LocationKil, Sweden
Member SinceNovember 06, 2020
Johannes
Hyperrealist painter Johannes Wessmark was born in Karlstad, Sweden in 1962.
After working as an advertising illustrator for 15 years, he realized a dream to be a full-time fine artist in 2006.
Johannes has since become one of the leading photorealist painters in Europe,
having works exhibited in the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona and the Count Ibex Collection,
participated and placed in countless international competitions, and been included in several art publications.
His in-demand knowledge of photorealist painting has made his workshops and lectures
across Sweden and the United States a valued experience for collectors and peers,
and has self-published two books showcasing his specialized photorealist technique and style.
Johannes uses acrylic and oil paint on canvas to create his large-scale paintings of figures.
On the topic of this subjects, Johannes states, “In my paintings, I want to convey beauty and a feeling of calm and relaxation”
He has also painted stillifes, cars, landscapes, portraits and more.
Johannes is a member of The International Guild of Realism and lives and works as a painter in the Swedish countryside.
He have been working with computer graphics and illustrations for many years.
Now he is a fulltime artist and is working with galleries in both The Netherlands, Great Britain, Mexico and Sweden.
Interview:
Your brief history of life from childhood to now.
I was born in 1962 in Karlstad, Sweden. My mother was good at drawing so it is from her I have the talent I was born with. In high-school I started develop my paintings and was encourage by my teacher who told me I maybe could be an illustrator when I was older. She was more right then she knew. At age 26 I was hired by a marketing agency as a commercial illustrator. A few years later I started my own illustration-company. In the beginning the airbrush was my main tool but soon after I bought my first computer and started learning 3D and other graphic softwares. After 15 years with my company I decided to close it down and without any formal training in art, try to make a living as a full-time artist. Of course it was not very easy but I have had this dream for a long time. I was struggling hard for many years. Teaching painting at the high-school, exhibited and tried to sell my works, hold courses in airbrushing and photorealism, wrote a book and any other way you can think of for making a living from art. Now things are slowly going smother and today I have my own studio in an old school my wife and I bought in the beginning of this year. The next step is to get people outside of Sweden to recognize my name.
How and when did you start painting?
As any other child I was drawing both in school and at home. The difference with my drawings was they were very highly detailed for my age. In junior high I got good grades in drawing-class and I realized I had a talent for it and started mimic artists I liked. When I at age 24 was working as an ad compositor I showed a drawing to my boss. He liked it and bought it to use in an ad. You can only guess how proud I was! That gave me a nice push in the direction I have followed since.
Your favorite painting and its photo.
”Swimming at the cliffs” Acrylic and oil on canvas 46×32″ 116x82cm
My wife and I was taking a late swim by the lake Vänern in Sweden. The sun was going down and the light was amazing.
So lucky I got a nice shot with the camera.
Your costliest sold painting and photo
“Golden girl” Acrylic and oil on canvas 57″x38″ 145x96 cm
This painting was recently sold through a gallery in Mexico.
How do you earn money for family.
My three children are grown up and manage themselves and my wife is a dentist so
the money I make from my paintings are enough to buy paint, brushes and bread.
How much time do you take to complete a bigger project.
The most time-consuming paintings are the ones with a high level of detail.
Normally a painting as for instance ”Golden girl” take from six to eight weeks to complete when working full-time.
After working as an advertising illustrator for 15 years, he realized a dream to be a full-time fine artist in 2006.
Johannes has since become one of the leading photorealist painters in Europe,
having works exhibited in the European Museum of Modern Art in Barcelona and the Count Ibex Collection,
participated and placed in countless international competitions, and been included in several art publications.
His in-demand knowledge of photorealist painting has made his workshops and lectures
across Sweden and the United States a valued experience for collectors and peers,
and has self-published two books showcasing his specialized photorealist technique and style.
Johannes uses acrylic and oil paint on canvas to create his large-scale paintings of figures.
On the topic of this subjects, Johannes states, “In my paintings, I want to convey beauty and a feeling of calm and relaxation”
He has also painted stillifes, cars, landscapes, portraits and more.
Johannes is a member of The International Guild of Realism and lives and works as a painter in the Swedish countryside.
He have been working with computer graphics and illustrations for many years.
Now he is a fulltime artist and is working with galleries in both The Netherlands, Great Britain, Mexico and Sweden.
Interview:
Your brief history of life from childhood to now.
I was born in 1962 in Karlstad, Sweden. My mother was good at drawing so it is from her I have the talent I was born with. In high-school I started develop my paintings and was encourage by my teacher who told me I maybe could be an illustrator when I was older. She was more right then she knew. At age 26 I was hired by a marketing agency as a commercial illustrator. A few years later I started my own illustration-company. In the beginning the airbrush was my main tool but soon after I bought my first computer and started learning 3D and other graphic softwares. After 15 years with my company I decided to close it down and without any formal training in art, try to make a living as a full-time artist. Of course it was not very easy but I have had this dream for a long time. I was struggling hard for many years. Teaching painting at the high-school, exhibited and tried to sell my works, hold courses in airbrushing and photorealism, wrote a book and any other way you can think of for making a living from art. Now things are slowly going smother and today I have my own studio in an old school my wife and I bought in the beginning of this year. The next step is to get people outside of Sweden to recognize my name.
How and when did you start painting?
