Today we’d like to introduce you to Layne Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Layne. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Art, it seems has always been a part of my life. Like most kids, I drew a lot. By the time I was 12 or 13, I was drooling over art supplies, so I bought my first paint with money from mowing lawns. A paintbrush has been a natural extension of me ever since.
In the years that followed, I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts then started a career as a freelance graphic designer & illustrator. After 15 years of illustrating products and services, I was ready for something more meaningful. I’d always loved books, history and learning, so it seemed very natural to pivot to picture books. Through my paintings, I was able to bring wonderful stories to life. Creating art for books challenged me in a whole new way. And I started painting in oils again. I’d forgotten how much I loved oils – the buttery-ness of the paint, the smell of linseed oil.
During those years, I created art for more than 20 books for children, worked with wonderful publishers and authors and became a public speaker and spoke to thousands of kids. I loved being able to tell a story through my art. Eventually, I worked primarily on non-fiction historical books, which was a real joy since it combined my love of history with my painting. Since each book took anywhere from six months to a year to complete, it honed not only my skills but also my love of storytelling.
My art found its way onto bookshelves all over the world and into the hearts of thousands of children (and adults). And I got to use my son as a model in many of my books, chronicling his childhood through my art. Very, very cool.
A few years ago, I felt a strong pull to get back to my fine art roots, where I could express my vision and really find my visual voice. Like many artists, my style has evolved over time. My perspective and sensibilities have evolved as well. The painters of the Hudson River School continue to influence me. Their belief in the grandeur and beauty of a place is transcendental and can truly change the way life is perceived. I embrace the Luminist movement as well. Light is a huge part of my work.
So I set out to create a whole new body of work which represented my new vision with the goal of getting my work seen, into galleries and in front of new collectors. Painting enough paintings for a solo show, though, takes time and a lot of work.
When I looked for inspiration I didn’t have to look far to find it in the Texas landscape. The big powerful, stormy Texas skies. The romantic sunrises and sunsets. The lazy rivers, creeks and streams. The way the light plays upon the trees and rocky terrain. You don’t realize how unique the Texas landscape is until you travel to other parts of the country and world.
I’ve also spent a lot more time painting one of my favorite subjects: clouds and big Texas skies. I’ve been painting clouds since I was a kid and made great use of clouds in my books. Now I often use clouds as the primary focal point in my paintings, rather than just as a stage backdrop. So I’ve spent more time on them to bring them to life. But clouds are complicated! I learn more with each painting. I love the challenge, the problem-solving that clouds require. They’re just fascinating.
My sense of color and my color palette has really evolved, too. Have I mentioned that I love the light! Luminescence. The way light hits a subject. It’s ALWAYS about the light. That’s really what I’m trying to capture. It’s all connected.
My background in picture books has definitely impacted my point of view, so I hope I’m bringing that to these new paintings as well. I want whoever is viewing my paintings to feel like they’re “there”. Like they could step into the painting and be a part of the moment. To connect emotionally with the scene. To feel a sense of peace, or joy, or anticipation. To step into the painting and really experience it. That’s the common thread throughout all my art. I want it to be personal.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Art is not an easy career, but it’s definitely been an exciting journey. Even though I’ve always been self-employed, in my first couple art careers, my clients were ad agencies and book publishers. That’s a pretty well-defined group. Moving to fine art, I’m now also an entrepreneur and the world is huge – collectors can come from anywhere. And the unfortunate reality is they don’t teach business skills in art school.
So we (my wife and I) had to embrace running this as a business – and that includes all the typical running a small business challenge. Which is not easy for most artists – we want to create! It takes a lot of hard work, years of dedication and a lot of time spent creating and perfecting your craft (both art and business). No shortcuts and no different than any other profession. You never stop learning. But that’s the fun part – it never gets stale, there’s always more to paint.
Like a lot of industries, we’re living in the middle of a significant art evolution. In the last few years, the world has really changed for artists, and for me in particular. Traditional models are changing – which opens up all kinds of possibilities that didn’t exist even 5 years ago. I try to remind myself of that, but it’s hard to see sometimes when you’re in the middle of it.
