Mark D. Johnson Art

Cold Day at the Canyon

2011-03-27T14:00:00.000-04:00

Cold Day at the Canyon, Oil on Board, 12"x16"

Upstate Barn

2011-03-13T22:05:00.000-04:00

Upstate Barn, Oil on Board, 6"x8"

In His Mother's Garden

2011-03-10T20:33:00.000-05:00

In His Mother's Garden, Oil on Board, 16"x12"

Another rare foray into portraiture.

Canyon Bound

2011-03-09T23:03:00.001-05:00

Canyon Bound, Oil on Canvas, 16"x20"

Leaving Sedona, Arizona.

Spring Near Galt's Mill

2011-03-07T20:19:00.000-05:00

Spring Near Galt's Mill, Oil on Board, 6"x8"

Elements of Style

2011-03-06T23:32:00.003-05:00

Wind Haven I/II, Oil on Board, 10"x8"

I did the left version first from a photo. This is more or less typical of my landscape painting from the last couple of years. There might be some pleasant things about it, but it ultimately strikes me as boring, so I painted the version on the right from the first painting, editing a few elements, moving faster, and attempting something slightly more stylized. Certainly there is still room for improvement, but I'm definitely liking the latter one better.

Many would argue that the subject matter here is, in itself, boring. I'll concede that argument. There are so many challenges in painting a good landscape, and in my efforts to get all the technical stuff right (values, color notes, composition, brush stroke, etc.), I often forget to consider if I'm creating anything interesting. Here is the photo I worked from:

Granted, not much going on here: just some evening light on a tree against the mountains in early autumn. Sometimes the quickness required when painting outdoors will give such a scene that element of interest, and while I love to paint on location, it's just not too feasible right now with a day job and two young kids. The second painting represents my attempt to make the scene more dynamic through a more stylized brush stroke, along with a shift in color and composition. Still perhaps not very interesting, but I think it is more interesting.

Noted sculptor and Lynchburg College professor Richard Pumphrey recently gave a critique at the Georgia Morgan Show at the Lynchburg Art Club. He had an interesting definition of art (and I know I won't get the wording quite right): An expression of design, created with extraordinary perception. (If anyone has the exact quote, please tell me.) If art lacks that extraordinary perception, what is it? It's ordinary! Most, if not all, of my work has been simply ordinary, and that's not going to change overnight. However, you may notice me trying to subtly apply a more stylized concept to my paintings. Some artists develop their unique style effortlessly. It just comes naturally to them. I've never felt I'd had much of any unique style to speak of, but maybe in a few years you'll be able to spot a painting from fifty feet away and recognize it as one of mine.

Gallery Notes

2011-03-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

I have 22 paintings at Montana Plains Bakery in Wyndhurst through March 28. Stop by, get a cinnamon bun, and see how much better my paintings look in person compared to the photos on this blog! 102 Tradewynd Dr, Lynchburg, VA. This is a satellite gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Also, my painting North Wabash has been accepted into the National Juried Art Exhibition at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lynchburg, April 1-30. Exciting! Always a great show.

Wilmette Harbor, Winter

2011-02-23T23:16:00.000-05:00

Wilmette Harbor, Winter, Oil on Board, 12x16

Wilmette, Illinois. That's the Baha'i Temple in the distance. As usual, the colors in this photo are a little off from the painting. Sigh.

The Tipsy Turtle

2011-02-13T22:34:00.000-05:00

The Tipsy Turtle, Oil on Board, 12x16

Eagle River, Wisconsin

Shadows of Camelback

2011-02-09T22:46:00.000-05:00

Shadows of Camelback, Oil on Panel, 6x8

Camelback Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona

Felt good to work small again.

Maui's Magic Hour

2011-02-03T21:05:00.000-05:00

Maui's Magic Hour, Oil on Canvas, 18x24

From Lahaina Harbor, looking to the East Maui Mountains. Wish I were there right now...

North Wabash

2011-02-03T20:59:00.000-05:00

North Wabash, Oil on Canvas, 20x24

Another Chicago nocturne, similar to an earlier smaller one from last year. The large canvas (for me) certainly made this more difficult. Not sure I like it much. May have to tweak some things, but I'm really tired of working on it right now.

