Conversations with Don Johnson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Don Johnson.

Hi Don, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’m a native of North Dakota and received my undergraduate degree from Augustana University in South Dakota. Growing up, I worked in the oil field but wanted to be on the business side of things, so I decided to study Business. During my sophomore year, I also decided to major in Art and last minute applied to grad school. I got into the master’s program at the University of Idaho.

After grad school, I received a job offer in the oil and gas business. On the side, I continue to paint as a hobby from time to time. At first, I was asked to paint someone’s dog, then another dog, and then a landscape painting. As I started jumping from one painting to the next it slowly became a consistent business. I stay busy with commissions now, and I have started to paint my own body of work focusing on abstract shapes, lines, and colors based around flowers.

One of the biggest drivers for my current momentum is my social media content. My videos are mostly painting videos and behind-the-scenes in my studio. What makes my videos unique is that I sing. Although I am not a good singer, and most of the time I just make up the words on the spot, people seem to enjoy them whether they are laughing with me or at me. It’s all good fun in an attempt to build a connection with people.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Most roads have potholes and finding the right clients is by far the biggest struggle. Running a business and marketing to the right audience takes a lot of time. It’s a challenge to balance managing a business and painting commissions simultaneously, but I enjoy it. I’ve been learning to feed into the momentum and just keep going.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a painter. Before doing so many commissions, I would have considered myself an abstract painter. In my body of work, I like to focus on shape, line, perspective, and color. I focus on how they interact and most recently my subject matter has been based on flowers. I think I am mostly known for my goofy art videos on social media.

As an artist, I’m most proud of earning my master’s in Fine Art. I have been told I have my style and people can recognize it in my paintings no matter the subject matter. I use quality products and spend time creating quality paintings. It’s the connection with people that I want to be known for. I want to uplift my audience’s mood when they see my art videos.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I think one thing most people learned during COVID is that time is limited. It’s important to discover the passions that fuel your fire. Creating hobbies that you enjoy has become a bigger focus for a lot of people. Painting is something I’ve continued to navigate and enjoy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.johnsondon.com
• Instagram: @johnsondonart
• Facebook: @johnsondonart
• Twitter: @johnsondonart