Meet Don Johnson | Artist, Learner, Terrible Singer & Land Professional

We had the good fortune of connecting with Don Johnson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Don, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The factor in my current strings of success is that I’ve come to the realization that people will buy art or engage because of a connection with the artist, not just the art. So, I began trying to connect with my audience by putting more of my authentic self into my progress content, and people have responded positively to my painting videos. I use my terrible singing and sense of humor to create videos that people are connecting with, all while showing what I am about and who I am. I am letting each new video or new painting’s successes roll into more successes and opportunities, in turn taking me to my bigger success goals.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

Professionally I stay busy through personal and commissioned paintings. Personal paintings are largely based off shape and color. I love to play with how the eye sees the flat surface of the canvas. I try to make paintings that break up the 2D surface to make it easily digestible, but with complex abstract layers and abstract colors. Personal artwork I currently enjoy involves playing with the perspective of roses and flowers.

My commissioned paintings have a lot of different subjects, but they are beholden to my own style. I try to create memories of persons, places, pets, or things that will make people have positive associations with the painting.

My most distinct feature in my art brand are my art videos. I make timelapse videos of my artwork and add self-made sounds and songs. I’m not the best at singing or songwriting, but I let it buck! The singing is embarrassing, but the humor and vulnerability is what connects with people. Plus, the clients can pick the song for their videos!

My background comes from art classes as an undergrad to help my GPA. Bs were helping at that point! I grew to love art and picked it up as a 2nd major and eventually decided to go to graduate school to get my MFA. I was accepted into one school out of twelve and dove headfirst into the opportunity. Grad school was difficult. Traditional drawing, painting, and design skills were emphasized in undergrad, whereas concept and philosophy were most important in grad school. I don’t believe I have a natural talent for art, but with great guidance I made sure to put the time and practice into it to get where I am today.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

My favorite places to eat include, Blue Pan Pizza, Illegal Pete’s, D Bar, Hapa Sushi, Cochino Taco, and My Brother’s Bar. I don’t go to enough breweries to say one is better than the other, but some have better outdoor spaces. Restaurants with a rooftop are the best!

If I had a friend visiting town, we would take a Szechwan Flower shot at Sidecar and then head next door to The Retro Room to get a pickle shot. Doing a pedal bar in Rino would be on the agenda as well.

If possible, we would go golfing each day. Arrowhead, Fossil Trace, and The Ridge are a couple of my favorites. If it rains, we will go to the golf simulator at South Broadway Country Club. They have an awesome bar and ping pong table with a great atmosphere!

Catching an Avs game or finding a show would also be a must. The Mission Ball Room, Fillmore, or Ogden are my favorite venues, but you got to go where the bands go!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate and thank my family, friends that are like family, and my girlfriend for all of my recent successes in my art career.

I have two big art mentors in my life. My first art mentor is Scott Parsons, who is from the Denver area, but now teaches at Augustana University (my alma mater). He was the professor I had in Drawing 1 and suggested I take drawing 2. He changed my life. After years of his guidance, a trip to Peru, and love of printmaking, Scott suggested that I think about grad school. He has always told me that there is a “truth” to my work, although, I have been trying to find and describe this “truth” for years. It is a mystery to me, but one of my driving forces in my artwork.

Stacy Isenbarger is my grad school mentor. She came into my life when I was searching for my “why.” I was rummaging through who I was as an artist, and she removed some of the clutter. She helped me focus on what I was trying to communicate through my artwork. I learned what to do, how to do it, and how to explain it. It only took a few years!

Website: johnsondon.com

Instagram: johnsondonart

Linkedin: johnsondonart

Twitter: johnsondonart

Facebook: johnsondonart