“When I’m painting on location, usually in the mountains, I can take a deep breath and listen to the environment around me. I can see the crispness of the colors, the softness or hard edges of mountain peaks, or changes of light and shadows. I paint what I see but feel it is more than just painting, I’m trying to capture the moment and why I was drawn to it.”

Jennifer was born in Portland, OR and moved to Colorado as a young child. She spent her childhood summers camping and hiking all over the United States with her family. It was Jennifer’s father, a plant pathologist with the US government, who first got Jennifer hooked on wildlife and landscapes.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Kansas in 1996. She was directed into the Graphic Design field and put down the canvas and paint for computers. After college, her first job was a graphic designer for a clothing company where she designed promotional materials, directed photo shoots, and designed catalogs.

Her career took a different direction in 1999, when she quit her job and took a leap of faith to start her own faux painting business. She applied and painted custom wall finishes in private homes, including Italian inspired plasters and murals. To remain on the cutting edge of the faux painting market, Jennifer studied in Italy with a master faux finisher and muralist. Jennifer’s work was featured in several Kansas City home and garden magazines. Jennifer was the most sought after faux finisher in Kansas City. The experience in Italy sparked her desire to paint landscapes.

In 2005, her husband Roy was offered a job to relocate to Colorado. They made the difficult decision to shut down Jen’s business so they could be closer to the outdoor lifestyle that they loved. Jennifer and Roy reside in Lakewood, CO with their three boys Grant, Sean, and Mark. She has been balancing being a mother and a landscape painter for the last 10 years. She enjoys plein air painting and the challenge of capturing an ever changing and nuanced scene.

Education:
2012 – Winter Advanced Workshop – Lorenzo Chavez
2010 – Art Mentorship – Jay Moore
2004 – Extensive study with artist Nicola Vigini – Umbria, Italy
1996 – Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Kansas

Awards:
2012 – Honorable Mention – Artist of Northern Colorado National Art Exhibition
2012 – Merit Award – Plein Air Artist of Colorado National Juried Fine Art Exhibition
2012 – Merit Award – Salon International Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art
2012 – Jury’s Top 50 – Salon International Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art
2012 – Gallery Award, Randy Higbee 6×6

Publications:
Southwest Art, November 2012 “Artist to Watch”
American Art Collector, May 2012 – Featured artist in the Plein Air Artists 16th National Juried Fine Art Exhibition
Western Art Collector, June 2011 – Featured artist in the Plein Air Artists 15th National Juried Fine Art Exhibition

Organizations:
AWA -American Women Artist
AIS – American Impressionist Society
PAAC – Plein Air Artists of Colorado
WAOW – Women Artist of the West
OPA – Oil Painters of America

Selected Exhibitions:
2015- Traveling the West Art Show & Sale – Southwest Gallery, TX
2015 – National Museum of Wildlife Art “Plein Air Fest” – Jackson Hole, WY
2015 – Western Invitational Art Exhibit & Sale – Greeley Stampede, Greeley , CO
2015 – C.M. Russell “Art in Action” – Great Falls, MT
2015 – C.M. Russell “Live Auction” – Great Falls, MT
2014 – Coeur d’ Alene “Miniatures by the Lake” Show
2014 – National Museum of Wildlife Art “Plein Air Fest” – Jackson Hole, WY
2014 – Western Invitational Art Exhibit & Sale – Greeley Stampede, Greeley , CO
2014 – C.M. Russell “Art in Action” – Great Falls, MT
2014 – C.M. Russell “Live Auction” – Great Falls, MT
2014 – Western Masters – Great Falls, MT
2013 – “Holiday Miniatures” – Legacy Gallery, AZ
2013 – Scottsdale Salon – Legacy Gallery, AZ
2013 – Coeur d’ Alene “Miniatures by the Lake” Show
2013 – National Museum of Wildlife Art “Plein Air Fest” – Jackson Hole, WY
2013 – Oil Painters of America National Salon – Petoskey, MI
2013 – Western Masters – Great Falls, MT
2012 – Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction – Ft. Collins, CO
2012 – Western Invitational Art Exhibit & Sale – Greeley Stampede, Greeley , CO
2012 – Salon International – Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2012 – Plein Air Artists 16th National Juried Fine Art Exhibition and Sale – Taos, NM
2012 – Scottsdale Salon – Legacy Gallery, AZ
2012 – Parker Adventist Hospital’s Featured artist – Parker, CO
2012 – The Russell – C.M. Russell Museum – Great Falls, MT
2012 – Randy Higbee 6” Squared Exhibit and Sale – Costa Mesa, CA
2012 – Lone Tree Art Exhibit and Show – Lone Tree, CO
2011 – Western Invitational Art Exhibit & Sale – Greeley Stampede, Greeley , CO
2011 – Plein Air Artists 15th National Juried Fine Art Exhibition and Sale – Saks Gallery Denver, CO
2011 – Telluride Plein Air – Sheridan Opera House, Telluride, CO
2011 – Salon International – Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, TX
2011 – PaintAmerica Top 100
2011 – “Castlewood Canyon Through the Season” Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO

Source:
Website of Jennifer Johnson

Wildlife artist Jennifer Johnson paints subjects from her life's experiences outdoors as a photographer and plein air artist. Her medium is oil on linen using both heavy and light stroke work.

She was Southwest Art Magazine's "Artist to Watch" as well as a featured artist in American Art and Western Art Collector.

Artist Statement:
Inspiration for my paintings can come anywhere, and I am constantly looking for new places to paint. I can be driving in my car, well my minivan, and compose a painting in my head. I start thinking of the composition, the focal point, breaking down the values and mixing the colors. I’m always studying how light affects the mood of a landscape. These are the things that inspire me to paint.

When I finally get the chance to do a plein air painting, or field study, I consider each trip a “mini adventure”, at least they feel like adventures for a mom with 3 young boys. Being in the field is my alone time, my “me” time, and I can immerse myself in my surroundings and soak in everything about the scene. I take journal notes, and not just on the typical things, like date, time, and temperature. I try to remember how I felt that day. What was unique about this place? Did I interact with people or wildlife? I review my journal notes to bring me back to the scene when I get back in my studio. Over time, I have compared my notes to my actual paintings to see how these intangibles are reflected in my work.

I have always marveled at people who can put words into a great story. Writing is not my greatest strength, but give me a paintbrush and oil paint and I can tell a story in my own way, through a painting. So here I have attempted to capture the backstory behind a few of my paintings so that you can get a sense of what goes on behind the easel.

Sources:
Website of the artist
cmrussell.org/2016-catalog