Margaret Johnson

Margaret G. Johnson, (18981967) was a Sri Lankan born Australian portrait artist. Early life Margaret G. Woods was born to father James Wood, a Scotsman in Kadugannawa, Ceylon. She was one of seven children who all had an interest painting and drawing. At a young age her father immigrated to Western Australia. She was educated in Perth, Western Australia and after completing her schooling was sent to the Glasgow School of Art. Education She was fifteen years old when she attended the Glasgow School of Art, three years younger than the usual entrance age. She studied under Maurice Greiffenhagen and Professor McKeller, concentrating on painting and modelling. She completed her four-year course in three years. She returned to Western Australia after the end of World War I and married. Career As a portrait artist she specialised in portraiture painting especially watercolours but also had works in pencil, pastels and oil. Her portrait works would be found in the National Gallery of Australia, Parliament House and at the Perth City Council. Some of her works include, J.W. Johnson Esq., The Tartan Scarf, The Debutante and the Resting Model. Her portrait works of Prime Minister John Curtin and Perth Art Gallery curator G. Pitt-Morrison are found in the Art Gallery of Western Australia while Sir James Mitchell's portrait was in the Treasurer Building and Sir John Kirwan in Parliament House. She had also exhibited the G. Pitt-Morrison work for the Archibald Prize. Other exhibits for the prize included General Gordon Bennett.