Back in front of the Drawing Board

I would like to do a quick check-in to let everyone know that I am getting back in front of the drawing board. I have sharpened the pencils and gathered my many many tools with which I work. I've poured a cup of coffee and now I am trying to re-learn how to do this drawing thing! :)

After a long bout of "Life" ie, wedding, home reno's, career upgrades and now change I see time at the drawing board slowly returning. The urge has become overwhelming to be back at it so I am ready to ease back into it.

I hope you will continue to join me and watch my art unfold before you. I will be sharing peeks into the art at different stages and always welcome your thoughts.

Thanks for stopping by..... Kevin

"Special Time and Place"- Tonquin Beach

The west coast of British Columbia, Canada is home to many hidden magical places, so when it was time to compose a piece for our wedding invitation our visit to Tonquin Beach in Tofino provided easy inspiration. At the end of the path, our breath was unexpectedly caught the moment the thick rainforest parted to reveal this pristine cove. With this piece I wanted to show how we are surrounded by the extraordinary and all that is required sometimes is to take the time to look.

Thank-you for stopping by and having a peek.

Image 6"x14" pencil on Illustration Board

Show Time

Hello again everyone, I wanted to stop in quick with a bit of an update. There has not been much time for many new works as of late since show time is upon us.
I have been busy framing/printing and packaging getting ready for my next show. It is the 8th annual Quadra Island Studio Tour. Last year was my first year in this show and it was a lot of fun. I learned a lot about showing my work in a venue like this and I feel a little more prepared this year. I am also volunteering on the tour commitee so that has also kept my time limited. I'd like to share with you this years poster. One of my newest pieces has made the poster this year. If you are in the area stop on by and say hello.
There are a few things on the sched this summer so I will keep you updated with whats going on.
Bye for now and thank-you for stopping by,
Kevin

Seeking Artistic Balance

I wanted to stop in and give you a bit of a different update. I wanted to let everyone know about some other art type things going on in my life.
I am a big believer of Yin and Yang and balance in life. In my art I am somewhat of a detail person. I think this has to happen when an artist strives for photo realistic levels of detail. All this detail can sometimes feel very mechanical and processed. I wanted to help with the balance so I needed an outlet.
My wildlife art means a lot to me and so do my other art interests. I really enjoy doing portraits and figure drawings as well in my spare time. Both finished pieces and gestural type styles. I have started attending a small weekly local artists life drawing group. It is such a different type of art and I'm having a lot of fun doing it. It forces an artist to become free and loose with your style. Especially during gesture poses and other quick poses. I am having a lot of fun with it but it is also very humbling. It is very difficult to draw from life and I am learning lots. I think it might be the balance I am looking for.
Hopefully some day I will get to the point that I feel confident enough to share some of them with you. Until then I encourage everyone out there to join a group and have a unique experience as well.

Thanks again for stopping in.
Kevin

"Peek a Boo" - Seal Pup

There always seems to be a bit of magic present when someone experiences wildlife up close. This is especially the case when this encounter is with a baby of the species. Seals and seal pups are naturally curious creatures with large, deep, obsidian eyes and for some reason they love to follow kayaks. The adults prefer a more stealthy surveillance while young pups can pop up only a few feet away. While kayaking in nearby Gowlland Harbour we are frequently treated to this spectacle. With this piece, I would like to share with you a little of this magic.




Thank-you for stopping by,
Kevin

New for 2010

I'd like to share with you what is on the board as my first piece for 2010. It is an image that has been in my minds eye for some time now. I've always been fascinated with seals and on the west coast I'm lucky enough to see my fair share of them.
Hope you enjoy this preview...

"The Boatworks"

I'd like to first wish all my collectors and followers a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season. I Hope to see everyone again in 2010.

Next I would like to share with you a special Christmas release. This piece is titled "The Boatworks". Since moving to Quadra Island 2 years ago, I am constantly amazed by the calibre and diversity of artists in this community along with the embracing support Islanders extend to each other. This piece represents an example of this generous community spirit. The Cape Mudge Boatworks features a local artist’s work on their annual Christmas card and this year commissioned my piece titled “The Boatworks”. A Great Blue Heron huddled against a winter morning’s mist provided further inspiration to this classic Quadra Island Landmark.

"West Coast Summer"

The West Coast of Vancouver Island Canada has always been a magical place for me. I have experienced every season and each one of them has something unique to offer. However, the one thing that the seasons share is the surf. Sometimes it is exciting with storm force winds and driving rain. Other times, as depicted in this image, it is quite peaceful almost soothing. It is always interesting to observe how people interact with the surf.
Thank-you for stopping by...

The Summer Slowdown

Hello again everyone and thank you for stopping by. This summer has been filled with lots of artshows and reference gathering trips in preparation for this winters drawing sessions. Lots ideas are on the board so stay tuned and check back often.

I would like to take a moment to congratulate and thank my newest collector. This client has purchased the original of "Bute Inlet Fishing Hole - Grizzly Bear" I hope you enjoy this piece for many years to come. :)
I would also like to mention my current show. My work is hanging as the feature artist at Impressions Gallery and Custom Framing in Campbell River B.C. A selection of works are hanging until 22 Sep 09. If you are in the local area, stop by and have a look.

