For Jack Lohmann, a compelling painting “is as much a matter of its intrinsic artistic merit as it is for its engaging portrayal of life.”  Vision, composition, color and tone are more than artistic choices, they are choices driven by the story to be shared. An abandoned mine high in the Colorado Rockies is as inviting to him for its golden, weathered boards, rusty machinery, and structures of heavy timbers, as it is for its rich history and the rugged lives of the miners who worked there. Lohmann’s goal is to create compositions that encourage one to give pause for thought for both the art and its story.

Raised in Oklahoma and Colorado in the 1950’s and 60’s, Lohmann’s career as an engineering professor allowed him to live and travel around the world. It wasn’t until his return from a sabbatical leave from a grande école in Paris in 1986 that he decided to act on his lifelong interest in art. As a self-taught artist, his progression was slow, and made slower by the limited time available because of his family and professional life. He has more fully embraced his artistic interests since his retirement in 2012, which have benefited greatly from a workshop with Scott Christensen and subsequently through Christensen’s AOP continuing education program.

Not surprisingly, Lohmann’s art is strongly influenced by his professional background, attention to detail, and curiosity of ‘how things work.’ “At times that can be helpful,” says Lohmann, “and at other times not so much,” especially when he finds himself fighting the tension between artful expression and realistic portrayal.  His works are also influenced by his extensive travels, as well as his interests as a history buff, mountain climber, pack burro racer, and private pilot. “I frequently spot a potential painting," he says, "especially if it has an interesting story—I always have more ideas than I have time to paint.”