The luminescent beauty and lyrical quality of Richard S. Johnson's work is what captivates collectors today. "Old Masters" technical virtuosity, pre-Raphael romanticism, and contemporary expressionism and abstraction all combine to create his unique works of touching depth and artistry.

Rick's expressive skill for capturing the human form has brought him numerous commissions:
John F. Kennedy at the JFK Memorial Library in Boston.
A commemorative painting of the presidents from Eisenhower to Bush currently hanging at the President's Council on Physical Fitness in Washington D.C.
Rear Admiral Richard S. Truly, USN, the first commander of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger.
Gracie Gold, Gold Medal Champion, 2014 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships
Limited Edition Lithograph for the USA Olympic Ski Team
Promotional poster for the Biz International Classic Soccer Championship in Mexico.

Born in Chicago to an artistic family, his earliest reminiscences are of pouring through Charles Dana Gibson, N.C. Wyeth, and John Singer Sargent books on rainy afternoons. While still in grade school he won a scholarship to the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. He later attended the American Academy of Art and upon graduation began a very successful career as an illustrator.

Turning his attentions to fine art after winning a competition in International Artists Magazine, Rick was invited to Japan where his one man show was so successful that he has been invited back numerous times and has developed an international base of collectors. He has also won many awards in competitions here in the United States including the Award of Excellence, in the Oil Painters of America 2003 Midwest regional Juried Competition.

Perhaps the term that best describes Rick's work is "Poetic Intimacy". His sure brush strokes, bold use of color and impasto, and delicate rendering of the human face and form all work together in a harmony that refuses to draw attention to themselves for their technical virtuosity, but rather to draw their viewer into the awareness that they are sharing one, serene, contemplative moment; that the light that pours over the subject's skin also caresses theirs.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

August 2013 "Summer Elegance" One Man Exhibition, McKibbens Studio, Laguna Beach, California.

June 2013 "Romance of Spoleto" One Man Exhibiion, Mary Martin Gallery, Charleston, South Carolina.

August 2012 One Man Exhibition, Sargent's Fine Art, Maui, HI.

April 2012, One Man Exhibition, Art Shop, North Carolina.

February 2012 One Man Exhibition, Addison Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida.

May 2010 One Man Exhibition, Exclusive Collections, San Diego, California.

January 2010 One Man Exhibition, Addison Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida.

April 2009 One Man Exhibition, Gallerie de Sorrento, Las Vegas

January 2009 One Man Exhibition, Addison Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida.

April 2008 Solo Exhibition, Addison Gallery, Boca Raton, Florida

February 2008 Solo Exhibition, Galleria Di Sorrento, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

February 2007 Solo Exhibition, Galleria Di Sorrento, Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas

September 2005 Solo Exhibition, The Studio of Long Grove, Long Grove, IL and The Hilligoss Gallery, Chicago, IL.

June 2005 Solo Exhibition, The Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX.

September 2004 Solo Exhibition, The Studio of Long Grove, Long Grove, IL and The Hilligoss Gallery, Chicago, IL.

June 2004 Solo Exhibition, The Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX.

April 2003 Exhibition with Enatsu Galleries of Japan in Misato, Japan

December 2002 Exhibitions with Enatsu Galleries of Japan in Kumamoto and Yokohama, Japan

July 2002 Exhibitions with Enatsu Galleries of Japan in Nagano and Sapporo, Japan

AWARDS:

2005 JURY'S TOP 50 and HONORABLE MENTION Salon International, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX.

2003 AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Oil Painters of America Midwest Regional Juried Exhibition, Hilligoss Gallery, Chicago IL.

2003 FINALIST RSVP: THE DIRECTORY of ILLUSTRATION and DESIGN PORTRAIT COMPETITION, to be featured on their Web Site in spring of 2004 and displayed in May of 2004 at The Society of Illustrators in New York, NY.

2003 PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD Salon International, International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art