Mandy Johnson
A Measure of Wandering
May 1 - 29, 2026
Opie Gallery | LVAC
A Measure of Wandering brings together drawings shaped by years of travel — through the Ozarks of Missouri, across the American landscape, into the mountains of Southern California, and through parts of Europe. Created from lived experience, these works reflect a search for movement both geographic and personal.
Atmospheric and at times moody, the drawings capture fleeting moments encountered along trails, highways, and unfamiliar terrain. Rather than documenting specific destinations, they consider wandering as a form of discovery.
Each piece begins with a watercolor or gouache wash that establishes tone and movement. Pencil drawing follows, building structure and quiet detail. The interplay between fluid color and deliberate line mirrors the experience of exploration itself — open, reflective, and attentive.
Artist Statement:
Growing up in Iowa and the Ozarks of Missouri gave me a lasting connection to the natural world that continues to guide my work. Early experiences in dense forests and expansive Midwestern skies shaped my awareness of atmosphere and subtle change. Later, nearly twenty years in the mountains of Southern California deepened that relationship through hiking, elevation, and immersion in desert and alpine terrain.
Over time, my travels extended far beyond those regions. I have wandered across much of the United States and through several parts of Europe, often by road or on foot. These journeys have been both outward explorations and inward inquiries. Moving through unfamiliar landscapes sharpens my attention — to light, weather, architecture, silence, and balance.
My work explores the relationship between people and the natural world, often focusing on quiet, fleeting moments of connection. I am interested in mood more than literal description. A solitary tree, a distant structure, shifting light through leaves — these understated moments hold emotional weight.
I begin each drawing with a watercolor or gouache wash to establish tone and movement. Over this surface, I build layers of pencil and sometimes colored pencil. The fluidity of paint combined with the precision of line creates depth and texture, reflecting both the calm and vitality I experience in nature.
For me, art is a way to reflect and connect. Through these works, I hope to invite viewers into a slower way of seeing — one that recognizes landscape as both physical environment and emotional terrain.
Artist Bio:
Mandy Johnson is a Midwest-born artist whose work explores landscape, travel, and the relationship between people and the natural world. Raised in Iowa and the Ozarks of Missouri, she developed an early connection to dense forests and expansive terrain that continues to inform her practice.
She later spent nearly twenty years living in the mountains of Southern California, where hiking and extended road travel became central to her creative life. Her travels have taken her across much of the United States and through several parts of Europe, experiences that deeply shape the atmosphere and perspective of her work.
Working in pencil over watercolor or gouache washes, she creates layered drawings that combine fluid color with detailed line. Her work reflects a sustained engagement with landscape as a site of reflection, solitude, and discovery.
She currently lives and works in Kansas City. An alumna of the Kansas City Art Institute, she now works at the institution where she completed her studies, deepening her connection to its creative community. Having relocated to Kansas City from California within the last two years, she actively lives, works, and exhibits her artwork in the city.