George Johanson was a painter, printmaker, and ceramic tile artist. George Johanson was married to Phyllis Burnham.
Johanson met his wife Phyllis Burnham, a Canadian while doing alternative service with a Quaker group in Mexico in 1953-1955. In 1955, they married in Portland, and their son Aaron was born in 1958.
Johanson was well-known among art enthusiasts for his mastery of both painting and printmaking, as well as for a few recurring themes in many of his works, such as long-taut leaping cats or volcanoes erupting in the background.
To his friends and students, he was also known for his sly wit and enjoyment of playing the piano.
Almost two decades ago, he published Equivalents, a fascinating book of drawings consisting of portraits of eighty Oregon artists, each made in a single hour-long sitting: He was looking for an impression of personality rather than accuracy of detail, though he’s always had a fine hand.”
George Johanson who was a major and beloved Pacific Northwest artist whose career spanned more than 70 years, died from heart failure on Friday night, October 14, 2022. He was 94.