We were lucky to catch up with April Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

April, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

It was when I lost my beloved dog, Remy, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. This loss moved me to change my focus to use my photography skills portraying and honoring our beloved animals, our pets and their people. There is a quote that rings true to me, “Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” by James Cromwell. It was with my passion for art and animals that I created Asheville Pet Photography.

All was humming along beautifully when I had a life threatening health scare. I regained my health and then COVID 19 scare was upon us. I was taking no chances of getting COVID so I went into my bubble like so many people did. Now in isolation with no clientele, I needed to find a way to produce artwork and connect people and our beloved pets.

I began painting portraits using photographs sent to me from my clients as my reference. In the portraits, I work with two planes, the background is organic and simple and then shifts to a realistic portrait to focus on the subject. The process of creating a portrait takes 4 to 5 weeks to complete. Sometimes it is a knockdown drag out process but my favorite pieces come as gifts. From all the struggle and work from the others where you have learned from tough times it is a reward.

For me being able to paint gave me what photography did not, the ability to create ethereal and delicate expressions in the portraits. My feeling is to portray the animal’s inner voice through their eyes and expression to give them a voice sharing their true love, devotion and inner beauty that transcends words.

Working over the decades I feel I’ve created my own language and have become more fearless. My prior experience in drawing and painting was alive again.

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.

For four decades I have been drawing, painting and photographing with an unrelenting passion. I have dual degrees, a BFA in Fine Arts from Kent State University and a BFA in Fine Art Photography from the School of Visual Arts in NYC.

At Kent State University during the 70’s, I explored painting, drawing and works on paper with etchings, lithographs, and large scale photo silkscreens.

In the 80’s I moved to NYC to get serious about an art career. It was tough living in NYC, but with commitment to myself I graduated. I purposely chose SVA, a multidisciplinary college of art, highly technical education and innovative curriculum and unparalleled faculty. Through my traditional training I get the image right in the camera first. I may explore the area of interest with new ideas but each image is complete in their composition in the camera.

I have always loved architecture and found my photographic subject in the skyscrapers of NYC and discovered my artistic language. As I developed my style, I found a departure from norm and began incorporating my knowledge of graphic arts to create unique “abstract” photographs. I look for the quieter view, looking above the noise and clutter the street to the building’s design. When I am among strong modern architecture my mind and spirit go into a very creative playful zone. Architecture is visually stimulating, I can immediately find shapes, elements ad design through my camera and work to my hearts content.

During my senior year at SVA a corporate art consultant saw my photography at a frame shop, he contacted me and asked to shared it with his client, Citicorp Venture Capital Group. My first client, used my images for their annual report which was designed by a prestigious graphic design group and subsequently won national and international awards including Communications Arts Annual, The Association of Graphic Arts, AIGA Annual and others. This exposure launched my career working for clients like Apple Computer, AmSouth Bank, Caterpillar, AmSouth Bank, and many others. Lafarge Concrete was a prime example of a rather boring subject where they wanted my abstract interpretation of their operations of cement, aggregates and ready-mis concrete, now this was a challenge. I traveled with an entourage from Lafarge to Quebec, Calgary and six locations in US to photograph each of their plant locations for their annual and quarterly reports. Lafarge Concrete was a good example of how my abstracts were accepted and appreciated in the corporate world.

After 10 years of a rather high pressured corporate world, I was beginning to burn out and longed for a quieter more nurturing environment. My family was living in Asheville, after several visits, I happily retired and relocated to Asheville for a simpler and more gentle way of life. I joined local and regional camera clubs sharing the beauty of this area with fellow photographers.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Through my Facebook page I was discovered by the CEO/President of the American Kennel Club headquarters in NYC. He contacted me by telephone on a weekend and was very enthusiastic and supportive. He loved my afghan hound paintings in particular and asked if we could work together. I am now offering dog portraits on their AKC Shop.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

After a move to a new state, I had to get a office job which kept my hands tied with no time for art. But it was unbearable and I started to photograph peoples animals as pet portraits on evenings and weekends. The photo pet portrait business became consistent income. So I retired early and took a leap of fate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.apriljohnsonportraiture.com
• Instagram: @apriljohnsonportraiture
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075827331516&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

N/A