacy Scholarship