Candice Johnson Biography

I am Candice, daughter of Richard and Theresa. I grew up in the wet wooded green of Seattle. My strongest impressions in my early life came from traveling with my family and later with friends. We lived in Egypt when I was 16. I was touched forever by humanities antiquity and at the same time by the living and the enormity of poverty and immense range of physical suffering. I registered this in my core and believed it also tinted my surface.

My grandma told me my eyes were the color of cried out blue. This would be the color of my first self portrait.

I continued to travel and live in many different cities including New York, Boston, New Orleans, Landsthul Germany and Paris France. I dabbled successfully at many occupations but in in Paris, I declared, “Je suis artiste.” This all came about after a degree in Interior Design, a career in women’s fashion including buying for Saks and my last official job in Paris as European marketing advisor for Danskin.

It told a personal tragedy to pursue a path that I never thought was probable for me, as artist was not in my vocabulary of possible careers. It is known what Paris can do for the soul and for me it gave me courage and the opportunity to find my voice. I studied for two years at the Beauxs Artes classes that were sponsored by the Ville de Paris. I learned to draw and paint what I saw. I worked hard.

When I said, “Yes, I can draw and paint everything I see”, I threw away the rules. I let my gut become the measurer of my reality. For some reason I started painting Tetes. Tete is a rich word as it includes both head and face and there are also wonderful French expressions that embrace the word.

I explored all shapes and sizes and found my choice of preference to be 20 cm sq. about 8”. Perhaps because of my retail back round, my interior designer education and my character which derives pure pleasure from sharing, I created the concept Walls of Tetes. The collector is included in the creation process as they can own one to twenty five plus Tetes and create their own work from their choices and the placement. I have one collector in Santa Fe that owns over 50 Tetes.

In Paris I sold in galleries, in my studio, and many other venues included well known auctions. I enjoyed the exchange I had with my collectors and their experiences in choosing and living with my Tetes. What I have loved is the broad spectrum of those who are interested and own my work. I have first time art buyers to serious collectors. Many nationalities, professions, colors and expressions. They have one thing in common and that is my work "talks to them". Different Tetes talk to different people. It has always surprised me that people know quickly and decisively which Tetes they want "in their face".

I left Paris after 13 years in 2003 and moved to Los Angeles . There I didn’t say I am Artist. My Parisian world and identity seemed to evaporate. For five years I traded stock, redid two houses which could be considered very large canvases and pursued an idea for a web based business. I painted some but didn’t have the force or desire to share it.

Again personal stuff happened and forced me to look inward. I realized the only important thing was to be myself and what I should be doing is painting and creating. Now for 1½ years I have been back to me and loving what I do and who I am. I moved to Walla Walla, in June 2009 where my brother and sister-in–law have a vineyard and inn and are using my art for their label and branding and have a tasting room filled with Tetes. Walla Faces. I love it here and am very busy painting and creating. Oh and by the way......."Je suis artiste”.