Richard Johnson
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Artist Richard Johnson creates luminous paintings that blend Modern American Impressionism with expressive figures, atmospheric landscapes, and a sense of romanticism. "My work is the culmination of a lifetime of painting and viewing the world," says Richard. Born into an artistic family in Chicago, he was inspired from an early age by the work of illustrators Charles Dana Gibson and N.C. Wyeth, as well as his great-uncle Claude, an illustrator during the Golden Age of illustration. Richard went on to build a successful career as an illustrator, creating corporate artwork and book illustrations before turning his focus toward fine art as hand-painted work became less common in commercial illustration. Richard works in a large, sunny studio west of Chicago, where he paints most weekdays to the accompaniment of classical music and New Orleans jazz, often with his Italian Greyhound, Hank, by his side. Outside the studio, he is involved in community and prison ministry and supports a center in Nigeria that provides care for widows and orphans.
Artist Statement
My work is the culmination of a lifetime spent painting and observing the world. I work in both oil and acrylic, using each medium to explore moments of light, atmosphere, movement, and emotion. I would describe my approach as Modern American Impressionism, though my work has become increasingly focused on suggestion rather than fully spelling out what I see.
Most of my paintings begin with my own photographs. My wife is a costume designer, so her work provides me with a steady source of models, particularly dancers and performers. I also find inspiration close to home, especially during frequent walks through the Morton Arboretum. Whether I am painting a figure, an environment, or the ocean, I want to begin from a real moment that I have observed and experienced.
As I paint, I try to remain connected to that initial moment of discovery. I am interested in expressing not only what I see, but what I feel while I am painting it. I allow the image to emerge with less emphasis on describing every detail and more on conveying light, warmth, longing, strength, or atmosphere. This leaves room for the viewer to enter the work and bring their own experience to it.
I think of painting as a conversation. I want each work to reach beyond the canvas and create a shared moment between the painting and the viewer. Even after a lifetime of painting, I still allow myself to be surprised by what develops on the canvas. That sense of discovery is an important part of why I continue to paint.
Most of my paintings begin with my own photographs. My wife is a costume designer, so her work provides me with a steady source of models, particularly dancers and performers. I also find inspiration close to home, especially during frequent walks through the Morton Arboretum. Whether I am painting a figure, an environment, or the ocean, I want to begin from a real moment that I have observed and experienced.
As I paint, I try to remain connected to that initial moment of discovery. I am interested in expressing not only what I see, but what I feel while I am painting it. I allow the image to emerge with less emphasis on describing every detail and more on conveying light, warmth, longing, strength, or atmosphere. This leaves room for the viewer to enter the work and bring their own experience to it.
I think of painting as a conversation. I want each work to reach beyond the canvas and create a shared moment between the painting and the viewer. Even after a lifetime of painting, I still allow myself to be surprised by what develops on the canvas. That sense of discovery is an important part of why I continue to paint.
Artist Background
American Academy of Art
Associate of Arts, 1974
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