2020: Not a Banner Year! However, it Was a Year of Banners. /  by Jerry Johnson

In an earlier post, I discussed an unexpected but increasing medium that I was designing for—tall, vertical, retractable display banners. To date, I have designed nearly 50 of these. Despite all of the social and political disruptions of 2020, this particular curve did not flatten as I designed an additional 16 of these for the Troy University Libraries. Adjacent is an image depicting a portion of one. These types of banners are commonly used in exhibits and trade shows or similar. They are terrific means for communicating in that they are bold, visible, retractable, portable, and durable.

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Military Service Postcards

from Wade Hall Collection / TROY Libraries

This particular series of banners builds upon a previous set. It is intended to be a touring display of selected, historical, military postcards from a collection by TROY alumnus Wade Hall who bequeathed tens of thousands of vintage postcards to TROY.

Coming from a military family myself, I employ a deep appreciation for those in military service. Now, after perusing through the hundreds and hundreds (literally thousands) of U.S. military postcards from every branch of service spanning Pre-WW1 through Post-WWII and Korea, I have learned so much more about the culture and nuances of military life in a different light. Seeing these and reading many of the transcriptions on the cards was a real opportunity for me. I think that you too will gain a lot from visiting this exhibit when it comes to you. It will be touring the state of Alabama and beyond beginning in February of 2021 so keep your eyes out for this!

Above are three examples of the 16 banners. The actual size for each banner is 83”h x 32”w. This exhibition is made possible because of a grant from the Alabama Humanities Foundation, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and Troy University.

Below is a slider showcasing several more cards across the spectrum.

Mighty in Song: Wrens Inspire /  by Jerry Johnson

What’s a nice, Carolina Wren like you doing in a Place Like This?

This winter, Lana and I wanted to liven up our backyard around the “inactive” swimming pool. So, we installed (I admit, Lana installed…) a couple of additional bird feeders. Man, did that do the trick! In fact, it was that one act of kindness by my wife that led to this particular art series—Birds Inspire.

The most excited of all of the visitors to Johnson’s Free Buffet was a very small songbird called the Carolina Wren. Slightly smaller than a sparrow, but certainly larger than the hummingbird.

Although they are the State Bird of South Carolina they are year-round residents of the southeastern United States and in the past decade have been expanding slightly northwestward.

There were three things that I noticed immediately upon their arrival:

  1. They seemed to hop more than they flew. And, when they did fly it was not very high nor very far.

  2. They sang like crazy! Well, the males did anyway. I have heard their incessant caroling before but never specifically identified who the vocalists were until now. In fact, the first time I heard them singing, I thought, “How could that many decibels come from those miniature birds?” Amazing, indeed!

  3. And one more thing I noticed: they have the cutest curved white eyebrows!

See how scientifically observant I am? Well, as usual, this caused me to want to study a little more about Carolina Wrens.

Another detail view of the mixed-media piece (graphite, watercolor, and gouache)

These lively, feathered friends love to explore brushy thickets and low tangles. That sort of explains why they ended up in my backyard. We have a fairly groomed yard but immediately adjacent to us in the back is an alleyway that is really grown up with underbrush below and trees above—the ideal homestead for these birds.

I mentioned earlier that they seemed to “hop” along more than “fly” and “soar”. I discovered that the Carolina Wren is a rather weak flyer, so it typically makes brief, quick, aerial forays over short distances. So, they do hop a lot—much more than walking.

Male and female Carolina Wrens build their nests as a team. One member of the pair may stay at the site while the other gathers material. The couple typically mates for life and usually nests in various cavities including natural hollows in trees or stumps, old woodpecker holes, sometimes in the middle of a brush pile, a crevice of a building, as well as nest boxes. Usually, they build their homes no more than about 10” off of the ground. Their nest is usually a bulky mass of twigs, leaves, weeds, and an array of found objects.

“Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. —Psalm 104:12”

This finished mixed-media piece, approximately 14”w x 10”h, can be viewed along with other works at Sienna Cloud Creative, 113 North Three Notch Street in Troy, Alabama. (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

Joyous in Hue: Cardinals Inspire /  by Jerry Johnson

Oh, the singing! Yet, nothing is louder than the hue.

I am continuing with my homage to our feathered friends. Why? Why not? As sure as the sun comes up each morning; and, as certain as God’s mercies are new each and every day; these regular guests share both of these promises with Lana and me. The female sings her persistent and repetitive sonnet in the springtime (perhaps year-round but I hear it mostly in spring) and it’s the sweetest alarm clock. Apparently, the female sings to signal the male to bring food to the nestlings. On the other hand, the male sings to either attract a mate or to scare off an intruder.

