c.1962/3, casein tempera on board, 33cm x 43cm
This illustration for a magazine story in Woman’s Realm, is an early surviving example of Johnson's work using casein tempera paint. Casein tempera paint was used by illustrators before the invention and availability of acrylic paint. This painting is an exceptional and rare example of Johnson's early work.
Johnson used the designer, model and actress Suzy Kendall to model the girl in the striped dress. Kendall’s films included such Sixties classics as Thunderball, To Sir With Love, Up the Junction and Fear is the Key. She was briefly married to Dudley Moore, remaining lifelong friends after the marriage ended.
