Kansas-based artist Johne Richardson has always had a fierce love of cowboys and big skies. Growing up on the prairie and finding inspiration from the nearby Flint Hills, his artwork translates the grandeur of the West into dynamic compositions that leap from the canvas. Yet, he is equally attentive to the fleeting moment — fading light upon a cloud, the soft wrinkle of a brow, a tired horse shifting their weight.

Shadow into Shadow (10 x 20 oil)

Through a strong, intuitive quality of light, a distinct palette of bold colors, and masterful use of textured brushwork, he conveys character and nuance in his paintings. “I try to capture on canvas that which moves me when I see it,” Richardson says. “I’m attempting to paint an intensely personal moment or mood. To me, landscapes are portraits.”

To me, landscapes are portraits.

Leaving Santa Fe (16 x 20 oil)

Richardson will be hosted for a solo show titled “Rhythms & Ridgelines” at our Tucson gallery from March 2–31. The show features a new body of exemplary work that explores the interplay of shape and color in landscape. “Ridgelines let us know where we are. . . like pieces of a set on a stage,” observes Richardson. “The grand, marvelous stage of the outdoors.”