I’ve always considered the Cardinal as one of my favorite birds. But as much as I enjoy their lively duets, the only thing louder than their crooning is the color—that stunning bright crimson! It seems that this bright red color on the male Cardinal is the result of carotenoids in their diet. What is a carotenoid? In short, carotenoids are plant pigments responsible for bright red, yellow, and orange hues in many fruits and vegetables.

There are so many interesting things about the Cardinal (the Northern Cardinal, to be more specific). These birds are extremely loyal and they are non-migratory homebodies. They find a mate for life and rarely leave the close proximity (within a mile diameter) of the domain that they were originally hatched in. Oh, and another interesting factoid—their name “Cardinal” is literally from the high ecclesiastical figures of the Catholic Church who rank just below the Pope. Of course, these are the ones that famously wear the red robes. :)

Okay, combine this bit of bird-trivia with my obsession for repurposing interesting, scarred, and storied old frames and you have my most recent pictorial tribute complete with an inspired poem. Enjoy!

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This finished mixed-media piece, approximately 12”w x 18”h, can be viewed along with other works at my studio—Sienna Cloud Creative at 113 North Three Notch in Troy, Alabama. (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY)

“But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? —Job 12:7–9”

Not Forgotten! /  by Jerry Johnson

As many of my friends, family, or followers know, I have this compulsion (perhaps obsession) for acquiring old picture frames. Yes, I plan to repurpose them for original art. I have the idea that these frames have their own storied pasts and might be the perfect complement to new works of art.

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Periodically, I run across a military issued frame such as the one in my repurposed work below. After spending a few weeks attempting to identify or discover who the officer was in the old frame, I finally conceded and determined to make this a commemoration to soldiers who were either “unknown” or “unaccounted for”. In fact, this is a common objective of many military memorials such as Troy’s very own Bicentennial Park.

The original photo and frame date back to 1947-49, and if memory serves me, the photo portrait was of someone from the northeast U.S. area. I tried to locate kin but had little to no information to go by.

Ultimately, I allowed the eyes of the “unknown” or “unaccounted for” soldier to pierce through the mixed-media with the words “NOT FORGOTTEN” inscribed. The remainder of the image is an intentional montage of sketches from the actual Bicentennial Park; a hand-rendered typographical selection from the etched memorial on site; as well as a plethora of “words” that came to my mind as I pondered these soldiers (ie. young, brave, lost, missing, enemy, ally, protect, loyalty, etc.).

For a more detailed view of this piece, click on the image to the left.

Having come from a military family, I am easily reminded (and necessarily so) that my freedom to express ideas, to create art, to openly practice my faith, and so much more comes at a great price. If you live in the Troy area, take a moment to visit Bicentennial Park. Stand among the flags and beneath the shade of the AH-1 Cobra Helicopter, read the names of veterans who are now deceased, ponder your freedom while reading the humble monument, and allow your heart to be stirred. Thanks to the brave men and women who for generations past and future—they gift us with liberty. And mostly, thanks be to God who is the author and founder of True Liberty!

CMSgt .Clyde Johnson (Dad), U.S. Air Force (1938–1961)

CMSgt .Clyde Johnson (Dad), U.S. Air Force (1938–1961)

“This memorial has been placed here to honor those who left home and family to go to a foreign land and give of their lives for the causes of freedom and justice. In so doing, many of these have paid a price far worse than death. They are the cold, tire, tortured souls os men who were taken prisoner and still to this day remain unaccounted for. This is for them and the families they left behind. God has been and is still with them. This humble stone is a small reminder that the citizens of Troy have not and never will forget our missing comrades. —(from the etched memorial at Bicentennial Park)”

My "Dream" Studio? We will see. /  by Jerry Johnson

Entrance to Sienna Cloud Creative facing North Three Notch Street in Troy.

In the mid-late 1980s, I actually operated a small, commercial studio space in Weatherford, Oklahoma. This is a small, college town where I had graduated with an undergraduate degree in commercial art and a graduate degree in art education. During this time, I was a fairly prolific watercolorist (sometimes I participated in 20 or more exhibits per year). Besides painting, I also moonlighted as a graphic designer doing brand identity and print layout for local clients. And, if that wasn’t enough, my primary focus was playing/touring with my rock band (original stuff—no covers) that was getting busier and busier and even busier (more about music at another time).

Fast forward three to four decades: I am semi-retired from Troy University where I had an amazing journey within the Department of Art and Design. I am still partially on that trek as I continue to teach a couple of web design courses each term.

SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT STUDIO SPACE

My initial studio was a spare bedroom in our first home—a mobile trailer. It worked for us for many years and we wouldn’t exchange those times for anything! However, I always dreamed of a downtown space or even a loft—one that was visible and hopefully inspired by and inspiring to the local community that we lived in. I’ve kept my eyes open and have actually rented a spot or two in the past few years. At one point, Lana and I considered just adding on to our home but then it came very clear to us that I love to “GO TO” work—separate the home and work a bit. We agreed to keep our eyes and hearts open.

We noticed a former lawyer’s office just off of the square that had been inactive for several years. Then, one day, we noticed a FOR SALE sign outside its front door. After several negotiations, we finally came to a mutual agreement and purchased our current space at a very reasonable price. It HAD to be a good price as it was literally a mold and mildew botanical garden. The roof had been leaking severely for years and the electricity had been off for as long.

BUILDING (RE-BUILDING) THE STUDIO

Obviously, we had to do serious mold abatement for the first phase before we could even get excited about remodeling. A new roof, new windows, sealed holes in exterior walls, many demolitions and removal hours of moldy sheetrock, an air scrubber, and a couple of hazmat suits later, we were finally ready to do the fun stuff—remodel!

Here are some “before” pics:

And, here are some current pics showing progress but a bit more to do before our Grand Opening in Spring 2021:

OPENING THE STUDIO

If you’ve made it this far through the blog post, you understand the progress we’ve made. As I mentioned before, our prospective “Grand Opening” date is the weekend of TroyFest in late April of 2021. We are in the production phase now of “all things art” (paintings, drawings, greeting cards, playing cards, t-shirts, and many, many more items including Ms. Lana’s famous “chocolate-chip cookies”! We just want to celebrate and feature the grand life in Troy, Alabama. GO TROY!

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. —Proverbs 16:3”

Artists Need Community! /  by Jerry Johnson

Several months ago, local artist Amanda (Kitty) Smothers contacted me about activating a local group of visual artists. We weren’t looking for something grandiose, but rather to simply discover a group of area artists who would want to share their knowledge and talents with one another as a means of growth, encouragement, and fellowship.

It’s not like Troy doesn’t have a robust arts community. Actually, there is a healthy number of active artists within Troy and the outlying area.

First session with “Sarah”. I chose to work in pencil then mix in watercolor washes and strokes with some dry-brush speckling for texture.

Subsequently, several of us discussed the feasibility and the need for this. We decided to launch this past spring and then ran head-first into the pandemic. Regardless, with support from the Johnson Center for the Arts and a range of interested artists from the area, we safely (and loosely) began what is known as the Pike County Art Guild (PCAG). Nothing is particularly formalized yet other than we have created a Facebook Page and have recruited a modest number of interested artists and patrons.

This past summer, Pike County Art Guild offered a plein air workshop at The Studio in downtown Troy, a couple of plein air painting days on the downtown square, and most recently, three portrait drawing/painting sessions hosted by the studio of Sienna Cloud Creative. You can read a little more about these sessions in The Messenger. Included in this brief blog are my personal solutions for the portrait sessions. Amanda brought in three wonderful, patient, and diverse models to sit for us.

Oftentimes, artists love isolation or exclusion as a means to hyper-focus on their craft and process. However, like all humans (creative and not-so-much), there is an intrinsic need for community and fellowship. I would have to say that this tentative beginning of an arts community (due to COVID) has already proven to me and to a few others that WE NEED THIS!!! What joy we got just spending a few painting/drawing sessions together engaged in art conversation and simply sharing in the resolution of a common subject—a portrait. Each artist had their own style, their own medium, and their distinct set of problems to solve. IT WAS EXHILARATING!!! And, I can’t wait until we can eventually remove our masks, not be so far apart, AND continue adding to the number in these sessions so that more people can share in this collective joy. :)

If you are reading this and you are in the Troy-Pike County Area, check out our Facebook page and stay tuned regarding the forthcoming activities of PCAG because we hope to generate many more opportunities to work and learn together.

Enjoy some of the images from our sessions below.

Time Goes By, Sure Knows How to Fly... /  by Jerry Johnson

Time is fleeting. This is certainly no great revelation to anyone. Although I wrote and recorded this song nearly forty years ago with some dear friends, the timeless message remains. Through the decades, I’ve eagerly bounced back and forth between visual and aural art forms. I LOVE them both!

Even in my “youthful” 20s, I recognized the brisk slippage of time. Where do the days go? A long-time friend of mine took this song from my “old band days” and he created this video highlighting precious family memories throughout. There truly exists eternal value to invest in moments, relationships, and purposes that last far beyond our temporal lives. I hope that you (and I) can commit to live in these rich moments as if our eternity depended upon it!

