Lulu Marketplace

"The Fairy Art of Howard David Johnson"
“Howard David Johnson’s work is really extraordinary---comparisons to the best of the Pre-Raphaelites immediately spring to mind ( Many of his paintings remind me of a kind of hybrid of Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rosetti). Of modern genre artists, only a handful, such as Kinuko Craft and M W Kaluta, are doing work of this caliber. In this collection, however Johnson’s art lies firmly in the tradition of the great fairy painters of the 19th century. Artists such as Maclise, Paton, Simmons and Grimshaw come immediately to mind. None of whom would have any reason to feel embarrassed about welcoming Johnson into their company.
I am... More > especially impressed by Johnson’s deft handling of light and color and his sure sense of composition. He pays close attention to detail without allowing it to overwhelm his images---in large part due to the strong underpinnings of his compositions.
If I were to have any misgivings they are reserved to two relatively minor issues. The first is that many of his women look too contemporary---as if a magazine model suddenly found herself dropped into a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The second is really only a personal prejudice of mine against mermaids with knees.
Barring these two admittedly minor quibbles, I not only recommend Johnson’s work with enthusiasm, I urge readers to and collectors of fine fantasy art to purchase this book immediately.”

Ron Miller, artist and author of the Hugo-nominated “The Grand Tour”
< Less