art life

I began my professional career at an art consulting firm in DC, helping clients select and care for their private collections.  I moved to the museum world for the next five years, fundraising and event planning for the Smithsonian Institution and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  When my new husband swept us to North Carolina in 2013, I painted a few commissions for friends and was soon overwhelmed with painting inquiries.  I started Alyson Johnson Creative and never looked back.

Each artwork, to me, is like solving a puzzle.  I start with an inspiring color palette, apply paint to the whole canvas, then refine it over and over again.  I’m constantly assessing its balance; between areas of concentrated visual interest and white space, gently glazed paint and thick impasto strokes. I create expressionist paintings with an overall sense of lightness and movement.  Just like a puzzle, I put the pieces into place until I step back and am satisfied with the overall picture.

In the last decade, my family grew with the addition of our sweet baby girls.  As our Cincinnati home changed to suit all of us, I enjoyed the intention behind each design choice, and my professional interests fell into sync.  I’m passionate about curating a home atmosphere that is bright, bespoke, and inspiring.  I adore getting to know my clients and what inspires them so I can help their home environment feel exactly the way they want it to.  Art is my way of contributing to the joy and beauty of our everyday lives.

inspiration

I’m grateful for a Southern upbringing that introduced lots of vibrancy and color into my life. I’m Texas-born, Tennessee-sprouted and Kentucky-raised.  Some of my core memories come from soaking up the gorgeous natural sun on Arkansas lakes with my family, loving summer camp in the picturesque North Carolina mountains, and strolling the revered classical grounds at the University of Virginia.  Each of these cherished locations influenced my style and passions, leading to a love for color, movement, and visual balance.

I get a jolt of happiness from natural color; like pops of bright flowers, peaceful blue-green water vistas, and light purple distant mountains. I love to study the pattern and symmetry in our world, like striped green fields, variegated leaves, and tessellations in architecture and fabric.  These eye-catching blessings inspire me to create art that celebrates the hand of the true Artist and all His creation.