One does not have to be with Murray for very long before one senses his deep passion for the wilderness.  His art stands in a rich tradition of Canadian art that has a strong connection to the land.

Approximately four months of every year is spent in nature where he paints on location, to capture the untamed beauty around him.  The Kitlope Valley, the Bugaboo Mountains, Kananaskis, Waterton, Banff and Jasper have all been a part of this painting odyssey.  Although the focus has been primarily on the western wilderness there has also been painting excursions into Wales and England by canal boat as well as trips into Algonquin Park the place of initial inspiration for Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven.

Murray feels most at home in the wilderness and is passionate in his commitment to capture on canvas the elusive beauty that frequently lies hidden in isolated areas.  “We are losing the wilderness not primarily through pollution or over population but, first of all, because of disinterest and neglect.  We simply are unaware of what a treasure this is and we have little interest or knowledge of the wilderness and its inhabitants”.  It is Murray’s deep desire to awaken a yearning to reconnect with the wilderness.  “The wilderness has profound lessons for us if we will make the effort to slow our pace and be silent and listen; just go into the wilderness and start to listen.”

Although he has been painting for over 40 years, much of Murray’s life has been lived in the halls of academia where he holds graduate degrees in Theology and Cultural Anthropology.  For over 20 years, he taught in a variety of colleges and universities.  He still is in much demand as a speaker and articulate advocate for reconnecting with the wilderness.  He has many interests including sailing, canoeing, and classical guitar but an abiding love has been his desire to paint.  “There is in my soul an intense urgency to paint, as if something terribly important needs to be communicated, and I can only say it with brush and canvas.  Sometimes the soul’s only instruments are brush, canvas, and paint.”