Conley Publishing - Special Sections
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By Jill Badzinski Special to Conley Media WEST BEND — The layers local artist Megan Woodard Johnson incorporates into her abstract multi-media paintings create more than interesting design elements; they evoke stories. Johnson uses vintage paper ephemera, acrylic paint, colored pencils and oil pastels to create expres- sive collages. "By building layers with material that is filled with memories and tells history, I create work that tells a story, it tells who we are," Johnson said. The West Bend artist has been working professionally for more than a decade. For the past year, she has shared a studio in downtown West Bend with friend and fellow artist, Deborah Bast Prahl. Although being an artist may seem like solitary work, Johnson said she is inspired by the interactions her art allow her to have with other artists and the public. "I express emotion in my art and I am humbled by the personal connection it evokes in some people," she said. "I enjoy finding out how an individual connec- tion can actually be a com- mon shared experience." Vintage book pages, color- ing books and other items are often incorporated into Johnson's works. Up until a few years ago, her abstracts included more recognizable themes, like buildings, because they represented "home" to her. Currently, the work is purely abstract, a process that took a few years to develop. "I had pieces that weren't saying anything to me," she said. "An artist needs to be expressing some emotion. I took me a year of playing around to suddenly under- stand what I wanted to say. "It felt like it came out of nowhere, but it didn't. It was a year of exploration." Johnson has been study- ing art since she was 12. "In high school, there was a sense of learning the for- mal building blocks," she said. "For me, it was impor- tant to learn to how to make 4 • EXPLORING THE ARTS • Daily News & News Graphic • April 2019 Inspiration turned into music West Bend East senior's compositions to debut this spring By Jill Badzinski Special to Conley Media WEST BEND — Most high school seniors are busy writ- ing term papers as gradua- tion draws near. West Bend East High School senior John Swillinger divides his attention between school work and symphony compo- sitions. This month, two of his compositions will debut. On April 16, Swillinger will lead the West Bend High School Wind Ensemble in a per- formance of a lyrical piece he composed specifically for it during the school's free Spring Concert at 7 p.m. in the Silver Lining Arts Center. On April 28, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Senior Symphony will perform another of Swillinger's com- positions at the Marcus Center for Performing Arts in Milwaukee starting at 6 p.m. On that one, Swillinger will play clarinet under the direction of Margery Deutsch. The pieces show Swillinger's range as a com- poser. The West Bend piece, he said, "is a piece with very soft and lyrical sections, a large build-up, an upbeat jubilant section, and ends triumphantly." The Milwaukee piece "has a very heroic style, and it is very cinematic – similar to some- thing you would hear in a movie." Both performances are very exciting, Swillinger said, but neither are his first. That honor belongs to a brass band piece Swillinger composed for the high school's New Orleans- style brass band, West Bend Brass Band – or WB3. If hearing the Senior Symphony perform Swillinger's composition in concert is anything like rehearsal, it will be one to remember. "Hearing a piece I com- posed for a group that large at that skill level was amaz- ing, and I cannot anticipate what the performance will feel like – especially since it is being performed in the Marcus Center," he said. Music has been an impor- tant part of Swillinger's life for years. In sixth grade, he started playing clarinet. "When I started clarinet, I naturally understood what was going on more than oth- ers and I excelled," he said. "My band director noticed and suggested I go to the UW-Whitewater Band Camp. I have gone there every sum- mer since, and that has improved my skill greatly. To get to the level I am at, it has taken lots of individual practice, and I have taken a few lessons from (Kettle Moraine Symphony musi- cian) Diana Jonen." He began composing just a few years later. "I began composing my freshman year when I wrote a flute duet for fun," he said. "After I did that, I began write out small ideas that I heard in my head or played on a piano. Then I began writing for small groups at my school and such, then it grew from there." Heading into college, Swillinger will pursue a major in music composition. His dream is to follow in the footsteps of movie com- posers John Powell, John Williams, Alan Silvestri and Hans Zimmer. "They all cause an unex- plainable feeling and effect throughout movies, and a lot of people don't even notice," he said. "I would like to do the same some day." As Swillinger pursues that goal, he will find inspiration in numerous places. "I am inspired by a lot of things," he said. "It can just be by seeing what other peo- ple around me do with their skills and talents. It can also be from other people's pas- sion for music. Also just hearing other compositions will inspire me greatly." Submitted photo West Bend East High School senior John Swillinger was last year chosen to be a fellow for the John Downey Creation Project from the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. See COLOR, PAGE 5 Photos courtesy of Stephanie Bartz Photography Megan Woodard Johnson offers three-hour workshops in which students can explore the medium of collage, creating beautiful, personal artwork. To learn more, go to www.megan- woodardjohnson.com/new-events. Stories told in color Woodard Johnson's abstracts are all about authenticity