Clarice Franklin Johnson and Francine Johnson Pouncey (above) were mother and daughter artists. Clarice was born in 1899 into a family with direct Chickasaw heritage. She settled in Dallas and had six children, including Francine. Clarice painted classic still lifes and landscapes and was also a china painter and ceramic artist. Her grandson recalls her skillfully painting on porcelain cups and bowls and firing her own ceramics in a backyard kiln. She developed a Parisian-inspired approach to the still life genre, showing a strong influence of the French Impressionists, such as Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir. Her bouquets of flowers, arranged with Mid-Century vases and objects, feel freshly picked, with petals falling from the stems. Her grand-scale painting of sunflowers is a tour de force take on this classic arrangement and looms with legendary status in the family’s memory.
Francine studied with Dallas artist Cody Bentley (museum-collected for his still lifes and portraits) and primarily painted landscapes. Clarice and Francine would often paint together in Francine’s studio. Clarice passed away in 1990, and Francine in 1995.