RICHARD JOHNSON — The luminescent beauty and lyrical quality of Richard S. Johnson's work is what captivates collectors today. "Old Masters" technical virtuosity, pre-Raphael romanticism, and contemporay expressionism and abstraction, all combine to create his unique works of touching depth and artistry.
Born in Chicago to an artistic family, his earliest reminiscences are of pouring through Charles Dana Gibson, N.C.Wyeth, and John Singer Sargent books on rainy afternoons. While still in grade school he won a scholarship to the presitgious Art Institue of Chicago. He later attended the American Academy of Art and upon graduation began a very succesful career as an illustrator.
Perhaps the term that best describes Rick's work is "Poetic Intimacy". His sure brush strokes, bold use of color and impasto, and delicate rendering of the human face and form all work together in a harmony that refuses to draw attention to themselves for their technical virtuosity, but rather to draw their viewer into the awareness that they are sharing one, serene, contemplative moment; that the light that pours over the subject's skin also caresses theirs.
Title: Crimson Grace
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 30 x 24
Title: Simple Graces
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 40 x 30
More Information: "There is a Shaker song that I am very fond of that says, ’Tis a gift to be simple, tis a gift to be free, tis a gift to come down where you ought to be.’ So much of our life is spent struggling to get where we need to go, to be what we need to be. Simple Graces is about that moment when you are right where you ought to be. The woman is unadorned. sitting in the sunlight, with the blessing of silence to hear only her own thoughts." : Richard Johnson
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Title: Bedtime Story
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 30 x 40
More Information:
"It always amazes me how often we overlook the everyday miracles that we are blessed with. "Bedtime Stories" is a reflection of the humbling love and faith that a child gives freely to their parent. That tender moment when a child falls asleep on the lap of its mother secure in the knowledge that they are safe and loved. That kind of contented rest that only children know and only a loving parent can provide.": Richard Johnson
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
More Information: "I am always enchanted by the casual grace of dancers. In the "Rose Slipper" the model was just sitting there in the light. She wasn’t dancing or doing anything dramatic. I couldn’t help but notice how her skirt billowed out from her like the petals of a rose and it struck me that she was just like a rose in the sunshine whose beauty is so natural that it requires nothing more to show it off.": Richard Johnson
Title: Parting Glance
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 24 x18
Title: Golden Dreams
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 30 x 40
Title: LaReina
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 40 x 30
More Information: “I have watched Spanish Dance for years and have come to be fascinated by the small nuances of the dance. There is always a narrative with the great dancers, a conversation. Each turn of the head, curl of the hand, stamp of the foot means something. So, when I first saw Clarita Filgueiras, the world famous Flamenco dancer, I knew that I was in the presence of that kind of dancer.
I was mesmerized by the almost sculptural quality of this moment. It was as if every inch of her was perfectly arranged from her beautifully pointed foot, the flair of her hands, the perfection of each ruffle on her dress, the exquisite set of her head. Yet it was the life inside of her that glowed like a candle in the dark, a controlled energy just waiting to flare to life, the calm before the storm.”
Title: Lily
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 24 x 48
More Information: “What drew me to paint Lily is the exquisite harmony between the model and the flowers. The soft round curve of the calla lilies is repeated in the curve of the model’s waist and hip. The fall of the long white petals is matched by the fall of the white skirt as well as the golden throat of the lily to the woman’s golden hair. Even the unique peak of the petal is reflected in the bend of the elbow. With the flowers central to the painting they are given equal weight with the figure as if they are all blooms from the same garden.”
Title: Arising
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
More Information: "What drew me to paint "Arising" was the perfect balance between the woman and the sea. Both are beautiful, both are strong, both have unseen depths that are only hinted at by their surfaces. It is early morning and the woman has come to the shore to draw into herself the quiet and the strength there. The ocean is reaching out and caresses her foot as if hoping to draw her in. I loved the way that the light was dawning on them both. The ocean is dark and hidden as the moon falls away and this same gray color pallet is reflected in the bottom of the woman’s skirt. Above the waters the sky is brightening and the white clouds are reflecting back the early morning light. The woman is also reflecting back the sun. It is almost as if she embodies both the sun and the moon. The story of their exchange is played out upon her form that moment when night releases the day. ": Richard Johnson
Title: Ember’s Glow
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
Title: Aurora
Medium: Giclee On Canvas
Size: 40 x 30
Title: Wild Gardens and Lace
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 40 x 30
Title: The Battenburg Fan
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 24 x 18
Title: The White Rose
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 55 x 39
Title: Ariana
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 30 x 24
Title: Roses and Venice
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 40 x 30
Title: Repose
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 28 x 50
Title: Amber and Pearls
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 24 x 52
Title: Pause
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 12
Title: Romanza
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
Title: The Bare Shoulder
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
Title: Sunshine and Lace
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 14 x 9
Title: Blossoming Light
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 16 x 20
Title: Iris
Medium: Giclee on Canvas
Size: 36 x 24
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A Blip In The Blog

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That’s what I wrote at the end of our first blog on November 1, 2011. I realize now I left out something very important in that line.