B. Johnson







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Bruce JohnsonFrom The Artist

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"Many people find it difficult to imagine that I have two completely different techniques-whimsical pen and ink statements, and the more serious watercolors. The two questions most often asked are, 'do you really do both,' and 'which technique do you like best?' I enjoy doing one as much as the other, in fact, even though they are at opposite ends of the scale, one technique helps the other."


Watercolor

"In watercolor I thrive on the challenge of each painting. I always begin with a preconceived idea of what I want the finished painting to look like. However, due to the nature of watercolor, something accidental may happen in the initial stages that I find very exciting, and the whole concept of the painting will change. Watercolor is spontaneous and there is constant movement of water and color on the paper. A watercolor is very physical because of the speed a which you have to work at times. Decisions and correction are constantly being made, and that creates intensity, involvement, and sometimes frustration. The versatility of watercolor allows you to be very free or very controlled. The technique itself can become more important than the subject you're painting."

Statements

"My pen and inks, on the other hand, begin with a preconceived idea and the finished drawing is always as I have perceived it. Here it is not the technique that is important, it is communicating an idea that is most important. The ink stays exactly where I put it; no movement. The drawings are full of details, often tedious, but always relaxing. I often compare a pen and ink to needlework."

"After several weeks of watercolor, I become saturated and need a change. That is when I turn to pen and ink. After several weeks of drawing, I return to watercolor-refreshed and ready to go."

"In the past few years I have been doing bronze sculpture as an extension of my pen and inks. It's a great feeling to take a lump of clay and give it life. Again, I want people to see themselves in my figures and become friends with them."