D I V ERS I O N S
Will Murchison Artwork The Artist: Dallas native Will Murchison, J.D., BA ’10, lives in the city with his wife and children. As a senior art history major, he completed an independent study with Professor of Painting Kim Owens; Assistant Professor of Art History Cathy Caesar led his thesis presentation. The thesis represented the culmination of his intellectual preparation, and painting suggested the path he is now following.
Start Looking/Buying: Visit willmurchison.com, follow Murchison at instagram.com/willmurch1, and visit (by appointment) the Erin Cluley Gallery in Dallas, where Murchison’s work is currently part of a group exhibition. Artwork can be purchased at erincluley.com.
Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book The Illustrator: Mirka Hokkanen, MFA ’06, self-published a few titles before publishing this one in the traditional manner last year. In fall 2019, she won the SCBWI Narrative Art Award for her illustrations. In a Nutshell: “Filled with modern wood engravings, Four Otters Toboggan celebrates wild beauty, encouraging readers of all ages to preserve and cherish our planet. After the story is finished, children can read more about each species in the back of the book — conservation efforts, what causes animals to become endangered, and what people can do to protect wild habitats.” Start Reading: Available in hardcover through pomegranate.com. Learn more about Hokkanen’s work at mirkah.com.
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TOWER MAGAZINE
Above: “It Must All Be Becoming,” 2020, 54 x 44 inches, graphite, acrylic paint and paper collage on found paper.
Jubilate Designs The Artist: In her search for a creative outlet/ artistic medium that was easy and safe to use while wrangling her six kids, UD English major Jamaica (McGahey) DeLisle, BA ’03, developed a passion for watercolor. In a Nutshell: DeLisle creates hand-painted watercolor jewelry and prints of her original saint paintings for her Etsy shop, Jubilate Designs. “I hope to spread joy through beautiful things,” she said. Start Shopping: Visit etsy.com/shop/JubilateDesigns. Also follow DeLisle at instagram. com/jubilatedesigns.
photos: courtesy of will murchinson, courtesy of jamaica delisle, courtesy of Millie Lozano, wikimedia commons/korea.net, chris montgomery, jeff mcwhorter.
In a Nutshell: “Optimistic depictions of American progress and consumerism become absurd and sinister when placed within the abstract scaffolding. The resulting vibration between narrative imagery and pure abstraction allows each artwork to continuously shift, like a fading memory, between a cohesive whole and a tattered collection of shapes and images.”
