50s Margaret Johnson Wildweed Modern Enamel Copper Art Plate Midcentury Painting

HERES AN OUTSTANDING SIGNED ORIGINAL VINTAGE 1950S OR 1960S MODERN ENAMEL-ON-COPPER PLATE WITH ATTACHED PEDESTAL-BASE BY COLORADO/ARIZONA ENAMELIST MARGARET JOHNSON THAT DISPLAYS A BEAUTIFULLY RENDERED ORANGE AND RED BIRD! Signed with Margaret Johnsons initials MJ along with Wildweed (Wildweed was the name of Johnsons studio in both Aspen, Colorado, and Phoenix, Arizona) in post-firing gold located on the plates underside bottom and inside of the pedestal-base, this early vintage enamel-on-copper plate has an unusual hand-formed pedestal-base that Johnson created to have six feet each with a small circular cut-out. For the interior of the plate Johnson knocked it out of the park with a vignette-like scene of a central orange and red bird with blue, black and brown highlights that is looking back toward a grove of trees. The bird is either considering going to the grove of trees or it is transfixed in a pleasant memory of having already been there. Underneath the bird is a separate design element made up of several contiguous squiggly lines that looks somewhat like musical notes and that act as a nest-like apparatus for the bird. Johnson rendered the entire scene against a beautiful golden brown enameled background and the plates underside and pedestal-base are rendered in a dark golden brown that transitions to a black enameling with gold flecks visually stunning! The overall measurements are approximately seven inches (7) in diameter across the top of the plate, two inches (2) in height, by two and three eighths inches (2 3/8) across the pedestal-base. Condition: Absolutely gorgeous essentially flawless except two extremely small flea bites on one of the pedestal-base feet (really only visible with a magnifying glass)!

Overall, this is still a top-notch early example of Margaret Johnsons modern midcentury enamelwork representing her Wildweed Workshops! Please scroll down to read the artists bio about Margaret Johnson. MARGARET JOHNSON & WILDWEED WORKSHOP BIO the following autobiography by Margaret Johnson was published in the April 1988 Vol. 2 Glass On Metal: The Enamelists Newsletter, pp.

My husband (Duane) and I have supported ourselves as craftsmen since 1952 with a goodly sprinkling of commissions but mostly through our studio Wildweed Workshop. We have worked in many media over the years to keep body and soul together but my main love and activity all the time has been enameling. In 1948 we saw an exhibit, in Denver, of Edward Winters beautiful panels and that turned on a light for me that has never been extinguished. In those days information and supplies were almost non-existent and it took a lot of digging to learn anything. I finally located a metal spinner and Thompson Enamel. Duane built our first kiln literally a pile of fire bricks and from there I improvisedboth technique and equipment. I have an excellent design and color background Univ. Mostly, I have worked in isolation from other enamelists and I feel the loneliness but when I visit an area where there is a lot of enameling activity and I see how they influence each other, I think my isolation is really a blessing. For many years I worked mostly in opaques and was pleased with the results but in the past few years I have turned to transparent enamels and my work has become much more esoteric and tremendously satisfying to me. With this change, I put a lot more thought into what is happening with the material how the colors and various qualities interact with each other, etc.

The new pieces may not sell as readily but they really give me a wonderful glow inside. Im not trying to give expression to any profound thoughts. Who knows where ideas come from? Everything I see is grist for my imagination and what surfaces and becomes a part of my work is uniquely mine.

Over the years I have been in many national exhibits both juried and invitational. And through our shop, which for 26 years was in Aspen, Colorado certainly a crossroad my work has gone to nearly every corner of the world. LASTLY, SHOULD THE WORD "EAMES" BE USED IN THE SEARCH TITLE, IT IS THERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF REFERENCING THE MID-CENTURY TIME PERIOD OF THE 1940S THROUGH THE 1970S.

14 THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED BY DESIGN REFERENCES -- ESTABLISHED BY A FORMER ART MUSEUM CURATOR TURNED BOOKSELLER SPECIALIZING in OUT-OF-PRINT and PERIOD MATERIALS on the PROGRESSIVE IDEAS of MODERNISM and POST-MODERNISM in DECORATIVE ARTS and ARCHITECTURE, INDUSTRIAL and STUDIO ARTS of the 19TH & 20TH CENTURIES. 15 PLEASE -- NO REQUESTS FOR PHOTOCOPIES OF THIS ITEM. I DO NOT MAKE PHOTOCOPIES UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. 16 AGAIN, COMMUNICATION IS KEY!

17 LASTLY -- WHEN OBSTACLES AND PROBLEMS LOOM LARGE AND YOU SEEM TO BE AT A STAND STILL, REMEMBER THAT EVEN A FALTERING STEP FORWARD IS BETTER THAN NO STEP AT ALL. The item "50S MARGARET JOHNSON WILDWEED MODERN ENAMEL COPPER ART PLATE MIDCENTURY PAINTING" is in sale since Thursday, December 6, 2018. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Vintage, Retro, Mid-Century\1950s".

The seller is "singeldad" and is located in Scottsdale, Arizona. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Artist: Margaret Johnson / Wildweed Workshops
• Art Medium: Enamel on Copper
• Signed: MJ Wildweed
• Date: 1950s or 1960s
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States