Joel Johnson

Joel R. Johnson’s paintings reveal his concern for the effects of light on form in terms of color, value, and the subtleties of texture and weight. Through the various layers of transparent pigment a sense of luminosity and depth is achieved. The design of space - shape relationships create a personal viewpoint that transports the viewer into the mind’s eye of the artist and hopefully allows the painting to speak and be felt. The works of Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, Anders Zorn, Winslow Homer, and John Singer Sargent, have contributed to his development as an artist.

The artist has an M.F.A. degree in painting from Utah State University and a B.A. degree in studio art from Westminster College. There he studied with Don C. Doxey and also with Harrison Groutage, both of who worked in a representation style of painting. These painters influenced his approach to painting in his chosen medium of watercolor for over thirty years. He is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society, the Transparent Society of America, and the Florida Watercolor Society. He has also exhibited nationally in the American Watercolor Society. He recently won an award in the 92nd Grand National Exhibition of the American Artists Professional League held in New York City at the Salmagundi Club. He has also won the John Singer Sargent Memorial award in the Transparent Watercolor Society Show 2014 and has exhibited in Watercolor USA, Watercolor West, Taos National Exhibition of American Watercolors, and the Hudson Valley Exhibition in New York.  His work is  currently represented by Santa Fe Trails Fine Art  in Santa Fe and the Clagget Rey gallery in Edwards,Co.  He has conducted painting workshops in many states including Washington State, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Florida, North Carolina, and Lucca, Italy. 

His one-man exhibition entitled “Town and Country” at the Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, Wyoming included thirty paintings of architectural and landscape themes of his native Wyoming. It began October 9th of 2015 and concluded January 17th.  He has been an artist for five years in the Prix de West exhibition of Western art held at the Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 2021 his painting titled “Sunset Reflections” was awarded the Donald Teague award given to an artist whose work was created on a paper surface and also in 2024. His work has been featured in the June issue of Southwest Art magazine previewing the 2018 of this show. His paintings have also been included in the Sept. Oct. issue of Fine Art Connoisseur  magazine featuring art of the west and an article on Look Up with paintings of skyscapes. His work was included in the Old West Museum show 2020 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Art of the West magazine featured his work in the May-June issue 2023 along with a major article on his life as an artist working in watercolor.