As any other child I was drawing both in school and at home. The difference with my drawings was they were very highly detailed for my age. In junior high I got good grades in drawing-class and I realized I had a talent for it and started mimic artists I liked. When I at age 24 was working as an ad compositor I showed a drawing to my boss. He liked it and bought it to use in an ad. You can only guess how proud I was! That gave me a nice push in the direction I have followed since.
Your favorite painting and its photo.
”Swimming at the cliffs” Acrylic and oil on canvas 46×32″ 116x82cm
My wife and I was taking a late swim by the lake Vänern in Sweden. The sun was going down and the light was amazing.
So lucky I got a nice shot with the camera.
Your costliest sold painting and photo
“Golden girl” Acrylic and oil on canvas 57″x38″ 145x96 cm
This painting was recently sold through a gallery in Mexico.
How do you earn money for family.
My three children are grown up and manage themselves and my wife is a dentist so
the money I make from my paintings are enough to buy paint, brushes and bread.
How much time do you take to complete a bigger project.
The most time-consuming paintings are the ones with a high level of detail.
Normally a painting as for instance ”Golden girl” take from six to eight weeks to complete when working full-time.
Selected Solo Exhibitions:
Gallery Scandinavia, Gothenburg -2019
Gallery Ekdahl, Karlstad -2019
Kil Art-association -2014
Gallery Arthouse, Karlstad -2014
Gallery Eklund, Stockholm -2012
Spånga Art-association, -2010
Artspromotion Västerås -2010
Pfizer Art-association Sollentuna -2010
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2009
Tierps Art-association -2009
Kils Art-association -2009
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2008
Repslagar-Museet Älvängen -2007
Gallery Stjärnfors Kvarn, Uddeholm -2006
Selected Group Exhibitions:
Galveston Art Walk, Galveston, Texas - 2021
Plus One Gallery, London. Summer group show - 2021
Värmland County Artist Association, Fall Exhibition, - 2021
Galleri Bergman, Karlstad - 2020
International Guild of Realism. 14th Annual International Juried Exhibition at the
Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA 2019
Ekerum ArtHall, Öland, Sweden – 2019
Acqua Alta, Tangent Contemporary Art, San Fransisco – 2018
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles – 2018
Mod Portrait, MEAM Zaragoza + Barcelona – 2018
Algo mas que realismo…XI. Galería artelibre – Zaragoza, Spain -2017
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles – 2017
Figurative Explorations, Tangent Contemporary Art, San Francisco, – 2017
12 By 12 In 12. Arcadia Contemporary, Culver City LA, – 2016
Water, Water… Everywhere. Arcadia Contemporary, Culver City LA, – 2016
Huston Art Fair – 2016
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary – 2015
Los Angeles Art Show, Lotton Gallery – 2014
The Robert Lange Gallery in Charleston. 9th annual IGOR show – 2014
Gallery Seahorse, Nykoping – 2013
Jones & Terwilliger Galleries, Carmel, California -2012
Gallery Knud Grothe, Copenhagen -2012
Värmlands Museum, Karlstad “Shades of reality” -2011
National Watercolor Show, Edsviks Konsthall, Sollentuna -2010
Spring-exhibition Liljevalchs, Stockholm -2010
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2009
Värmlands Art Association Spring Exhibition, Karlstad -2008
All Media Fine Art Exhibit Howell, Michigan -2008
Gallery Scandinavia, Gothenburg -2019
Gallery Ekdahl, Karlstad -2019
Kil Art-association -2014
Gallery Arthouse, Karlstad -2014
Gallery Eklund, Stockholm -2012
Spånga Art-association, -2010
Artspromotion Västerås -2010
Pfizer Art-association Sollentuna -2010
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2009
Tierps Art-association -2009
Kils Art-association -2009
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2008
Repslagar-Museet Älvängen -2007
Gallery Stjärnfors Kvarn, Uddeholm -2006
Selected Group Exhibitions:
Galveston Art Walk, Galveston, Texas - 2021
Plus One Gallery, London. Summer group show - 2021
Värmland County Artist Association, Fall Exhibition, - 2021
Galleri Bergman, Karlstad - 2020
International Guild of Realism. 14th Annual International Juried Exhibition at the
Principle Gallery in Alexandria, VA 2019
Ekerum ArtHall, Öland, Sweden – 2019
Acqua Alta, Tangent Contemporary Art, San Fransisco – 2018
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles – 2018
Mod Portrait, MEAM Zaragoza + Barcelona – 2018
Algo mas que realismo…XI. Galería artelibre – Zaragoza, Spain -2017
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary, Los Angeles – 2017
Figurative Explorations, Tangent Contemporary Art, San Francisco, – 2017
12 By 12 In 12. Arcadia Contemporary, Culver City LA, – 2016
Water, Water… Everywhere. Arcadia Contemporary, Culver City LA, – 2016
Huston Art Fair – 2016
Los Angeles Art Show, Arcadia Contemporary – 2015
Los Angeles Art Show, Lotton Gallery – 2014
The Robert Lange Gallery in Charleston. 9th annual IGOR show – 2014
Gallery Seahorse, Nykoping – 2013
Jones & Terwilliger Galleries, Carmel, California -2012
Gallery Knud Grothe, Copenhagen -2012
Värmlands Museum, Karlstad “Shades of reality” -2011
National Watercolor Show, Edsviks Konsthall, Sollentuna -2010
Spring-exhibition Liljevalchs, Stockholm -2010
Gallery Oscar, Marstrand -2009
Värmlands Art Association Spring Exhibition, Karlstad -2008
All Media Fine Art Exhibit Howell, Michigan -2008
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