Oil Paintings and Pastels

Photographs

Explore the portfolios of Thomas Michael Johnson, showcasing a diverse range of artwork from the current series of geometric abstraction oil paintings to the stunning photographs. Each piece is a testament to a unique artistic vision and passion for color.

Thomas Michael Johnson

Paintings and Pastels: The Composition Series

In March of 2020, at the start of the Covid Quarantine, I resolved to resume painting with oil on canvas during the period of relative isolation. I had been thinking about the natural movement of my hands - like the mechanics of what makes each person's signature unique. I started with pastel drawings, viewing each one as a compositional experiment. I soon realized what satisfies the hand and the eye for me are patterns made up of blocks of color. The earlier paintings were looser and quicker but soon led way to a style that had qualities of both meticulousness and randomness. I hope a viewer's eye will dance across the canvas as their mind tries to reconcile the gestural layers of patterns. Viewed from a distance they become a sort of pointillist color field.

View selections from the series

All Images Copyright Thomas Michael Johnson

The Photographs: Dreaming in Color

The "Dreaming in Color" photographs actually started as a technical assignment to photograph live scorpions which naturally fluoresce under blacklight. The look fascinated me. Using a 4x5 camera and transparency film I captured these created scenes made up of natural materials and often models that I painted and lit with only ultraviolet light. The black areas were simply not painted. Because of the long exposure times many of the tableaus took weeks to create to be ready for the addition of a live model. These are "out of the camera" images not digitally modified. The series started in 1995 and continued through 2015 when it was paused for several years while remodeling a new home. I hope viewers will enjoy these photographs.