Winter Blues

2010-12-27T21:45:00.000-05:00

Winter Blues, Oil on Board, 20x16

Borel/Allen Park, Lynchburg, Virginia

Old Town Florist

2010-12-21T16:09:00.001-05:00

Old Town Florist, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

This is a new take on a scene I painted a couple of years ago (low-quality photo below). This is a shop called A New Leaf on Wells Street in Chicago. The earlier version was accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts National Exhibition in 2009 and sold there. I'm partial to the new version, and I think it shows some growth as an artist since the first version, although this new one is not as loose as I had envisioned. I'm still attracted to this image as a Christmas-time painting, so maybe I'll revisit it again next year.

Chicago Flower Shop, Oil on Canvas, 14x11 (Sold)

November Farmland

2010-11-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

November Farmland, Oil on Panel, 11x14

I don't think I've ever composed a painting where the road leaves the scene completely off to one side of the canvas. Possibly a design faux pas, but it doesn't bother me. After finishing this one and thinking about the composition, I decided to do a small piece (below) that is basically a crop of the larger one above.

November Farmhouse, Oil on Panel, 4x6

Ranch Barn, Evening

2010-11-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

Ranch Barn, Evening, Oil on Board, 6x8

Main Street Shops

2010-11-06T17:24:00.000-04:00

Main Street Shops, Oil on Panel, 9x12

(Lynchburg, Virginia)

My tendency is to avoid difficult subjects for fear that several hours of work will just turn into a frustrating exercise in failure. But of course it is important to challenge yourself and work outside your comfort zone, and I'm glad I did so with this scene. I feel the result is one of my best cityscapes. Even when a challenge doesn't go well, it's still a good learning experience, so I hope to take on difficult scenes more often.

Autumn Light

2010-11-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

Autumn Light, Oil on Panel, 9x12

Foggy Hills

2010-10-17T22:40:00.000-04:00

Foggy Hills, Oil on Panel, 9x12

I decided to try taking occasional snapshots of my progress through this painting, which took me about two hours. These were taken without a tripod or flash, so the quality is not great, but you get the idea. I start with a quick sketch on a toned canvas, then adding the darkest areas, then blocking in the rest of the areas and refining the color and edges.

Ivy Lake Houses

2010-10-10T14:13:00.000-04:00

Ivy Lake Houses, Oil on Panel, 8x6

Forest, Virginia

Poplar Forest Barn

2010-10-09T11:33:00.000-04:00

Poplar Forest Barn, Oil on Board, 11x14

Barn at Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest

Forest, Virginia

Quiet Summer Spot

2010-10-04T22:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by my space at the Lynchburg Art Festival last month. There has been little time to paint in the past few weeks, and we just welcomed home our new addition to the family via adoption: baby Erik, born on Sept. 30. We shall see if I can still paint a few small pieces between diaper changes and feedings.

In the meantime, here's one I never got around to posting last month. The first one was done on location in a nearby park:

Quiet Summer Spot Study, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Looking at it the next day, I wished I had achieved a looser brushstroke and decided to paint another version, this time on a slightly smaller panel and working as quickly as possible. With the simpler shapes and the addition of a bluer haze in the distance, I'm liking this quick exercise much better than the first version. Perhaps I should try this more often.

Quiet Summer Spot, Oil on Panel, 6x8

Ivy Lake, Summer

2010-08-25T20:03:00.001-04:00

Ivy Lake, Summer, Oil on Board, 8x10

Finally got another chance to paint en plein air last Sunday at Ivy Lake in Forest, Virginia. An enjoyable outing.

Charm Salon

2010-08-23T21:25:00.000-04:00

Charm Salon, Oil on Board, 8x10

In my hometown - Jamestown, New York.

Idaho Grandeur

2010-08-17T20:12:00.000-04:00

Idaho Grandeur, Oil on Canvas Panel, 5x7

The Wave Catcher/Virginia Shore

2010-08-16T20:23:00.000-04:00

The Wave Catcher, Oil on Canvas Panel, 4x6

Virginia Shore, Oil on Canvas Panel, 4x6

Near Virginia Beach. Continuing attempts to paint with more paint.

