We recently connected with Kandus Johnson and have shared our conversation below.

Kandus, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always had a passion for drawing. I would find myself all throughout my school years drawing all over my notes, getting lost in a world I was creating while tuning out the world around me. It became very obvious school wasn’t for me. I did not do well in school but I mustered up the courage to finish. I gave in to the whole “college is what you’re supposed to do after high school” thing and with that, I was looking into careers with money. We all want to be successful but we also want to be happy. I majored in audio production for about 3 semesters and I kept finding myself getting lost in drawing on my notes, again. I felt joy in drawing whimsical characters rather than mixing audio for video games and movies. One of my classmates walked up and was blown away by my drawings and mentioned I should follow my passion. Luckily, the college I was attending also offered Illustration & Design so after much consideration and talking with my parents, we knew what the right move was. My parents supported me 100%, even though the salaries were drastically different. I went from making B’s and C’s to making almost all A’s the rest of my years in school. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After graduating college, I started off working for a T-shirt company. I designed logos/art and I printed them on clothing. It was a fun experience but not for me due to the higher-ups. I then moved on to working for a photography company. I was the photo retoucher. I removed backgrounds, acne, wrinkles, whitened teeth, removed double chins, fixed lazy eyes; you name it and I’ve probably done it. During my time there, I started selling my art at local popup events in Atlanta. It quickly took off and I ended up selling my art full-time. I got my art into a couple stores and bars and started doing wholesale art for a brewery. Of course a thing called covid eventually happened and it ruined a lot of things for entrepreneurs so I went back to the photography gig. Once things fell back in place, I started slowly selling at art shows again. I noticed people were supporting the arts and independent, small businesses more than ever! After a few months of vending again, I saw event coordinators started raising their fees for art shows. Granted, the price of things did go up after covid, however, artists already have a hard time making ends meet. It struck me to start my own business to support those around me and have affordable popups for the community. My partner and I started Sudnat Studios which hosts local popups almost every weekend and we also host Paint & Pints at local breweries and restaurants. I also gained a few more breweries to work with doing wholesale and I’ve gotten my work into a wide variety of places now, which is really amazing to look back on the growth of where I started and where I’m currently at.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I absolutely love making art. To put out something out in the world that isn’t there or doesn’t exist, it’s a sensational thought. A big reason I love selling at art shows is because I can see what people are drawn to. To know and see that my art can spark some form of emotion in a stranger is a feeling I can’t even describe. We are all powerful beings and at the end of the day, I think we all want to raise each other and support one another. I hope my art can cheer people up or take them to a beautiful world they didn’t know existed. It’s all about seeing those faces light up when they see my art; that’s what hits home for me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to eventually have my own brick and mortar store. I want to have a safe place for weird, whimsical art to be displayed and sold. With our company Sudnat Studios, we are building a community of like minded, free spirited, fun artists. I want to have a place where we can support those around us, sell art, hangout safely, network, raise the community and host awesome events and shows!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kandusjohnsonart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandusjohnson/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KandusJohnson13
• Other: https://homegrowndecatur.com/blogs/meet-our-artists/meet-kandus-johnson