Art through the Generations
...from teacher to students
Patricia Murphy Jepson (born December 12, 1929)
Art enthusiasts can get a flavor of Patty Jepson’s work in the Crown Garden Club of Coronado’s Coronado Cooks. Gracing the pages are her watercolors of the community’s classic beach cottages and other historic buildings. This has led some private collectors to commission Patty to depict their homes in paintings.
Patty has applied her artistic talent and skills to nonprofit endeavors as well as to commercial projects since graduating from Coronado High School in 1948.
Patty Jepson
with her backyard sculpture
“I remember Mrs. (Esther) Hagstrom being incredibly tactful and encouraging. Criticism can really stifle a person,” Patty said, recalling she had difficulty controlling the potter’s wheel during ceramics lessons. “Everything I made kept flying off.”
On observing Patty’s frustration, Mrs. Hagstrom gently suggested that she try a different project. “That’s when I took up drawing and painting. That’s what gave me the start. I learned that if one form of art doesn’t work, there are others you can go to.”
Patricia Murphy
Coronado High School class of 1948
Patty’s education, work and art resume is multifaceted. After studying at San Diego State University, she worked for the Coronado Theater and the Village Theater. In Naples, Italy, she taught English for the U.S. State Department; and she opened a shop at the NATO base. She also operated an import-export business in Seattle before returning to Coronado in the late 1980s.
Wherever she has lived and worked, Patty continues to draw, paint, attend art workshops and master different mediums, including wood carving. She counts Alfredo Ramos Martinez as an influence and inspiration. “I need to improve my drawing skills. After you learn to draw, you don’t want to draw perfectly anymore.”
Slide Show
(Please click on the "thumbnails" below to view John Clamplitt's watercolors.)
