Page 12 - Harnett Life Fall 2018

were going to have to teach everything.” Johnson said she
found it difficult to narrow her interest down to a single
medium, because she had been involved with so many dif-
ferent ones over the course of her studies.

During this independent study was when she crafted her
“all time favorite” piece titled “Beloved Chaos”, a 3D
creation Johnson said was never ending. “She was just
constant” in that she required constant corrections – one
portion would break and be fixed, but it seemed there was
always another piece waiting to break off and need repair.
Johnson said despite having to figure out ways to repair
her, Beloved Chaos was a joy to create, and represents the
feeling of being an adult during your college years and
the shift of becoming totally independent, the transition to
becoming an adult within the professional world.

Taking her first art class in middle school is when Johnson
said realized she had an aptitude for art. “It’s tricky to say
talent because in my opinion I believe anyone can be an
Johnson said of the whole New Zealand experience: “I artist, it’s whether or not you want it, if the desire is there.”
strongly recommend that anyone who can go abroad for at Johnson described some of her childhood memories by
least a year, to do it – explore it, because you find profound saying, “I believe I became interested in building things
love for your country, your state, your county, everything.” with different materials with my great-grandfather when I
They came home to their new home situated on Wesley’s was four.” Her great-grandfather had a shed out back; she
grandfather’s land. Johnson said she thought it would be remembered distinctly how he once caught her fiddling
hard getting used to, adjusting to living in the country, but with his old tools, moving the handle up and down on a
now believes that she couldn’t go back to living in town. defunct drill press. She was the only grandchild surround-
She said some may think a house in the country is too qui- ed by adults, so he found a way to keep her occupied: since
et, but it’s really not – the sounds of the crickets and other she liked spending time in the shed he designed things so
creatures can be heard there; she described it as “peaceful” that when she opened the door, the lights and radio would
and said the goal is to have their own farm one day, to move turn on.
further out into the country.
These memories were the basis of a project in her 3D class
Johnson said “Other people can say oh ‘things just come
off the top of my head’, I don’t believe that’s true,” the in-
spiration always comes from somewhere. This home in the
country, the farm, landscape, and animals – these elements
have become incorporated into or have inspired Johnson’s
artwork. She said she can make a sketch and start a piece
based off anything that draws her eye but tends to “go for
more organic shapes.” She has a painting based on one of
their goats named Sunflower, which of course includes sun-
flowers, but in this case they are papier mache sunflowers,
giving the piece depth; the difference in texture is subtle,
but her skill is obvious.

Johnson said “I realized I’m a mixed media artist, whether
it’s 2D or 3D” during the independent study she took as a
senior at Meredith College. She said that the licensure as
an art educator is K – 12, and the classes she took preparing
for student teaching covered a wide range “because you

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