Johanna Spinks is a British-born,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

–based

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) and lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

portrait artist. Spinks is primarily a portrait artist of heirloom, family, corporate, religious, and bridal portraits, but also a landscape and

still life A still life (: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, human-m ...

painter. Spinks' work has been featured in

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

, American Artist Magazine, along with TV appearances and radio broadcasts on L.A. TALK Live and OurVentura TV.

Biography

Spinks moved from the UK to New York aged 22, and worked as a makeup artist before becoming a professional painter. In addition to her commissioned work, Spinks has worked on two public portrait projects: "The Face of Malibu" and a similar series in Ventura. She worked on another series called "The Face of Charleston". In 2012, "The Face of Ventura" portrait collection was exhibited at the Martha V. Smith Pavilion at the Museum of Ventura County sponsored by the non-profit FOOD Share. This was followed by a solo show in 2014 at the Museum of Ventura County including an invitational artist's talk on the project. The 58 painted portraits of Ventura residents was donated to the museum's permanent collection. The museum held a solo show of Spinks' palette knife work, called "Going Under The Knife", at its Tool Room Gallery, in April 2016. Spinks' portrait work appeared in the

California Art Club The California Art Club (CAC) is one of the oldest and most active arts organizations in California. Founded in December 1909, it celebrated its centennial in 2009 and into the spring of 2010. The California Art Club originally evolved out of The ...

's annual events: the 102nd Gold Medal Exhibition at the Pasadena Museum of California Art; the 104th Gold Medal Exhibition at the USC Fisher Museum of Art; the 106th Gold Medal Exhibition at the

Autry Museum of the American West The Autry Museum of the American West (Autry National Center) is a museum in Los Angeles, California, dedicated to exploring an inclusive history of the American West. Founded in 1988, the museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and pub ...

, and at the 107th Gold Medal Exhibition at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles Spinks' mentor is seven-time presidential painter Everett Raymond Kinstler, N.A., who she trained under at

The Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study fu ...

and The National Academy of Design, New York.

Portrait Work

Henry Stern (California politician) Henry Isaac Stern (born April 12, 1982) is an American politician elected to the California State Senate. He is a Democrat representing the 27th district, encompassing parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. He was elected in November 2016 ...

, Face of Malibu series * Christopher "Kip" Forbes, Forbes Magazine *

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Kevin Costner, various accolades, including two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Primeti ...

, collection Museum of Ventura County * Bishop J. Jon Bruno, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles * Bishop William Alexander Guerry, Collection Grace Church, Charleston, South Carolina *

Angela Lansbury Dame Angela Brigid Lansbury (October 16, 1925 – October 11, 2022) was an Irish-British and American actress, producer, and singer. In a career spanning 80 years, she played various roles on stage and screen. Among her numerous accolades wer ...

, collection The Players' Club, New York *

Norman Rockwell Norman Percevel Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) was an American painter and illustrator. His works have a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of Culture of the United States, the country's culture. Roc ...

, collection The Players' Club New York * Arnold and Karen York

Awards

* The Daler Rowney Award for Painting Excellence at Oil Painters of America National Show in 2008. * The 2012 "Artist in the Community" recipient at the Mayor's Arts Awards event at the Ventura County Museum on November 15, 2012. * "Citizen of The Year Dolphin Award" presented by The Malibu Dolphin Charitable Foundation in March 2019.

References

External links

* "'Face of Malibu' Enters Pepperdine Collection" https://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_12c9dfb6-170b-11ec-9828-57df14ef8328.html * "Ventura County Reporter, "Creative Types, Not A Day Without Line https://www.vcreporter.com/2010/09/23/creative-types/ * The Ventura Breeze, The Face of Ventura Awards http://venturabreeze.com/2015/09/02/face-of-ventura-awards/ {{DEFAULTSORT:Spinks, Johanna Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British women painters British portrait painters 21st-century British women artists