Susan Frances Johnson
Illinois
My passion is painting. My goal is to capture the light, how it plays over landscapes bringing color into shadows and to create the emotional response I felt.
MessageArt gives me an excuse to do things, go places, and explore. It motivates me to look closely at nature, human interactions, sights, and sounds of everyday life. The things we take for granted, and frame the way we live. The heart of my work is in the outdoors. Painting and exploring the intricate patterns of light and shadow on a landscape.
The steps of my painting process allow me to concentrate on one aspect of design at a time. Using photo references and memory not to replicate precisely what I see, but to paint what I want the viewer to see. Next I make small sketches to create a pleasing composition and to explore new ideas. I look for a balance between the actual scene and my reaction to it. I arrange the elements focusing on shape, contrast, and repetition to strengthen the composition. I use several underpainting techniques to establish the base composition and values of the painting before applying pastels. I work on the composition until I have captured the emotion of the scene adding more details until I feel the work reflects my original vision. I am happy when a painting is as rich as the landscape that inspired it.
My goal is to create work that focuses on capturing the essence of the subject. I enjoy painting a wide range of subjects, but focus on landscapes, to nourish my love of being outside.
Accomplishments: Juried shows, & Non Juried*
Tall Grass Art Association, Park Forest, IL. “TA-DA” The 2022 Annual Tall Gras Gallery Artist Exhibit.
Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL. “Parallel Visions”.
Frankfort Art Association, Frankfort, IL. “Verdant Green”
Frankfort Art Association, Frankfort, IL. “Recently”
Crete Creative Gallery & School., 5th Annual Community Showcase, Crete, IL.
Light Space & Time Online Art gallery., “11th Nature Art Exhibition”,. November 2021
2021
ChicagoPastelPainters,Chicago,IL., EightBiennialNationalOpenJuriedExhibition,“PastelsChicago2021.” Chicago Pastel Painters, Chicago, IL., “ Making Their Marks”*
Tall Grass Art Association, Park Forest, IL., “Reunion”.
Crete Creative Gallery and School @ Arbor House, Crete, IL., “My Best Friend.”*
Tall Grass Art Association, Park Forest, IL., Frankfort Arts Association, “Emerging Perspectives.”
2020
Tall Grass Art Association, Park Forest, IL., “Growl, Howl, Moo, Baa, Roar.
Chicago Pastel Painters, Chicago, IL., “Strokin’ VIII Eighth Biennial MemberJuried Exhibition”.
Tall Grass Art Association, Park Forest IL. “Hot Wheels.”
Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL. “ Natural Light.”
2019
Chicago Pastel Painters, Seventh Biennial National Juried Exhibition, The Art Center Highland Park, IL.
Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, IL. Garden Walk Fundraiser.
Aper!o Catelogue Fine Art Edition, “Warmth” July 2019,
2018
Governor!s State University Gallery, University Park, IL. “Creating Art En Plein Air at Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park “ Exhibition.”
Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights. IL. “Contemporary Nature.”
Awards
2021
Light Space & Time Online Art gallery., “11th Nature Art Exhibition” Special Merit & Special Recognition.
2001
President!s Art Contest & Exhibition, Homewood Art Fair, Homewood, IL. Honorable Mention.
Education
A graduate of The University of Illinois, BS. in Retailing. I attended art and design courses and minored in Jewelry
Design. I was taught & mentored by Robert Von Neuman, Professor and award winning jewelry designer.
I have been fortunate to study the medium of pastels with many leading artists throughout out the United States to learn and express my passion for outdoors
Memberships: ChicagoPastelPainters, UnionStreetGallery, FrankfortArtsAssociation
Statement
" I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery -air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, 'This is what it is to be happy.'"
Sylvia Plath
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