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Rusty

Johnson

Tulsa, OK

Wood

I will make no bad art!

Artist Statement

Artist Statement: My goal as an artist in wood is to help raise the level of woodcarving from folk craft to fine craft. My work is both serious and/or humorous, professionally executed, finely carved and finished. I want viewers to say “I wish I could do that,” and I want other wood artists to say “I wish I had done that.”

Artist Bio

University of Tulsa, BA in Commercial Art, 1965

Geisler Moroder Woodcarving School, Elbigenalp, Austria, 2009

Juried art shows including: VisionMakers 2010, 2012, 2014, OKFriendly 2010, OKFriendly 2011, Oh Tulsa! 2017, 2019, State of the Craft 2019.

2012 Tulsa Artist Studio Tour sponsored by the Oklahoma Visual Arts Commission.

Recent Awards:

2012-2018 International Woodcarvers Congress various awards including 2018 Judges Choice Award

2011 Woodcarving Illustrated Magazine Annual Carving Design Contest: Best in contest, Best in category - Caricature

2006-2018 Caricature Carvers of America various Awards

2018 Invited Art Show “Trees” Tulsa Performing Arts Center

2019 Invited Art Show “Masks” Oklahoma Equality Center

Storytelling Mask: Coyote and the Frog People
The Adventures of the Lone Ranger
Storytelling Mask: Coyote and the Frog People
The Adventures of the Lone Ranger
The Welcoming Committee
The Welcoming Committee
The Four Elements
The Four Elements
Mark Twain Miniature
Mark Twain Miniature
What-A-Gnome
What-A-Gnome
Baroque Cherub
Baroque Cherub
The Minotaur
The Minotaur
Possum Pet
Possum Pet
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Mama's Gone Fishin'
Charlie Dons the Rabbit Mask and Instantly Becomes Swamp Rabbit
Geronimo's Spirit: War Paint
Charlie Dons the Rabbit Mask and Instantly Becomes Swamp Rabbit
Geronimo's Spirit: War Paint
Santa's Work is Never Done
Santa's Work is Never Done
The Kingfisher
The Kingfisher
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