Next I'd like to share with you a small study piece I'm working on that was inspired by a recent trip to Tofino, B.C. Canada.

The Art Season is on a roll !

Well hello again everyone and and thank-you for stopping by. I wanted to give you an update as to the goings on over the past months. It has been a very busy time this past little while. As you can read in the previous entries I have had a couple shows and my first Solo Show. All have been a great success and I'm glad all the hard work has paid-off. I'd like to share with you a few images from the the shows as well as my set-up for this years Quadra Island Studio Tour.
I'd also like to mention that my image of the wolf titled "On the Prowl - Wolf" has won two awards in the Campbell River Art Gallery Annual Juried Show. It won and "Honourable Mention" and also the "Peoples Choice Award" for 80 plus entries. I am quite happy with the outcome.
I hope to be able to get back to the drawing board soon as lots of ideas are piling up...so please stay tuned.
Once again, Thank-you for stopping by... Kevin,

Show Time

Well the time is here that every artist waits for. The time in the journey to take the next step, or what ever we think that next step might be. For me that next step is getting my art in front of as many people as I can so that they can see and appreciate what it is that I am so passionate about. What better way to do that then to hold an exhibit that features your hard work. I like to call it the "Solo Show". For me, it started last night.
I have spent the past few weeks pouring over the framing table to get the pieces show ready and it was nice last night to sit and enjoy it with the one I love. It does feel nice to see my work hanging for everyone to see.
Wish everyone out there could come see how it looks as well. I will try to share the moment by taking some pictures of the venue later on.
Thank-you to everyone who has stopped by to see this unfold. It is your kind words that mean so much. :)
Kevin

Bute Inlet Fishing Hole - Grizzly Bear

I'd like to share with you the final image and story for this piece.

Bute Inlet, cutting into the Coastal Mountain Range of mainland British Columbia, is renowned for it’s majestic mountain vistas, rugged unsettled land and Grizzly Bears. In the fall of 2008 I experienced these bears up close and personal at Orford River; so close at some points it was all I could do to stand my ground. Thank goodness for our Guide and his “bear stick”. With this piece I hope to give you an up close glimpse of this magnificent giant. May they continue to fish these waters long after we leave.

Thank you for stopping by my page and taking the time to look at my work. Kevin

Latest Preview

I thought I would step back from the framing table and take a break from show preparation. I wanted to give you a glimpse of the piece that's on the drawing board. I hope to have this work completed for the upcoming solo show at the end of this month. Here is a tiny preview for now.
Enjoy

Show update

Hello again and thank you for stopping by.

I've been away for a bit so I thought I would check in and pass along some of the latest news. I have been busy lately preparing for two upcoming shows, so its been a time of decisions and preparation. This will be my first big jump into showing my work off in a venue like this so lots to do...

My first show is my first solo show and it will be at the Heriot Bay Inn which is one of our local island resorts. It will be running from the 20Apr-18May and will feature limited edition prints on the walls through out the resort. http://www.heriotbayinn.com/index.html


The second show is a group show with the Quadra Island Studio Tour in June. This is a show that the island that I live on hosts every year. A lot of island artists open their studios and let guests see what it is that we do. Here is a link to the tour page. http://www.quadraislandarts.com/


If your in the area please feel free to stop by and say hi.
As for the drawing board, I have one last piece to finish for these shows and I will put up an image as soon as I get it past the "ugly duckling" phase.
Thank-you K

"The Three Tenors - Stellar Sealions"

This image came to me from a whale watching trip to the northern part of Vancouver island on the west coast of Canada.

There is quite a large group that gathers on an island called Stubbs Island. It is quite amusing to watch them singing and barking and fighting for position on the rocks. When I saw these three I couldn't help but think that maybe they are singing togethor.

I hope you enjoy this one. I really enjoyed bringing it to life.

Rock On

As the title states we are continuing to Rock On with this piece. The stage has now been set with all the back drop rock wall completed and its time to carry on with the main subjects of this piece. Stay tuned for the rest of the show.

Rocking in the New Year

Well it's New Years Eve and a new work is in progress. Figured it would be fitting to be working on the rock wall as I'm getting ready to rock in the New Year.

I hope everyone has a safe and Happy New Year!!!!

Kevin

Portrait of an Heir - Bald Eagle

Christmas is coming and I would like to share my latest christmas piece with you all. This is my latest work titled "Portrait of an Heir" and it is also this years christmas card. I thought I would now share this with you as most of you have recieved your cards and are enjoying this piece just like I am. This one is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it as well.

It will be availiable on my website soon as a Limited Edition print, so stop by and check out the updates page for its release :)

Merry Christmas from the Studio of Kevin Johnson

Decoration Day

Well it's that time of the year again. Time to dig deep into the dusty storage areas of the home and pull out all the Christmas decorations and lights and get ready for another wonderfully festive season. Yep the weekend was filled with putting up the new tree and getting the lights up around the yard and house. I do enjoy this time of the year.

Also a few breaks were taken to complete some well needed website updates that were way over due. All in all a very productive weekend. Hope to be back at the drawing board soon as a couple more pieces are on the way.

Bye for now....

Birds of a Feather

Well with my slow return to art work and to this blog I wanted show the finished piece I was working on before my long break. Looking at it now it seemed so long ago that I started this one...

I hope you like it and thanks again for looking.