There are several things setting Jay J. Johnson apart from the pack. First and foremost is the art itself. Johnson seeks to go beyond depicting the everyday splendor of the wilderness and wildlife he knows so well. He goes one step further, waiting to immortalize a scene only when everything – the light, the animals, and the environment – is captured in the “perfect moment”.

  In his art, Johnson adds the artistry to the natural beauty of the scene. One of Johnson’s first prints was “Wolf Creek” in which the wolves are always moving, not posing. “Wolves are always prowling around, so it’s a natural way to show them.” Johnson’s choice of wolves was a heartfelt one. “When I look at wolves, I see something mysterious and intelligent”, Johnson explains. “They’re very alert, strong, and ready for action. Because of all those things, wolves are captivating.”

  Johnson’s attractiveness is conveyed through his artistry, created over many years of study, exploration, and research. “I believe I’ve covered more distance under my own power than any other artist in the United States”, he says.” I hope that, through my paintings, people can see things the way I do and appreciate what they might otherwise have passed by. Nature has enormous value, far more than anything we have created, and I like to draw attention to that.” – Jay Johnson            

  This artist puts the wilderness, and the wildlife who resides there, on a pedestal. It holds an esteemed place in his heart and his art reflects that reverence. “I paint,” he says, “because I have such a great appreciation for the natural world.” That appreciation came early. Living most of his childhood on the coast of Massachusetts, his family summered in Maine where Johnson eagerly explored the hills and forests and he would draw what he discovered. The fascination for all things outdoors didn’t diminish with his teen years. When he was seventeen he spent seventy days in New Hampshire climbing forty-seven of the White Mountains’ highest peaks in one continuous, marathon hiking and camping trip. He studied abstract painting and natural sciences at Cornell University, with a particular appreciation of entomology. Not surprisingly, graduation saw him continue his wanderlust. He spent the next year and a half covering ten thousand miles of wild America, on foot, by bicycle and in a rowboat. “I passed through every kind of natural environment there is,” he says. “Mountains, rivers, deserts and coastlines.” Finally he set about to paint full-time, his images communicating the idealized glow of nature at its best. There is a roundness and perfection in Johnson’s view, reflecting his feelings for the wild. His work has been exhibited at the Society of Animal Artists annual exhibition, is in the permanent collection of the esteemed Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum and has even been shown at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.