Evening Sail

2010-08-12T19:57:00.000-04:00

Evening Sail, Oil on Board, 11x14

This is a beautiful boat called The Penny Rover on Lake Cayuga, near Ithaca, NY.

Morning at Monticello

2010-08-10T21:18:00.000-04:00

Morning at Monticello, Oil on Canvas Panel, 12x16

Kilauea Lighthouse

2010-08-08T20:05:00.000-04:00

Kilauea Lighthouse, Oil on Board, 8x10

Kauai, Hawaii

This composition places the lighthouse very near the center, but I felt the shape of the peninsula felt good to me there. So a question for fellow artists - Does this composition work, or is the lighthouse a distraction in the center?

Chautauqua Afternoon

2010-07-31T14:22:00.000-04:00

Chautauqua Afternoon, Oil on Canvas Panel, 8x10

The Miller Bell Tower from the north at Chautauqua Institution on Chautauqua Lake, NY.

Orchard Road

2010-07-30T23:41:00.000-04:00

Orchard Road, Oil on Canvas Panel, 8x10

Carter's Mountain Orchard, Charlottesville, Virginia

Rainy Day in Stockholm

2010-07-27T20:23:00.001-04:00

Rainy Day in Stockholm, Oil on Panel, 16x12

It's been ten years since we spent a rainy week in Stockholm. We came home with a bunch of gray photos, but as I we walked down this street in Gamla Stan I told my wife that the rain on these narrow streets could make for a good painting. I finally got around to it.

I got a little thicker with the paint than usual on this one - something I've been trying to work on lately. I don't know why it's so hard to get used to.

(Note: some camera distortion makes the yellow building lean more than it does in the actual painting.)

Across the James

2010-07-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

Across the James, Oil on Panel, 5x7

The James River, near the Blue Ridge Parkway. I'm afraid the grain of the canvas is a little distracting on these scans. I suppose I should just photograph these small sizes. It's a bit less convenient, but at least we're not dealing with film development anymore.

Lahaina Sunset

2010-07-20T20:01:00.000-04:00

Lahaina Sunset, Oil on Board, 11x14

Lahaina, Maui. A challenging piece for me, but I'm happy with it.

Looking Toward Molokai

2010-07-20T19:57:00.001-04:00

Looking Toward Molokai, oil on panel, 8x10

From Maui

Lunch By the Sea

2010-07-03T11:30:00.000-04:00

Lunch By the Sea, oil on board, 10x8

My wife in Lahaina, Maui

Summer in Stockholm

2010-07-03T11:28:00.002-04:00

Summer in Stockholm, oil on board, 10x8

Kapalua

2010-07-03T11:27:00.000-04:00

Kapalua, oil on board, 8x10

Maui, Hawaii

Pastorale

2010-07-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

Pastorale, oil on board, 5x7

Upstate New York

Wood River

2010-06-24T23:30:00.003-04:00

Wood River (Sun Valley, Idaho), oil on panel, 11x14

Trees and Buttercups

2010-06-22T23:33:00.000-04:00

Trees and Buttercups, oil on panel, 8x10

Mid-Afternoon

2010-06-22T23:32:00.001-04:00

Mid-Afternoon, oil on panel, 5x7

Late in the Day

2010-06-22T23:31:00.000-04:00

Late in the Day, oil on panel, 5x7

Sittin' Pretty

2010-06-18T01:08:00.000-04:00

Sittin' Pretty, oil on board, 11x14

Evening scene in rural upstate New York.

Chicago Schooner

2010-06-14T19:57:00.001-04:00

Chicago Schooner, oil on board, 16x20

This is Windy, a 148-foot tall ship with four masts which is docked at Chicago's Navy Pier.

Buttercup Fields

2010-06-05T19:58:00.003-04:00

Buttercup Fields, oil on panel, 5x7

I really enjoyed painting this quick small one, a view of the farm next to the ranch (see previous post). I only had about an hour of good light left in the day. Enjoyed seeing the horses come and go in the near distance, and the bright yellow buttercups made for a striking scene. I should have taken a photo of my setup - the easel was on one side of a fence, while I painted from the other side with a small incline sloping back behind me.

