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Bobbi Johnston

Bobbi Johnston

Kentucky Crafted Artist
  • Painting

    Bio

    ​​​One day I pulled down some old watercolor dyes from my attic and discovered a new creative language. I'm using these dyes to explore subjects that pique my curiosity. Mix in a few scientific topics, a little surrealism, a provocative podcast, and you'll get a sense of what interests me.

    After moving around frequently throughout my career in advertising and design, I now have the freedom to work on whatever I wish. My career trajectory has been a bit atypical, but every phase has informed me of this current situation.

    I might see something on my walks down the road, or a quote in a random article while scrolling. I'm constantly downloading color combinations and podcast interviews.

    ​What's coming up next? In no particular order...

    • Interesting people you've never heard of. Like Rosie O'Neill, an artist who created Kewpie Dolls and illustrated many old Jell-O ads—which I collect but had no idea who drew them. And Joel Duntin, a Trinidadian writer who lives present day in a remote area of British Columbia. And definitely Wanda Gag, who wrote and illustrated the longest running picture book still in print. She lived a few farms and fields over from where I lived for 20 years, yet I had never heard of her.
    • Maybe a modern version of a barn quilt? I've been reading about their history. They play an important cultural role, more than just the smile they prompt when they pop up on a back country road.
    • Fantasy tree towns are also forming on my creative periphery...

    I like to infuse my subject matter with a sense of energy, vibrancy and a warm sense of seeing familiar things in a new way.

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    Artist Information

    Photos

    Bobbi Johnston Photo