Aaron Johnson

Anne, Aaron, and Valley Oak

The first five years of my life were spent within national parks in Washington, Oregon, and California, and since then nature has been my starting point. Nature's role in human life and our attitudes toward it form central concerns in my work.

My interest in art began by the time I was given my first set of oil paints at age five. Formal education in art came much later, primarily at the University of California at Santa Cruz where I studied painting, printmaking, and drawing.

My education in printing continued when I moved to Covelo, California, where I learned the craft of letterpress printing and printed limited-edition books for The Yolla Bolly Press. While living in remote Round Valley, I had time for observing nature and beginning my Tree series.

Throughout my life I have been fortunate to travel, most recently with my wife Anne Cappiello in Ecuador, Peru and Mexico. The way that people have adapted to dramatically different environments has always fascinated me. When looking at art, it often seems that ancient cultures formed the most intimate relationships with the places they called home.

In 2002 I moved back to Santa Cruz county, where Anne teaches Spanish at Harbor High School. My studio is located at our home just north of Watsonville.

Please scroll down to view my résumé. Exhibitions include the San Diego Museum of Art, Monterey Museum of Art, University of California at Santa Cruz, and Stanford University.

Résumé

Aaron Johnson

Born: 1961, Puyallup, Washington

Education:

University of California at Santa Cruz - Postgraduate Program Certificate in Art
Fifth-year program in studio art, emphasis in painting and drawing, 1988

Il Bisonte International School of Graphic Art, Florence, Italy
Intaglio printmaking courses, Fall, 1983

University of California at Santa Cruz - Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art
Emphasis in painting and printmaking, 1983
Chancellor’s Undergraduate Award (solo recipient in visual arts) 1983
University of California Regents’ Scholarship, 1979-83

Center for Environmental Structure, Berkeley, California
Apprenticeship with architect Christopher Alexander, June-October, 1981

Solo Exhibitions:

1998 - Round Valley Resource Center, Covelo, CA
1996 - James Irvine Gallery, Stanford University, CA
1988 - University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1983 - University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1980 - Round Valley Inn, Covelo, CA

Selected Group Exhibitions:

2008 - Delta National Small Prints Exhibition (purchase award), Bradbury Gallery, Arkansas State Univ.
2007 - Annual Print Sale, Oakland Museum Collector's Gallery, Oakland, CA
2007 - Landscapes, Ironwood Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
2007 - 77th Annual Statewide Exhibit (Best of Show award), Santa Cruz Art League, CA
2006 - California Masters, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz, CA
2005 - Monterey Museum of Art Biennial, Monterey, CA
2005 - Landscape Trio, Nido, Moss Landing, CA
2004 - Go Figure, Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Arts, Santa Cruz, CA
2004 - Erickson Gallery, Healdsburg, CA
2003 - STARS, The Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz, CA
2003 - 73rd Annual Statewide Exhibit, Santa Cruz Art League, CA
2002 - The American Landscape, A Nationwide Survey, Santa Cruz Art League, CA
1998 - Artists Guild All California Juried Exhibition, San Diego Museum of Art, CA
1995 - The Garden Show, The Pope Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA
1995 - UCSC Printers, Pajaro Valley Gallery, Watsonville, CA
1994 - The Spring Show, Round Valley Center for the Arts, Covelo, CA
1992 - Round Valley Center for the Arts, Covelo, CA
1989 - An Understanding with the Hills, University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1989 - Exemplary Contemporary, University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1988 - Art in Process, University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1988 - Exemplary Contemporary, University of California at Santa Cruz, CA
1982 - Prints Related to Literature, Film, and Typography, UC Santa Cruz, CA

Professional Experience:

Cabrillo College, Aptos, California
Instructor. Woodcut and Relief Printmaking. Spring 2004

The Yolla Bolly Press, Covelo, California
Head Pressman. Letterpress printing of limited-edition books (approximately thirty), including production planning and scheduling, typesetting, assisting in design, preparing text and illustration layouts, providing instructions to the bindery, and teaching and supervising apprentices, 1982-2002.
Illustrator. Cut and printed a suite of eight color woodcuts for the first edition of John Fowles’ essay The Nature of Nature. Printed this essay and The Tree as a limited edition for the Press. 1995

University of California at Santa Cruz
Beginning Drawing Instructor. Spring 1988
Intaglio Printmaking Studio Manager and Technician. 1987-8
Teaching Assistant. Taught with professor Kathryn Metz and visiting artist Zarina Hashmi in beginning intaglio and relief printmaking courses. 1987-8

Related Experience:

Round Valley Unified School District, Covelo, California
Artist-in-Residence. Drawing and printing instruction for elementary school students in the “Arts Alive” program. Round Valley was among thirteen schools commissioned by the State Department of Education to develop a model arts program. 2000-1

Round Valley Community Theater, Covelo, California
Volunteer. Art direction, set painting and construction, and acting for most of the Theater’s productions. Painted on canvas the 8’x 24’ forest-scene backdrop for the 1999 performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 1990-2001