An oil portrait painting of a young woman with ivory skin and dark round eyes, wearing a rose in her black hair. The tilt of her head and longing in her eyes invites the viewer to reminisce youthful beauty and vulnerability. One can't help but wonder what secrets and dreams she holds in her heart.
Many of Tali's portrait sitters have expressed how the intimate process of being painted was profoundly therapeutic. The portrait session is usually relaxing and self-affirming. Tali is uniquely committed to making commissioned portraits affordable and accessible. Her roll as a portraitist takes in many forms depending on the needs of her sitters. She is inspired by concepts embedded within the study of sociology, anthropology, and psychology, and of course the qualities of light and color inherent in her favorite impressionist artists artwork.
Community Remains is a series of 51 oil portraits painted from life. The portrait paintings were part of a virtual online exhibition May 2020 at Disjecta Contemporary Art Center for Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft (now closed).
Read the thesis in a four part blog. The display includes Tali’s insightful self portrait that exudes the contemporary perspective of a woman artist. View project portfolio.
Formally a graphic designer and illustrator, visual artist Talya Johnson (Tali) is a modern art impressionist painter living in the Pacific Northwest. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Oregon College of Art and Craft (OCAC) and Pacific Northwest College of Art (PNCA) at Portland Oregon. Tali's original contemporary art is largely figurative (though she also offers abstract canvas wall art) and stylistically influenced by both the French Impressionist style and traditional Academic Realism. Ever vibrant, her modern impressionist paintings are painterly accounts of her modern life contemporary perspective. Whether creating an oil portrait, still life, or abstract landscape with a palette knife, Tali believes in recording what she has experienced first hand. Painting and drawing from life in the impressionism style whenever possible she imbues her visible brushstrokes with a liminal dream-like quality that dances between realism and idealism.
Filled with colour and light, Tali's floral wall art, landscape painting, commissioned portraits, impressionist painting, and home decor accessories are cherished around the world by numerous art collectors.
Talya Johnson makes art that will withstand the test of time. The enduring nature of pastel and original oil painting has long interested this fine artist who is conceptually driven by idea of heirlooms and artifacts. A true artisan, her passion for art history and contemporary craft includes all the essential elements of commitment to quality: education from the best sources and painters of Impressionist art, attention to detail, years of honing her craft through trial and error, and a tenacious dedication to both the form, function and longevity of her Impressionist work.
In 2019 Tali had the privilege of studying Art Conservation in Florence, Italy to ensure her oil painting technique is modeled after time-honored traditional methods. While in art school, Tali enjoyed experimenting with materials and multi-media techniques, she uses archival materials for her professional practice. Her works of art are lovingly crafted to be treasured for many generations to come, inscribing your own footprint into the annals of history.
