SECOND SURGERY • Lilly
marker on paper
This haunting portrait encapsulates the upended existence of a woman emerging victorious from her cancer treatment. The hat has become an icon used by the artist as a symbol of perseverance and grit. In a recent lecture, she explained, “ Women may give up their hair, but they never give up their beauty.”
Read MoreMAKING MONEY | MAKING CENTS • Lilly
mixed media • 6.14” x 2.61”
The mission of this soon-to-be-famous artist is to make the world more beautiful. In this extraordinary collage, the artist has mixed jewels, a variety of heavily saturated translucent colors, along with a self-portrait of herself as George Washington’s replacement, and blackened edges reminiscent of printer’s ink. Lilly’s work offers hidden surprises. The serial number of the bill is surrounded by the letters L at the front and J at the end (LJ are her initials). You will also note she has split “The United States of America” into separate red and blue areas, alluding to the divided politics. The artist is telling us that despite the chaos, conflict, and intolerance, we can still make something beautiful.
Read MoreLILLY JOHNSON • pencil and crayon on construction paper
This work was inspired by the artist’s study of ancient Roman mural painting. This piece is done in the ornate style where paintings are made to create the illusion of looking out of a window. The scene is lively pool party in peril from a melting red sun. The successful bidder is invited to contact the artist to hear the complete story of this fascinating scene and the nail-biting tale behind it.
Read MorePRESLEY JOHNSON • glue and foil on cardboard
The artist’s piece was inspired by her study of Mayan temple decorations, particularly the decorative columns called “stele.” These ancient works traditionally depict symbols which represent stories of nature, their people, and their gods. This original design uses stylized vision of the Illuminati symbol The society was formed in Bavaria in 1776. Their goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and abuses of state power. At the encouragement of the Catholic Church, they were outlawed in 1787 and went underground. They are said to be responsible for the French Revolution. In modern times, they are still vilified. They are alleged to conspire to control world affairs, by masterminding events and planting agents in governments and corporations, in order to gain political power and influence and to establish a New World Order. Central to some of the more widely known and elaborate conspiracy theories, the Illuminati have been depicted as lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings and levers of power in dozens of novels, films, television shows, comics, video games, and music videos. Many allege Presley is their youngest member.
Read MoreLILLY JOHNSON • pencil and glue on cardboard
The artist’s piece was inspired by her study of Mayan temple decorations, particularly the decorative columns called “stele.” These ancient works traditionally depict symbols which represent stories of nature, their people, and their gods. This original design uses traditional religious imagery to depict a new view of a crucifix. At its center, we see a fallen Jesus Christ crushed by a joyful heart in the center of the cross. This symbolism is rendered in erasable pencil to highlight the frailty of such mental constructs and beliefs. This is further contrasted against a 3-dimensional reality of symbolic mountains and streams, and the circular symbol of earth. Their 3-d effect was achieved by outlining selected parts of the foundational drawing with lines of glue pressed into the cardboard.
Read MoreLILLY JOHNSON • marker and colored pencil on construction paper
This self-portrait portrays her exuberance for going back to school after summer break. This expressive pattern portrait uses a variety of patterns to add to the feeling of celebration. Note patterns in the dress, scarf, unicorn headband, and hair. The eyes, smile, and eye brows were carefully rendered to communicate positive emotions. An unfortunate black paint mark across the face turned out to be serendipitous. The artist salvaged her work by turning an unsightly smudge into a witch’s giant fingernail failing to pierce the subject’s smile and joy.
Read MoreLILLY JOHNSON • acrylic on simulated rock face
Ancient humans are not the only ones who like to paint on the walls of caves. Lilly made this exciting abstract design, inspired by the famous Lascaux caves in France. Enthusiasts of Lilly’s work know she likes to have a surprise element in each of her pieces. It makes us wonder what prehistoric story is being told in this setting? When asked, Lilly challenged viewers to find the flower.
Read MoreLILLY JOHNSON • pencil and glue on cardboard
The artist’s piece was inspired by her study of ancient Greek vessels, particularly the decorative vases and wine containers. These ancient works traditionally depict symbols or stories of their people or the Greek gods. This original design is a wine vessel and with a stylized portrait of Dionysus, especially known as a god of wine and ecstasy. The discerning critic will appreciate how the treatment of the eyebrows captures the aura of drunkenness. The handle, shaped like a heart, represents the ecstatic love that often follows a night of drinking and debauchery, as the ancient Greeks could attest. Lilly is a connoisseur of fine wine thanks to the able tutelage of her parents.
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