robert james johnson

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2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2016/17 

Early Works

Unless noted otherwise, all of these works are available for purchase. Several at the Store others via Etsy. Please contact me for purchase information on a work not on either site.

I have painted with oil colors for a number of years but I've always loved the look of woodcut and linocut art. Creating monotypes allows me to capture and combine some of the dynamics of oil painting with the sharp linear character of a woodcut. Incorporating my experiences in commercial and industrial art with the training received as an artist I have developed what I believe is a singular method of printmaking creating one-of-a-kind images using primarily earth colors, the simplest of materials, and hand transferred onto archival papers.

My current run of oil paintings are a departure from earlier works. Of late I’ve been amazed by the depth and variety of the skys of New Mexico. These paintings are my reaction to the atmosphere whether influenced by sunsets, virga, or forest fires. Working with a rough grisaille and multiple layers of glazes and washes I hope to do justice to these cloudscapes. 

My current works include both oil paintings and monotypes. By way of an abbreviated explanation, a monotype is technically a print, but a transferred image of only one. My process involves drawing on a fully inked glass sheet using a razor blade, that is then transferred by hand to paper. The hand-transfer process adds additional strokes to the transferred image making each drawing doubly unique.

The papers I most frequently use are from the French Paper Company, established in 1871. Since 1922, all of their papers are made using 100% renewable electricity generated by their own hydroelectric plant. Many of these papers incorporate recycled materials, and are are Acid-Free.