About Sarah M Johnson

Artist Statement:

I am an oil painter and occasional watercolor/gouache painter of landscapes, portraits, and florals in a realism style with expressive and painterly elements. Using traditional techniques, my artwork expresses the unique qualities of the subject matter I paint.

With my portraits, I emphasize the eyes, bringing the viewer into their personalities and characteristics, as well as play with the light and shadow of the figure with the color and energy of the brush strokes.

The aesthetic in my landscape paintings conveys to the viewer a sense of escape and a dialogue exchanged with the landscape, the sky, the water, the tree, and/or flowers, communicating their personality of wonder, peace, comfort, awe, and amazement. In this environment, I also hope to convey the sense of forgiveness that the natural world possesses.  Imperfection is accepted here in my paintings, communicating to the viewer that you don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, nor do you have to be perfect to be loved and admired

I do take commissions. My most popular commissions are pet portraits. But I have also been commissioned to paint house portraits, people, and landscapes. I also paint live at weddings/live events, as well as bridal bouquets.

  With an Alla Prima/ Impressionist brush stroke style, mixed with smooth and gestural strokes, I create energy with each texture, each color, in the work.  I typically work in sizes like 9” x 12” to 16” x 20”,  but have been expanding into larger-scale paintings, where the intent is to envelop the audience into the same environment, becoming one with the landscape.  The aesthetic in my paintings conveys to the viewer a sense of escape and a dialogue exchanged with the trees, landscapes, or flowers in the natural world, communicating their personality of wonder, peace, comfort, awe, and amazement.  In this environment, I also hope to convey the sense of forgiveness that the natural world possesses.  Imperfection is accepted here in my paintings, communicating to the viewer that you don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful, nor do you have to be perfect to be loved and admired.  

My hope is to have the audience be in awe and wonder, to be inspired, to feel connected, feel alive, feel healed, and not feel alone.  

-Sarah M Johnson-

Sarah graduated from Clarke College in Dubuque IA, with a BFA in Art, as well as Harrington College of Design in Chicago IL, with a BFA in Interior Design.