Johansen Newman

Day of the Dead, Original Painting

2021

Artist Comments
Artist Johansen Newman paints four women celebrating Dia de Los Muertos, a tribute to the festive Mexican holiday. "On this day, a community comes together to celebrate the memories of those who have passed away," shares Johansen. It speaks to the individuality of each life being celebrated and the personalized touch of each painted face and decorative costume.The piece comes with a hand-made vintage tramp art frame.

About the Artist
Artist Johansen Newman captures various characters through charming scenes that often weave nostalgia. A reflection of her fondness for edge and funk prevails in her dynamic portrayal of humans with animals and objects of their affection. As a toddler, her mother gave her crayons and allowed her to draw on the walls of her room. She pursued a degree in painting and printmaking, then furthered her education by studying with Bil Baird at his puppet theater in New York, ultimately forming her puppet troupe. Years of crafting puppets, designing scenery, writing stories, and performing shows developed her arsenal of skills—going on to be an award-winning fiber artist exhibiting throughout North America. She integrates these learnings into her current art practice. "My paintings capture fragments of a tale in a time and place that was, is, or has the promise to become," says Johansen. She works at her studio and display gallery at Gorse Mill Studios, a 19th Century textile mill building in Needham, MA. Her woodworking shop doubles as her home studio, where she constantly evolves her compositions to satisfy her aesthetic. Johansen's work has been featured on the cover of local publications, in pictorial essays, and toured museums across the United States. She was a professional and published illustrator for more than 35 years, including two dozen children's books, three of which she also wrote. Besides creating art, she finds herself an enthusiast of vintage collectibles, jukeboxes, signages, tin toys, neon lights, cookie jars, carnival chalkware, folk art, and an eclectic collection of fine crafts.

Words that describe this painting: day of the dead, dia de los muertos, sugar skull, Mexican, tramp art, make-up, people, women, portrait, group, flowers, festival, eyes, face, acrylicpaint, primitive, primitivism, vintage, people, primitive, acrylic painting, orange

Day of the Dead
Johansen Newman
Acrylic painting on canvas board
Finished edges
Ready to hang
One-of-a-kind
Signed on front and back
2021
27 in. h x 23.5 in. w x 1 in. d
3 lbs. 0 oz.