“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,” (1 Peter 1:24). Similarly, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” (James 4:14). “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (1 Cor. 4:18). ”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"TIME GOES BY"

[CHORUS] Time goes by - sure knows how to fly
Takes no thought as it passes right by you
Old times seem - just like yesterday
No reason those times should stand in our way

v.1 We were younger then - didn't care why or when
We were living for the moment
Smiles weren't so uncommon
The sun - the moon was warm and
Though storm clouds came those storm clouds went

[PRE-CHORUS]
Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by
Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by

v.2 Oh how I cherish those memories of the past
But I know those things done in true love will last
And when we bid this world farewell
What will remain - only time will tell

[PRE-CHORUS]
Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by
Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by

[CHORUS] Time goes by - sure knows how to fly
Takes no thought as it passes right by you
Old times seem - just like yesterday
No reason those times should stand in our way

v.2—reprise
Oh how I cherish those memories of the past
But I know those things done in true love will last
And when we bid this world farewell
What will remain - only time will tell

[PRE-CHORUS/CHORUS] Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by
Time don't walk - it always runs
Waits for no one - time goes by and by

SHOW LESS



It’s Okay to be a “Sundae” Painter! /  by Jerry Johnson

I am so fortunate to have a large and vibrant family!

On my wife’s side of the family (the Bentleys) I am known as that “artist/designer/musician uncle” with the curious soul patch. Being an “artist-type” has made for an interesting relationship between us over the years. I’ve happily (and sometimes reluctantly) done my share of art projects for them—murals on walls, ceilings, and staircases; wall decorations; commissioned paintings of greyhounds capturing coyotes (yes, you read that right); art for Christmas exchanges; and lots and lots of family reunion t-shirts and promos. All in all, I have absolutely LOVED IT!

This summer, Lana and I were visited by several family members from western Oklahoma. Of course, in south Alabama we are an easy drive to the gulf shores but believe it or not, they wanted to do some activities and simply visit here in Troy for a time. We did a little bit of local sight-seeing (didn’t take long… LOL) and a lot of swimming in the pool. But, one of my teenage nieces (Selah—I hope that this doesn’t embarrass her) expressed an interest in having an art lesson at my new studio. What am I to do? Deny her? No way! Her mother had painting skills. Her daddy does pottery. And, her younger sister (Whitley) already can really, really draw (I saw evidence of that when they visited).

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I’ve done tons and tons of design work over the past couple of decades but not so much drawing/painting. Upon retiring from being a full-time graphic design professor, I established a long-envisioned art studio in downtown Troy—Sienna Cloud Creative.

So, thanks to Selah and her daddy—Dustin, I launched right into making my first “non-digital” piece of art in a good while. In fact, when we began working together on this drawing/painting, I realized all my paints had either dried up, were no longer good, or simply not to be found. No worries—we just started with paper, pencil, markers, and an idea—the subject of "ice cream”. Why “ice cream”? I don’t know—it was summer in ‘Bama and Uncle Jerry and Great-Niece Selah love their ice cream: I guess.

The low-quality video (provided below) was simply produced as a demo specifically for Selah so that she could complete her “sundae painting” at home—at her own speed and in her own style. I can’t wait to see it and if allowed will add her artwork here within this blog post (fingers crossed). If you watch this tutorial, ignore any personal references and be reminded that we firstly drew out our sketch in pencil, then added Sharpie® marks as general outlines/guidelines and went from there with washes and mark-making. It was fun.

YOU TOO could try something like this! PIck a subject. Fill up the general space around the paper or canvas and remember to preserve white space. Try to be intuitive and fluid about where you place lines and shapes. No judgment! No pressure! No hurry! Just ENJOY!!!

I am always inspired by the creative process. I also experience joy when passing on a skill or process to someone who hungers to know and to learn. In all that we do—even in our making of art—the very nature of our Creator resounds because it is in Him that we live and move and have our being.

“God is ‘The Creator’! According to scripture ‘without Him was not anything made that was made...’ so, yes, that means ‘everything’ is His handiwork. I pray that the ‘nature and likeness of God dwell richly in You and in me as we pursue beauty and promise through His mysterious presence.”
— Reference: John 1: 1–14
THIS IS THE FINAL ART PIECE, DIGITIZED INTO A MOCKUP OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE “FRAMED AND HANGING” IN A COOL BOUTIQUE.

THIS IS THE FINAL ART PIECE, DIGITIZED INTO A MOCKUP OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE “FRAMED AND HANGING” IN A COOL BOUTIQUE.