Johnese
Lennon, The Artist
Johnese began her art career late in
life. After raising her daughter, and with much encouragement from her
husband, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a professional
portrait artist. She began by enrolling in Jacksonville University,
Jacksonville, Florida. While there, she was inducted into the Fine Arts
Honor Society; received a “Departmental Honors in Art” award; and in
May-2000, at the age of 53, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA
degree in Studio Art.
Johnese brings to her work the
wisdom and experience of her many years. Her humble rural beginnings and
Christian faith, gave
her a special view of the world.
If asked, Johnese would say that she
is primarily a portrait painter who loves genre. Her paintings demonstrate
her fearlessness in treading unchartered waters. Her boldness of subject
matter and variant composition style attests to this position.
When speaking of her compositions,
she says: “I only paint what is necessary to
give the observer a sense of what is being said. Sometimes I observe
boundaries and paint in the traditional manner; and other times I paint as
though there is only you and I, and we are both in the same head.“ When
asked how she approaches a subject, she said: “I
am at a place in my life where I do what feels right to me. When I begin a
work, I will only call it finished after I have reached a point where I am
satisfied with the effort. If after having done this and you are not happy
with the result, I can live with that. However, it is my desire that you
like what I have done as much as I do. Yes, this would please me very
much.”
