It wasn’t long after arriving in Key West from Chicago in 2012 that Amanda Johnson painted her first rooster. “Why a rooster,” you may ask? Well, for those of you who don’t know, Key West is renowned for its free-roaming roosters. In fact, they’ve become an iconic presence on the island, and their colorful and bold personalities have been the inspiration for many artists.
And that brings us back to Amanda Johnson. Her lighthearted and humorous rooster series has grown to include more than 40 original oil paintings, most of which are in private collections across the country. She paints with bold, vivid, layered-on strokes built up with a palette knife and her canvases come alive with movement.
The Key West Food & Wine Festival recently tapped Amanda to create the official rooster image for their 2022 “Year of the Rooster” event. Dubbed “Coq au Vin,” the whimsical painting featured two roosters enjoying glasses of wine on the beach. DESTINATION FLORIDA also proudly featured the image on the Holiday 2022 cover. 
The popularity of Amanda’s rooster originals inspired her to reproduce a select group of them as limited edition canvas-wrapped giclees. Because she hand embellishes each one with added texture, no two giclees are exactly alike. Each limited edition image is also signed and numbered.
In addition to her outrageously popular “Rooster Series,” Amanda also captures many other facets of life in Key West – all of which reflect her style of impressionism, using a palette knife and heavy brushwork.
Her Old Town gallery showcases a wide variety of contemporary tropical art: from paintings of coconut palms, the sea and the famous Key West sunset to works that feature local hangouts and much more. FYI: The“Spirit of Palm Series” is especially wonderful.
When Amanda’s not outdoors painting “Plein Air,” you can find her working at the Amanda Johnson Fine Art Gallery, 518 Fleming St in Key West. Stop in, enjoy the tropical music and treat yourself to a slice of her unique little paradise.
Info: 305-414-8396; amandajohnsonefineart.com.
