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 contemporary expressionism and abstraction all combine to create his unique works of touching depth and artistry.
Rick's expressive skill for capturing the human form has brought him numerous commissions: John F. Kennedy at the JFK Memorial Library in Boston. A commemorative painting of the presidents from Eisenhower to Bush currently hanging at the President's Council on Physical Fitness in Washington D.C. Rear Admiral Richard S. Truly, USN, the first commander of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger. Gracie Gold, Gold Medal Champion, 2014 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships Limited Edition Lithograph for the USA Olympic Ski Team Promotional poster for the Biz International Classic Soccer Championship in Mexico.
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 prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. He later attended the American Academy of Art and upon graduation began a very successful career as an illustrator.
Turning his attentions to fine art after winning a competition in International Artists Magazine, Rick was invited to Japan where his one man show was so successful that he has been invited back numerous times and has developed an international base of collectors. He has also won many awards in competitions here in the United States including the Award of Excellence, in the Oil Painters of America 2003 Midwest regional Juried Competition.
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.