Described as a study of color, form, and line, Beverly Johnson’s current exhibition at Valley Art Gallery features more than 50 abstract paintings displayed in multiple groupings. Pieces were grouped together based on color and other factors to form a collage of canvas tiles.
“The color palette of each grouping is very instrumental to the final outcome,” Johnson told the Sun.
One grouping for example, entitled Harmony, is a collage of eight different canvases that all share shades of blue, teal, and vibrant gold.
The canvases also vary in size and depth—ranging from 4-by-4 to 20-by-20 inches—and each grouping is of six, eight, or occasionally more tiles. Each is a perfect square, hence the show’s title, Art Squared, which runs at the gallery through Dec. 28.
Although the groupings were specifically chosen, Johnson noted that each set of tiles can be arranged or hung in different configurations to accommodate different wall spaces. However, buyers also have the option to purchase paintings individually, just in time for holiday gift giving.
To create her abstract tiles, Johnson employs an acrylic pour method she’s been experimenting with for the last several years. One of the tricks to pouring, she said, is anticipating the flow of the paint and its dynamics. Although the process can be challenging, the difficulty is part of the fun, Johnson added.
“This medium is challenging, but I love the randomness of this process, and knowing when to stop is so very important,” she said. “Sometimes it’s about just knowing when the piece feels finished.”
Experimentation is another factor of the pouring process Johnson enjoys. A full-time artist and part-time art teacher, Johnson’s long career has led her through trying various media and styles. Originally interested in capturing realism, Johnson’s passion began with landscapes and animal studies in oil and watercolor during her youth.
“Ever since I can remember, my love of art has been at the forefront of my expressions,” said Johnson, who began drawing and painting early in childhood. “I love the explosion of surprise when painting on canvas, paper, silk, and sometimes on whatever I can find—rocks, wood, shells, etc.”
As an adult, Johnson became interested in silk painting, creating colorful silk scarves, garments, and other wearable items. Over the last 30 years, Johnson has been contracted to teach special art workshops—including classes on acrylic pouring—at various local schools, both public and private.
The Central Coast-based artist also teaches classes by appointment at her Orcutt studio, Beverly Johnson’s Studio C, located less than a stone’s throw away from Valley Art Gallery. Johnson has been a member of the gallery for almost 10 years and currently serves as the gallery board’s president (since late 2018).
“I started looking for an art gallery and to be around like-minded people,” Johnson said, describing what attracted her to join Valley Art Gallery in 2010. “Since then, I have been selected to be the featured artist several times.”
Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood’s pieces are black and white and red all over (he hopes). Contact him at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 19-26, 2019.
