Meet Megan Woodard Johnson | Fine Artist

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

Hi Megan, is there something you believe many others might not?
There is a strong conventional belief that you can’t make a living as an artist, and the resulting advice is that you need to be sure to have a ‘backup plan’. I just do not believe that’s true. Artists are the ultimate creative problem solver, so we absolutely have the ability to figure out how to make a career from our art. And the world needs art – it’s everywhere you look – so there’s clearly a demand. If you start toward any goal with an underlying belief that you aren’t going to make it, and need a ‘backup plan’, you’re programming yourself to fail from day one. Instead, recognize that it will take hard work, and in many cases you’ll be blazing your own trail, and then get to it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m an abstract painter living and working in a small Milwaukee suburb in Wisconsin. I create heavily layered paintings using acrylic paint, collage material, oil pastel, pencil and a variety of other materials. My work is bold and colorful, but also full of intricate details that really draw the viewer in for a closer look.

I love being able to see people engage with my work, and to hear from them what they’re responding to. My favorite may be when people say, “I’ve never really been drawn to abstract art, but for some reason, I love yours”, because then we can discuss what the reasons may be that they’ve connected with it.

I’m so proud that I’m a full time painter, because at one time, I really did believe that it wouldn’t be possible to make a living as an artist. I graduated with a BFA in 1992, when there was no internet or social media to help you get your work out into the world on your own, and finding a gallery to work with seemed really daunting. So I put my art on the back-burner and followed other paths for about 10 years. When I returned to art, I started to dismantle those limiting beliefs. I used the internet to connect to other artists, and started to see so may possibilities!

I built my career very slowly. I let my work evolve slowly, and bit-by-bit, I took on new opportunities to get it out into the world. Now at the 15 year mark, I’m working with multiple galleries, creating commissioned work, and sharing my knowledge with other artists through workshops and Mastermind groups. I’m a reliable second income for my family, meeting my goal of being able to contribute to 2 kids’ college tuitions.

It is hard but satisfying work. As with any self-employed venture, I could be working every waking hour. Beyond actually making the paintings, there’s a lot of administrative work around documenting and marketing the work, and reaching out to find new partnerships and collectors. It also involves a LOT more spreadsheets and financial record keeping than I ever anticipated! But it’s all exciting, because it’s all mine.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A huge amount of credit needs to go to author Elizabeth Gilbert, specifically for her book: Big Magic. I read this book at exactly the time I needed some extra encouragement to take the leap and make Art my full time job, and it really delivered!

I also credit my husband for always seeing my potential to make art my career, even when I didn’t, and for helping create a family structure that honors my commitments as a working parent.

I am also incredibly indebted to the ongoing friendship and support of two of my most dear friends, Poppy Dodge and Gretchen Warsen. We’ve formed an artists’ peer mentorship that I honestly could not do without.

Website: www.meganwoodardjohnson.com

Instagram: @meganwoodardjohnsonart

Facebook: Megan Woodard Johnson Art

Image Credits
The two images of me should be credited to: Jamie Robarge Photography. All of the images of the artwork are my own and need no credit