For example, until Instagram, few people saw my work unless it was in an ad, or until one of my books hit the bookshelves. And certainly, almost no one outside my family saw my work until it was finished – so it was a very solitary creative life. I also used to think people wouldn’t understand what they were looking at during the developmental “ugly” phase. All that has changed over the last couple years with Instagram.
Today, thousands of people see my work every day and follow along as I’m painting, from the beginning stages to the end. And frankly, my audience today is larger than I ever expected, and it continues to grow. Everyone is so generous and the feedback is inspiring. I also can see really quickly which of my paintings and subjects people respond to the most. That’s wonderful input for me and keeps me motivated.
Many new collectors have also found my work through Instagram – which still amazes me – but it’s such an accessible platform. I’ve also found so many artists who inspire me, too. That pushes me to do more or try something new. It’s opened up a whole new world that didn’t exist when I started painting all those years ago. It’s all still evolving and who knows the effect social media will have on art long term, but I know it’s been a real positive for me.
I believe art galleries also play a critical role in connecting art and artists with serious collectors. There’s nothing like seeing original art in person. I’m blessed to be represented here in Dallas by Dutch Art Gallery – truly wonderful people. I’m also looking to expand my representation to other markets this year.
Layne Johnson Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a fine art oil painter specializing in representational landscapes and portraits. My work has been described as contemporary classical realism with a touch of American impressionism. I am known for my dramatic use of light, my large billowing clouds and rich color palette. I believe art should be uplifting and enriching. My art hangs in private and corporate collections around the world. I exhibit my work in galleries – such as Dutch Art Gallery here in Dallas – and partner with interior designers and art consultants to connect with clients needing fine art.
Working with clients and collectors, I create bespoke commissioned art that captures special experiences, moments and memories. For commissioned work, the collector also receives a unique video storybook chronicling the painting process from beginning to the final art. In addition to paintings available through my galleries, I also offer original one-of-a-kind oil paintings directly on my website and, for select paintings, I offer fine art canvas prints in a variety of sizes.
Later this year I’ll also be launching art workshops and online courses. I get requests almost daily to teach and mentor other artists, which just isn’t possible in the traditional sense since I’m a full-time studio artist. While I expect the workshops to be limited, online courses offer wonderful flexibility, both for students and myself. So I’m excited to finally be able to offer these.
Instagram is my primary social media platform. More than that, it’s really become my daily blog, where you can find me sharing work-in-progress and behind-the-scenes in the studio with followers around the world. That’s one of the things that sets me apart from many artists on social media. What you’re seeing is real painting in a real studio, not staged pretty scenes or just final art. People really seem to enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at what goes into a painting. And I enjoy the community!
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have a few “proud moments”. I just finished a successful solo show at the Dutch Art Gallery here in Dallas – my first solo show since I got back into fine art. It was wonderful to see all my new work hanging together – and to see the thread that ran through all of them.
Another was a few years ago when one of my children’s picture books won the Western Heritage Award for the best juvenile book. The awards ceremony was held at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in a big black-tie gala red carpet event – complete with boots & cowboy hats. Even more cool, Patrick Wayne (John Wayne’s son) was the one to announce and hand me my beautiful bronze award sculpture.
I also have many quiet and personal proud moments, such as when I receive notes from people who have been influenced or moved by my work. When people connect with my art in a real and personal way, I know I’ve done something right and have made a difference in their lives – whether that’s collecting my art or simply following me on social media. I believe we’re meant to share the gifts were given so I’m humbled when my art moves people enough to bring it into their lives.
One thing that’s been a wonderful surprise are the number of people around the world who’ve told me that I’ve inspired them to paint after finding and following me on Instagram or Facebook. Inspired them to either to start painting again or to paint landscapes for the first time. That is very rewarding. Art really is the universal language that connects us all.
Pricing:
- Paintings range from under $500 for small works to over $5,000 for large bespoke commissioned paintings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://laynejohnson.com
- Email: layne@laynejohnson.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/laynejohnsonstudio/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/laynejohnsonstudio/
- Other: https://laynejohnson.com/voyage-dallas/
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