Virtual Art Tour

Jay J. Johnson, American

Caged Walk

Jay Johnson's childhood in Massachusetts was spent growing up on a small peninsula, nearly surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. This early contact with the sea, and the woods of New England, initiated his life-long passion for nature. At 17, he climbed all 48 of the highest peaks in the White Mountains National Forest in New Hampshire, becoming the first and youngest person to do so. Since then he has walked and paddled through virtually every environment in America, from mountain top to river valley to desert to off-shore island, traversing more terrain than any other American artist.

In 1981 and 1982, after graduation from Cornell University he completed one of the longest wilderness journeys around America, a 10,000-mile trek in 16 months, hiking, paddling and bicycling around the entire United States. At Cornell he studied both natural history and art, gaining in-depth scientific knowledge about his subjects while at the same time learning the techniques of painting and the fundamentals of abstract art, receiving a bachelor of science degree in 1980.

After his cross-country journey, Johnson began communicating his love for nature through his paintings. These paintings have since been exhibited in the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and in more than 30 museums nationwide, including the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyo., the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wis. and the Colorado Museum in Denver.