AN ARTIST FOR ALL SEASONS
IN 1990 MITCHELL JOHNSON TRAVELED CROSS-COUNTRY FROM NEW York to California to begin working as a studio assistant for artist Sam Francis. Johnson had just received his master`s degree from New York`s Parsons School of Design and was keen on a West Coast adventure. "I didn`t really expect to stay in California, but the practical aspects of being able to paint outside all year really started to appeal to me," Johnson says from his home in Menlo Park.
In addition, the dramatic West Coast landscape engaged him in a way that the East Coast`s natural wonders had not, he says. The powerful shoreline, the rocky coast, and the soft hills leading down to the Pacific Ocean inspired and challenged his artistic eye. Today Johnson, 38, has become known for his colorful and panoramic renderings of the Golden State, including bucolic scenes not far from his home, such as the farms of fertile Central California and the vineyards that dot the picturesque Northern California wine country.
This month the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA, is honoring the painter with a oneman exhibition of his works as part of its continuing series, New Works by California Artists. The exhibit opened in January and runs through March 9. It features Johnson`s rural landscapes, which capture the light and atmosphere of the terrain in California as well as in Italy. The show also displays a sampling of Johnson`s figurative paintings, which are reminiscent of those of David Park [1911-- 1960], the well-known Bay Area painter.
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