I have a particular fondness for Cole Johnson’s art because it is graphite. Graphite is a favorite medium of mine and Cole has always excelled in it. He as the wonderful ability to capture not only the accuracy of the wildlife he draws, but by the richness of light and dark, he conveys emotion into every piece and capturing emotion is a big deal.
Cole says, “The contrast of black and white appeals to me,” says Cole. “I enjoy the challenge of making a drawing come to life based solely on tonal value.” To get the moods Cole wants, he uses powdered graphite which gives him that smoothness that can’t be obtained in quite the same way as with a pencil. He uses the eraser as a tool in later stages of the drawing which allows reintroduction of light and depth. His favorite works are close-up, detailed portraits of deer, dogs, waterfowl and birds of prey are favorite pieces.
Cole was inducted into the Society of Animal Artists, in 1998 which is a prestigious group of artists “promoting excellence in the portrayal of creatures sharing our planet.” Aside from local and national art shows, he has been juried into such prestigious exhibits as Birds in Art, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and the National Arts for the Parks Competition where he was chosen Region 1 winner and received a Judges Award of Merit.
Cole has many other awards and accomplishments and you can see some examples of his work here. To see more, you can go to his web site at colejohnsonart.com. Reproductions and some originals, as well as commissions are available at galleries that represent Cole – including my own at SportingArtisans.com
