Mainly working in oil on linen and mixed media on handmade paper, the inspiration for Gary Johnson’s art comes from nature and his travels. All three of the original paintings featured here have won multiple awards. “Dust Bathis an oil painting on linen that was created from my trip to East Africa,” says Johnson. “It’s very different to see animals in their natural habitat rather than a zoo. I like to have action in my composition and this one has plenty.”
Grebe Ballet, oil on linen, 12 x 36"
Head of the Herd, a portrait of a sable antelope, is one of Johnson’s unique mixed media paintings on handmade mulberry paper. “I came up with this technique about 30 years ago,” explains the artist. “No one else uses this same technique of painting and framing. After hours of experimenting with different mediums on handmade papers, I landed on using watercolor, gouache and pastel pencil as my process. Recently, I have been adding gold and black mica bits around the edges of the paper to create and extra dimension to the deckled, or torn, edges of the paper. I frame each piece in a shadow box format which adds extra depth to the image.”
Dust Bath, oil on linen, 24 x 36"
Grebe Ballet is a gallery-wrapped oil painting on linen depicting the mating ritual of a pair of western grebes as they run across the water surface in perfect unison. “I regularly canoe on this the lake where I see them doing this,” shares Johnson. “In composing this painting, I wanted to show the water splash and disturbance they make to give the viewer the feeling of motion in the image. One of the most remarkable things artists can accomplish is to create a three-dimensional world with movement from a two-dimensional white surface.”—
Head of the Herd, mixed media on handmade mulberry paper, 25 x 23”
Want to See More?
(760) 402-9986 | www.garyjohnson.comRepresented by Going to the Sun Gallery 137 Central Avenue | Whitefish, MT 59937 (406) 862-2751 |
www.goingtothesungallery.com
Blue Heron Gallery 1385 Bay Street, Suite 9649 | Florence, OR 97439 | (541) 997-7993
www.oregoncoastgalleries.net
Find me on Facebook: /garyjohnsonstudio
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