We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Annalise Johnson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Annalise, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My very first art teacher was my mom! In that sense, I have been taking art classes since I was maybe 4 or 5 years old. She had this book called “Drawing Textbook” by Bruce McIntyre, and we would go through the lessons together. I remember distinctly the chapters on how to draw things dimensionally – draw an oval, then two lines down from its outer points. Then another curved line to connect the bottom – voila, you have drawn a birthday cake!

I took extracurricular art classes at a local co-op during junior high, and then every art class offered in my small town high school. However, I think those early years of sitting down at my little plastic craft table and learning some of the more technical aspects of drawing were instrumental in where my skills are today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Hi! I am Annalise Johnson. I am a painter and illustrator currently residing in Fargo, North Dakota.

I’ve been immeshed in creative activities since I was a kid, graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BFA in Graphic Design, I worked in the design industry for a few years after graduation but then decided to move to Austin, TX in pursuit of queso, breakfast tacos, and that carefree hippie lifestyle. I bought a little house and played in a few bands while working at a local grocery store. Towards the end of those magical years in Texas, I started getting back into visual art by revisiting one of my oldest loves, line art illustration.

Fast forward several years, and I’m outside of Chicago filling out paperwork for my first Subaru. I’d moved to North Dakota to be closer to family, and it was time to trade in my trusty little pickup truck for something that could better handle these -67 degree windchill Little House on the Prairie style blizzards. The Subaru finance manager had a dubious look on his face as I told him I was actually making money selling art, so I knew right then and there I needed to take the plunge and officially register my business.

I opened my company, eponymously named Annalise Johnson Art, 3 years ago now. I focus mostly on ink illustration, digital illustration, and watercolor. Client commissions might come in asking for something different, and I’m almost always willing to oblige because the magic of art is in the process of creating it. “Will you paint me a daisy?” Sure, I can paint you a daisy. I’ll most likely iterate on the idea and do 6 other daisies you’ll never see. One pop-art daisy. One watercolor daisy with ink illustration. Maybe some mixed media thrown in. The daisy you do see, the end result is whatever I’ve decided is the most satisfying representation of the energy I was trying to capture.

Art is energy frozen in a moment. My joy is finding different ways to play with that energy until I can feel it come to life on the paper in front of me.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I grew up hearing the term “starving artist” so often from the media and books I read that I was absolutely convinced that I wouldn’t make any money if I pursued fine art as a career. I pictured myself in a run-down studio apartment, sitting on the floor eating moldy bread surrounded by half-finished canvases. Dramatic much? Yes, perhaps. But this prevalent image in my head made it crystal clear to me that fine art was absolutely not a sustainable career choice. I very much wish I had unlearned that lesson earlier.

The art community I’ve found myself in today – artists are thriving living off their work! Of course, when your income is based on commissions or on people buying established artwork, it’s not the same as a 9-5 paycheck. There will be lean times and crazy busy good times. But it’s not only a sustainable career choice, it is a career that can bring so much joy and happiness. I hope this untrue stereotype of starving artist doesn’t hold anyone else back from doing what they love.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best way society can support artists and creatives is to devote public resources to enrich our communities. Commission a local artist for city murals – and pay them for their time! Host an art show at the local library. Make the local museums free admission. Plant community gardens or free community orchards. Art enriches the human experience exponentially, and we all come out better for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annalisejohnson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annalisejohnson.art/

Image Credits
Headshot photography by Caleb Johnson @straight.outta.fargo