Cynthia Farrell Johnson is a fan of vibrant colors. Her works in gouache and acrylic have been inspired by the people she met and places where she lived during 25 years of globetrotting as a U.S. diplomat. Service in West Africa, Central and South America exposed her to a wide variety of artistic traditions and forms of expression. Her role models to this day are Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold and Vincent Van Gogh.

Cynthia currently makes her home in Silver Spring, Maryland, and draws much of her inspiration from the Washington, D.C. region. A member of the Rockville Art League, Strathmore, Black Artists of DC, Artomatic, and the Washington chapter of Women’s Caucus for Arts, Johnson is also included in the Maryland State Artists Registry. More of her work can be seen in numerous local venues, including the Parish Gallery of Georgetown, Art Spring (Pyramid Atlantic's Community Art Store) or Wesley Theological Seminary in Northwest Washington, D.C. where she is the Artist in Residence until December 2011.

Solo Exhibition
January 29 - March 4, 2012
Opening reception: Sunday, January 29, 5:00 pm
Metropolitan Memorial UMC
3401 Nebraska Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016

"Ms. Johnson has ... developed a series of watercolors illustrating the lives of the five women who are listed in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17). The story of Bathsheba is interpreted by Ms. Johnson using a single scene which illustrates King David’s first glimpse of Bathsheba when she is bathing unobserved, she assumes. Bathsheba’s innocence and vulnerability are illustrated in the painting by the depiction of only the back of her head with her hair floating about her. As a married woman, her hair should be decorously bound; however, Bathsheba assumes she is alone, so she has let her hair, her “crowning glory,” free to spread around her. For one brief moment we, who know the denouement of the story, see her virtue and her helplessness in the freely flowing curls."

Marilu Wood
Curator, Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church
Washington, D.C.