Senator Shirley Johnson
(1999-2006)

2021
Painted by Joshua Adam Risner
Oil on Linen

Shirley Johnson was a MI Representative from 1981-1999. She was subsequently elected to the MI Senate in a March 1999 special election, serving until 2006 and becoming the first woman to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee. This painting of Johnson is a modern take on the classical formal portrait. Completed in 2021 by artist Joshua Adam Risner, this piece shares similarities with the historical portraiture Risner has contributed to the Capitol’s collection. The legislator is depicted in a naturalistic fashion. She wears a fitted, striped blouse and a suit jacket, paired with red-rimmed eyeglasses. The layering of warm and cool tones throughout Johnson’s face helps Risner to achieve a lifelike appearance in the portrait. The choice to keep Johnson’s lips parted and show her front teeth is unusual, but it plays an important role in capturing her personality. While a closed mouth expression might convey a guarded persona, Johnson’s partially open mouth communicates a sense of welcoming, open-mindedness, and willingness to speak up for herself and others – qualities highlighted by her colleagues as part of her personality. Further, this expression gives the portrait a less static appearance, departing from the traditional formal portrait that is typical of the Capitol’s collection.

The background of the piece, while relatively simple, includes a gradient that is lightest behind the sitter’s head, ensuring that the viewer’s eye will focus on her likeness more than the canvas behind her. Risner layers expressionistic brushstrokes throughout the background, particularly in the lower half of the painting. He also brings in a few strokes of sienna, which complement some of the tones used in Johnson’s face and hair. In doing so, Risner again redirects the viewer’s eye to the sitter’s face, while also adding excitement to the otherwise unadorned background.