Beth in Geometric, Oil on timber

I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition at Urban Cow- Harlequin by Katie Johnson. It is on until the 29^th of June at Urban Cow Studio. The works are an amazing assortment of the Artists friends. Their faces are painted to reflect the face or costumes of Harlequins. Speaking with Katie she is a fan of Picasso and in particular his rose period, where brightly coloured harlequins or circus performers appear regularly in his work.

I was able to ask Katie a few questions.

Where did you study and how is it that you became involved in Art?

I graduated from Adelaide centre for the Arts in 2008 with my bachelor of Visual Arts and applied design. From there I studied education for 2 years and now I am an art teacher. I never want to stop learning though, so I have also worked with Ruby Chew with some mentor lessons.

Your latest exhibition is titled “Harlequin” could you give us an insight into the ideas that led to this exhibition?

The name derives from the historical Harlequin, who were like circus folk; nomads, travellers, performers and in early years court jesters. I really liked their use of colour and shape in their costume and also the use of a mask, almost changing and hiding their identity.
Reflecting on the notion of hidden personality, I created the series of portraits of women I know personally.
‘Harlequin’ explores each figures unique character and has highlighted this through the pose, choice of colour and use of shapes; all celebrating the honesty of who they are.

The names of the works were chosen to reflect the decisions made on canvas, but also the person I know.

In Bloom, oil on canvas

What is your oil painting “method”, how do you begin a painting and what steps do you follow?

I work “alla prima”, which is a traditional “wet on wet” painting method. This basically means that I have to be very particular which making my colours as once the paint is on the canvas I very rarely do an over glaze.
When painting; I always start with the background as it sets the scene for the artwork and it gives the flesh a sense of life in comparison. From there I work my way forward in the artwork, so I move to the flesh, the clothing and then finish with the hair.

What do you love most about painting?

My favourite thing about my recent works is the eyes. I really wanted them to engage the view and draw them into the artwork, so I made sure all of the models were looking directly into the lens when photographing them.

Painting for me isn’t a source of income, but more of an expression of my passion. When I paint, I feel my heart warm and I truly look forward to the time I get in the studio.

What advice do you have for someone starting out or looking for a career in Art?

My advice is pretty simple. Be true to yourself, never paint to sell, paint to express. Read about artists, their lives, their works and their methods. Go to classes to learn more, we are bottomless vessels!

Some selected works from Katie Johnson’s exhibition (closing 29th of June)

Katie’s Facebook page