Nancy Parker Johnson (Houston)
"Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer"
October 7 - October 29, 2017
Nancy Parker Johnson was born in the shadows of east Houston, Texas in 1952. The Parker family subsequently moved to the west side 4 years later to a revolutionary community named Sharpstown - one of the first master planned communities in the nation. That vast frontier was literally on the edge of the world in the 50's; wildlife associated with raw ranch land abound. Nancy's Dad would bring home all kinds of "gifts" to the Parker kids... a baby pigeon that fell from a church steeple next to his downtown office, a tarantula from an Arizona highway, a south Texas horny toad named Clyde. All creatures were nursed back to health and released back into the wild wild west... Houston. As well as can be imagined, Nancy grew up respecting nature and finding pleasure using all types of critters as subjects in her work - roaches the only exception.
As a 6th generation Texan, Nancy has been truly fascinated by the incredible history of the state. The Parker family ancestors came to Texas in 1822, were granted land from the Spanish government, and helped shape the new Republic. Dangerous times frequently haunt her work - a vision of what possibly remained as a result of a Comanche raid - the scavenger raven or a hungry rat are favorite subjects.
Nancy's technique tends to be a quick wash of either oil or water based pigment applied over a contrasting background then scraped off with a tool while wet. These works often have a freehand, almost line drawing appearance and quality. Another method as performed in the painting "Scavenger Watch", the white canvas was painted black and immediately wiped off using a dampened rag creating the stark raven figure. Laboring over a canvas being totally unnecessary.
A recent favorite subject is Nancy's love of word play as depicted in the oil on canvas "FlamboyAnt". She likes to bring a smile with a pun. A new series is in the works.