El Rancho de Paz

2010-06-05T19:51:00.000-04:00

El Rancho de Paz, oil on panel, 8x10

We stayed for two nights at a summer camp and horse ranch outside Binghamton, NY. This was the setting for my niece's wonderfully casual wedding reception. I enjoyed our stay here very much, and did three plein air paintings on the grounds last Sunday.

Chautauqua Rhododendron

2010-06-05T19:46:00.000-04:00

Chautauqua Rhododendron, oil on board, 8x10

After spending nearly 3 hours on the bell tower painting (previous post), I moved a hundred yards to capture the sunlit rhododendron at the lovely Arcade building. I worked as fast as possible on this painting, resulting in a looser brushstroke than usual.

Chautauqua Morning

2010-06-05T19:15:00.001-04:00

Chautauqua Morning, oil on panel, 8x10

Took a trip last week to upstate New York, where I managed to do five plein airs. This is one of two at Chautauqua Institution on Lake Chautauqua. In a few weeks there will be lots of people and boats there, but not in late May. I found this spot looking at the Miller Bell Tower a short distance from the many bare boating docks.

Trees By the James

2010-04-26T22:41:00.002-04:00

Trees By the James, Oil on Board, 8x10
Amherst County, Virginia

Chicago Nocturne

2010-04-26T22:40:00.001-04:00

Chicago Nocturne, Oil on Board, 11x14
Wabash Avenue, Chicago

Return to Harbor

2010-04-26T22:38:00.000-04:00

Return to Harbor, Oil on Board, 10x8
Wilmette Harbor, Wilmette, IL

Williamsburg Winter Light

2010-01-02T16:52:00.000-05:00

Williamsburg Winter Light, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

My New Blog for (Very) Small Works

2010-01-01T23:19:00.002-05:00

I'm pleased to announce my new blog, Mini Fine Art by Mark D. Johnson, which will feature my new small works - original oil paintings on gessoed business cards, mounted on flat magnets. It may be a novelty or gimmick, but to me, they're just fun! These are available for sale at just $35.

Summer Shade

2010-01-01T22:56:00.000-05:00

Summer Shade, Oil on Canvas, 16x28

Fleeting Sunlight

2009-11-18T23:30:00.001-05:00

Another one from Idaho, north of Sun Valley. Cooler grays this time.

Fleeting Sunlight, oil on panel, 8x10

Sun Before Snow

2009-11-17T23:07:00.000-05:00

A small studio piece from a trip to Idaho last March.

Sun Before Snow, oil on panel, 8x10

South Street Shops

2009-11-09T23:08:00.001-05:00

Another one from class. I wish the brushwork were looser, but that's almost always the case for me. The scene is from South Street Seaport in New York City. (Note: I think there's some camera distortion in this photo.)

South Street Shops, oil on canvas, 20x16

Detail

Cardinal in Snow

2009-10-16T16:41:00.000-04:00

I hear some parts of the country are getting snow already. We generally only have a few small snowfalls a year here in central Virginia. We had a rare good one last March, and the roads were good enough to go out to take some pictures, from which I painted this scene.

Cardinal in Snow, oil on panel, 8x10

Irises

2009-10-07T14:44:00.002-04:00

This is something a little different for me. I don't do flowers too often, but I've never done this kind of abstracted background before. I painted this over a older painting I didn't care for, and the underlying brushstrokes give it an interesting texture. It's not likely to become my typical style, but it did generate several compliments at the recent Lynchburg Art Festival. Fun fact: it's also the first time I've signed a painting at the top.

Irises, Oil on Panel, 14x11

Prior to the painting, I actually made a digital study using ArtRage (and a Wacom tablet), which is a fun and quick way to work out some ideas.

Irises (Digital Study)

Oakwood Path (Sold)

2009-10-06T10:25:00.002-04:00

This is another piece done for the class I'm taking. The scene is from the now-defunct Oakwood Country Club golf course in Lynchburg, soon to be converted into a luxury home development. The brushwork here isn't as loose as I was hoping to achieve, but I could say that about all of my paintings.

