"The elusive and ever-changing roll of the cowboy hat brim, caught in the sunlight, is the most marvelous subject, visually, that I’ve ever encountered, and perhaps the most difficult to paint. I work hard to simplify the complex countenance of the cowboy– to relate his or her story with large, graphic shapes, a lively surface, color that speaks, is affectionate towards the light, and with a dynamic composition that is always attempting to break free of the boundaries of canvas. And at the same time, I’m attempting to capture an intensely personal, and fleeting, moment or mood. To me, landscapes are portraits as well, with the presence of life, if not a literal part of the image, very much implied."
Johne Richardson was born and raised in Kansas. He grew up with a fierce love of cowboys, history, the American West, the prairie, big skies, and wide-open spaces. His first experiences with art were the many drawings and paintings he worked on during his childhood. His love of art only grew with age, and he began his career as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City.
After working as a successful illustrator for Hallmark for more than thirty years, Johne returned to working on his own fine art.He began working on large canvas again, first with acrylic paint and now exclusively in oils.
Johne is an award-winning artist who has exhibited in juried shows across the nation. Johne was the Grand Prize Winner for the Paint America exhibit at Coutts Museum in El Dorado, KS in 2014 and in 2009. Johne has also won Best of Show at Buttonwood Gallery's Vision of the Flint Hills" in 2015, Best of Show at Art in the Center, and he is a Gold Medal Winner in Oil Painter's of America's Western Regional Exhibition in 2015 and a Silver Medal Winner at the same exhibit in 2020. Johne is a member of the Master's Circle of the PaintAmerica Association, and is also a signature member of the Kansas Watercolor Society and a signature member of Oil Painters of America.
When he's not in the studio, Johne is generally out roaming the prairie, wandering in the mountains, finding new landscapes and cowboys for his paintings.
Johne lives and works in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife Janet. They have three grown children.