Upstream Painting

Born in South Wales, UK Steffan Johnson has had a constant instinct to draw and paint. From his efforts in school to his continued desire to study life through nature he has sought to follow traditional methods and means to convey the spirit of his subject. His background in Fine Art (BA Hons) and a continued grounding in artist workshops such as London Atelier of Representational Art and the Angel Academy of Art, Florence are the backbone to his work. With all that nature and its suggestions inspire, this is the core to Steffan Johnson’s work. To see and appreciate that which is before us in its complex but simple expression. 2017. ‘’In any medium, art in the fine art sense is an expression of the inward working of the soul. The thoughts, thinking and concepts of a person, as an artist, are expressions. My art work is an expression of an impression on the mind and heart to nature and to what I react to and want to capture from the world around me, be that a person reading, or a collection of books or a composition of bronze objects with fruit. When I paint landscape out of doors this is the rawest experience of this, but sometimes this happens in the quiet of a studio.’’ Steffan Johnson is an artist from Caerphilly, South Wales. He earned his BA degree from the Carmarthen University and has also studied in Bath Spa University. He graduated in 2005. He found his interest in art when he was studying at school, and has pursued painting and drawing since, but found his creative niche in oil paintings and mixed media drawings. His work has recently been inspired by the history of his home village, Machen, as well as the aesthetics of oil paints in simple still life set ups. He has also a PGCE (PCET) which has given him an invaluable experience in teaching students the joys of Art. He has shown work in diverse places from Bath Abbey to the Washington Gallery in Penarth, The Riverfront in Newport and Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Pwllheli. He has studied in LARA (London Academy of Representational Art) and at the Angel Academy, Florence, Italy.