About the artist

Nashville-based, contemporary artist, Karen Johnston, tucks wisps of emotion into painted layers of nature and life. Her process produces images that suggest a feeling of familiarity, yet spur the imagination to reach for a personal sense of meaning. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, she was born into a family of musicians but chose a visual path. She was classically trained at the Columbus College of Art and Design, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with a minor in Advertising. After working commercially, her art expanded from realism to abstraction as she continued to experiment and hone an inmost artistic vision. An ultimate focus on abstract expressionism granted her the freedom to combine emotion, knowledge, and energy with her own set of experiences and observations. Her lifelong affection for drawing and writing remains at the heart of her practice and regularly shows up in her work as mixed media line work and loose, intuitive marks.

Karen works from her home studio and finds her daily art practice therapeutic. With a desire to create community, she also teaches abstract classes, introductory workshops, and founded and leads a support community for those with cancer, life-changing illnesses, and caregivers. Equally passionate about projects that integrate the arts with healthcare and well-being, she collaborates with surrounding organizations that foster connection, accessibility, and growth through the arts. Much of her art stems from the inspiring relationships, stories, and attitudes she has encountered over years of walking beside others on their healing journeys as well as from her devoted time in nature. Her award-winning work has been featured in solo, group, and juried shows and can be found in galleries and numerous private and corporate collections across the country and internationally.

“Starting with a foundation of spontaneously painted content, I intuitively respond by building layers of acrylic glazes, automatic drawing, and asemic writing. Repeatedly scraping back to the origins underneath, an active dialogue emerges. My canvases not only house a physical exploration of materials and gestures, but also hold a reflection of my inner wanderings through relationship, solitude, and sense of spirit. My abstract paintings are rooted in the traditional principles of art but evolve into distinct, original expressions. 

 My aim is not to replicate but to feel my way around a canvas with attention and intention. No stroke is ever wasted. Each adds to the outcome I leave behind for the viewer to ponder. These painted assemblages of choice and care are translations of my journey - one of ordinary moments, connection, whim, and light.” ~ Karen Johnston