The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 23, 1981, Image 4

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Page 4 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1981
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ENCHILADA DINNER
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Local
State artist focuses
on animal kingdom
—^ V MEXICAN '-'-^RESTAURANTS
1816 Texas Ave. • 823-8930
907 Highway 30 • 693-2484
KEN MEDEMA
IN
CONCERT
SEPTEMBER 27
7 P.M.
FIRST BAPTIST
CHURCH,
BRYAN
28th 6c Texas
By LISA SURMAN
Battalion Reporter
Jim Johnson of Bryan has fo
cused his work on animals as a
veterinarian, a federal researcher
and now as a professional artist.
Johnson, who received his doc
torate in veterinary medicine from
Texas A&M University in 1969, in
May was named the Texas Artist of
the Year for 1982-83.
“I don’t actually become the
state artist until April or May of
next year, ” he said in a recent in
terview at his home, “so I’m still
getting a lot of attention when I’m
really not the state artist yet.”
Johnson, who has been painting
professionally for three years, said
the state artist committee selects
two artists each session for the
award. The committee, which
meets once every two years, is
composed of three state senators,
three House members and three
members of the governor’s staff.
The artist spent three years in
private veterinary practice.
Johnson said he decided to quit
his practice in 1972. “I was work
ing by myself ... and did every
thing,” he said. I was the recep
tionist, the kennel-boy ... and at
that time really tired of it.
“I had had this interest, or at
least I thought I did, in research.
The opportunity came along to do
it and I accepted it, ” he said. John
son did toxicology research, which
studies the effects of insecticides
on animals, for the U.S. Depart
ment of Agriculture until 1978.
The decision to paint profes
sionally “was totally my decision,”
Johnson said. “My friends and re
latives thought I was crazy. I
didn’t want to continue working in
research anymore. I didn’t like it.
When you work for the bureaucra
cy of government, you see a lot of
the problems and do a lot of things
that have no point ... It was that
kind of work — a lot of busy work. ”
The artist, originally from Mid
land, said he is totally self-taught.
“I did a lot of sketchings and draw
ings when I was little, but never
was interested in it enough to go to
school for it,” he said.
Johnson said he was painting a
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RATES EFFECTIVE AS OF
September 22, 1981
Rates are subject to change daily
(in the case of Investor Accounts),
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Savings
Main Office: 2800 Texas Avenue / Bryan
Branch Offices: Bryan • Brenham • Buffalo • Caldwell • Centerville
College Station • Hearne • Huntsville • Madisonville • Normangee
lot before he decided to become a
professional. “You have to really
work hard at developing it. It’s not
something you just dive into and
not have any experience with ...
It’s a very competitive and cut
throat business.”
He said, “Being a veterinarian
helps me with the animal’s ana
tomy. Everything I paint I’m in
volved with to some degree.
That’s the only way I can really
paint with confidence.”
Seventy-five to 80 percent of his
paintings are oils and the rest are
water colors. Johnson said he is
primarily commissioned by a
client who specifies what he wants
painted and the price he will pay.
Johnson’s prices range form $75 to
$10,000.
“The price sets the limit as to
the size and how complex it is,”
Johnson said. “Otherwise, every
thing else is left totally up to me. ”
Johnson said he’s not the only
artist in his family. His aunt, Mar
go Clark, was a professional artist
whose work is included in the pri
vate art collections of Bob Hope,
Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis and
Red Skelton, he said.
Johnson said Clark influenced
him greatly but never knew it be
cause she died in 1966, six years
before Johnson first tried to paint.
Johnson said good artists are
constantly improving. “I can do a
painting and three months later ...
wish I could do differently,” he
said.
Johnson, whose paintings have
been sold all over the country,
said he reserves October to De
cember for getting new material
and clients. “I may not be actually
painting, but I’m still creating
something in my mind,” he said.
During the rest of the year,
Johnson said he spends six to 10
hours a day, seven days a week,
painting.
The most expensive painting
Johnson has done was a 30 by 40
inch painting of the daughter of
Secretariat (the 1973 Triple
Crown winner), he said. It sold for
$10,000 and took seven weeks to
paint.
Johnson said he will be concen
trating on shows and exhibits in
the next year. As state artist, he
will have a show in the Capitol
Rotunda.
V
Staff photo by Greg C«
Texas Artist of the Year, Jim Johnson, demonstrates his(
at his Bryan studio.
An exhibit showing some of
Johnson’s work will be shown in
the lobby area of the Former Stu
dent’s Association from mid-April
until mid-May, Jim Reynolds, Di
rector of the Memorial Student
Center said. He said the exhibit
will be sponsored by the MSC
Arts Committee and the Former
Student’s Association.
Johnson’s wife, Jocille, said she
is always amazed with her hus
band’s work. “I never know what
he’s going to create,” she said.
“He says there’s enough distortion
in the world that we need c
thing ... realistic.”
When asked to sum up liis
Johnson said, "It’s always® |
taut to remember, therejiln
going to be a lesser and ape:
than you are. Just about tie 1:
you think you’re pretty f®
there’s somebody around thee
ner who’s a lot better...so: I
main thing is just to keep re* I
bering what you do, haves I
fidence.. .and continue to be
best that you can — evervt-
else will take care of itself. 1
Houston Ballet to presen)
Norwegian fantasy play
The Houston Ballet, sponsored
by the MSC Opera and Perform
ing Arts Society, will perform
“Peer Gynt,” the story of a wan
derer’s adventures, tonight at 8
p.m. in Rudder Auditorium.
Based on the Norwegian fan
tasy play by Henrik Isben, “Peer
Gynt” is one of the largest touring
shows ever produced by the
Houston Ballet. The ballet is per
formed in classic form, and follows
the life of a wandering, selfish
young man as he falls in love, bat
tles monsters and gains and loses a
fortune.
The ballet took director Ben
Stevenson seven years to create.
“I’d wanted to do a ballet with a
story and this had always tugged at
me,” he said. “I’ve mostly done
ballets about women, but this was
different — about a man, but of
course with very good roles for
About 150 seats for theh
are still available in the sec
balcony, Debbie Murray,
Box Office employee, said Tc
day. The tickets are
dents and $7 for non-students
Damon Crenshaw, MSC OH
chairman, said season ticket!*
ses are also still available
ses give students a 20 percentc
count on all MSC
tions.
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Looking-It's A//in The
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