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“If you spend enough time with a piece of paper and a pencil, amazing things can happen.”

Representational oil painter Benjamin M. Johnson’s paintings weave together a wide range of subjects, including ecology, art history, science, spirituality, and culture. He refers to his photorealistic paintings as visual poems, each intended to offer a moment of expanded perspective.

Benjamin’s paintings are an invitation to connect, to feel alive. To see the world in a fresh new way. In a rock, or a feather, or the wing of a butterfly.

From his studio in Tucson, AZ, Benjamin peels back the canvas and lets us peer into the mind that finds peace in the details.

“ I often compare being a professional artist with being a professional gambler. I will spend months in the studio on a set of new paintings that may be successful or may fall short of my expectations, but I have learned that all of my significant development as a painter came from the times that I stretched myself and took some risks.”

— Benjamin M. Johnson

Q. What are the rewards of being an artist?

A. There are so many rewards to being an artist, but I have to say the top of the list is connection. I have all of these things going on in my brain that go into my paintings. But then to talk to people and find out about the connections, the memories, the thoughts that my work inspires in them. I love that.

Q. What’s inspiring to you these days?

I’m always inspired by small things. The way light moves across a wall, or moss growing in an interesting pattern on a fencepost, or the worn finish on the handle of an old, well-used paintbrush. Taking a moment out of a busy day to stop and notice these small things is essential to me, especially these days. They remind me that the world is full of wonders if we take the time to look for them.

Q. What’s your favorite thing to do on the Vineyard?

There’s so much I love to do on the island. But walking the Aquinnah beach at Gayhead would take the grand prize for me. I love that beach. Being under the gaze of those magical clay cliffs while watching the patterns of beautiful beach stones pass underfoot. You just can’t beat that.

Q. How do you compose your paintings? Is there a sketch phase, or do you move intuitively within the canvas? Do you work from memory, a photograph, or another medium? Does work begin with a lyric? A color?

I always start with a real-world experience that intrigues me. I see an interesting subject that feels metaphorical or notice an object that seems to have some story in it. I make sketches, take notes and photographs, and then build up my paintings from these references. Each one is painted a little differently, depending on the concept, but usually, I add multiple layers of oil paint over the course of many weeks at the easel. During that time, the spark that initially intrigued me about the subject becomes even clearer. The painting explains itself to me. It’s a very mysterious process, and not every painting works out, but with a lot of patience, the paint slowly transforms and reveals the way in the process. In the end, I want the painting to be informed by the initial real-world experience but have its own energy. Have its own story. That’s when I know a painting is done.

Q. What would a first-time visitor notice about your art studio space?

A lot of people who visit my studio comment on how neat and organized it is. The Feng shui of my studio is really important to me. The creative process itself is so mysterious and open-ended, and I’ve found the more organized my space and my tools are, the more open that I can be to that artistic process. If I’m spending ten minutes looking for a ruler or a particular tube of paint, that’s the precious creative energy that’s being misdirected away from the work. I know and respect other artists who thrive in messy spaces, but I’ve always been a neat nick! It's my way.