Oakwood Path, Oil on Panel, 16x20, Sold

Summer Fog

2009-10-02T13:47:00.000-04:00

Here's one I did a few weeks ago in the landscape class I'm taking. The assignment was to paint something with hills and trees, and I was in the mood for something with lots of atmosphere. I'd taken some photos in a rare fog back in July at a park near my house. The instructor really liked it and suggested I could still soften some edges on the farthest line of trees, and I agree.

I'm terrible at coming up with good titles for my paintings, and this is another boring title. If anyone wants to suggest another one, please post it in the comments!

Summer Fog, Oil on Panel, 16x20

Lake Cayuga Shore (Sold)

2009-10-01T11:35:00.003-04:00

Here's a plein air I did over Labor Day Weekend near Ithaca, New York from the dock of the house we stayed at. You can see the top of Cornell University's McGraw Tower on the left between the trees.

Lake Cayuga Shore, Oil on Panel, 8x10

My nephew took a cool snapshot:

Photo: Andy Locascio

Diamond Hill, Spring

2009-09-29T22:03:00.002-04:00

This was my favorite plein air outing for 2009. Diamond Hill is an elegant historic district in Lynchburg.

Diamond Hill, Spring, Oil on Panel, 8x10

No sooner had I gotten set up than a swarm of mystery bugs descended upon me and my gear, nearly forcing me to bail before the first brushstroke. Fortunately, they left as quickly as they came a few minutes later. I was set up behind my parked car in the street, which was nearly empty, so I was rather surprised when a car pulled up and parked just a couple of feet behind me, the engine heat radiating on my legs. I think I may have been occupying his usual spot. The guy got out and cheerfully joked about how my painting will be worth millions like a Monet. Ha ha, sir! No more backing up to check my progress I guess. Lovely day, though, and I was glad to wind up with a painting I liked.

Sunlit Sedalia

2009-09-24T23:11:00.006-04:00

The annual Lynchburg Art Festival was held last Saturday. 132 artists, beautiful weather, and a lot of great art. This was my fourth year, and I finally achieved a personal goal: winning one of the 25 awards. I got the C.B.Fleet Award, which, as far as I can tell, translates into sixth place, for my small piece, 'Sunlit Sedalia.' The judge was Richard Crozier, noted landscape artist and University of Virginia art professor.

Sunlit Sedalia, Oil on Panel, 8x10

Sometimes my paintings lack a proper focal point, but there's no mistaking it with this one! I was immediately happy with it upon completion, and that's certainly not always the case with me. This is the only festival I do at this point, so it was gratifying to get the recognition, especially in a tough year for art sales.

A woman approached me at the end of the show as I retrieved the painting from the judge's fence and asked what my 'absolute best price' was for this piece. I appreciated the interest, but quickly decided not to reduce my asking price. It just didn't sit well with me to let an award-winner go for a bargain price. Was it the right call?

For anyone interested, the scene is from Charlemont Rd, looking toward the little town of Sedalia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains (map).

A little bit about myself...

2009-09-23T20:52:00.005-04:00

At long last I'm joining the ranks of the many fine art bloggers I've been following for some time. I can't claim to be in the same league as the folks on my blogroll, but I do like the idea of actually participating in this online community of artists rather than just silently admiring what others are putting out there.

I'm a self-taught artist, having first tried painting about 20 years ago. I painted sporadically and poorly for many years, making little progress, until 2004, when I finally made some studio space in the basement and started painting regularly. I really enjoy painting outdoors on location whenever possible, but with a full-time job and a toddler at home, time for such adventures is severely limited.

Before I start posting my most recent work, I'll post one from my favorite plein air session from last year, when I took a terrific workshop with Ken Dewaard in Charlottesville, Virginia. We had a rare opportunity to paint at Monticello.

Monticello Morning, Oil on Panel, 8x10 (sold)

Painting at Jefferson's Monticello, September 2008

I think I'm somewhere between hobbyist and 'emerging artist.' My goal for the coming year is to pursue some gallery representation. This fall I'm taking a landscape painting class at a local university since the class is being taught by my friend and mentor, Paul Dinwiddie. I'll be posting work from that class in the weeks ahead. Feel free to offer honest critiques of the paintings I post here. It's hard to improve if nobody points out what you're doing wrong!