Meet Stephanie Johnson | Fine Artist

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

Hi Stephanie, can you tell us about an impactful book you’ve read and why you liked it or what impact it had on you?
It’s been awhile since I’ve read it, but I really enjoyed Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. One of the biggest lessons I took away was to detach from the outcome of my creativity and to get into the studio and just have fun with it. Putting pressure on yourself to create a masterpiece every time will only build a creative block and fear of failure. I read it at a time when I was toying with the idea of going back to school to purse an MFA (which maybe I’ll still do one day), but she encourages her readers just to focus on creating and learning through hours of practice.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
The last couple of years, my time in the studio has been devoted to working on various client projects. It’s been an absolute blast and I am so very grateful for those opportunities! Now that those projects have wrapped, however, I’m taking some time to explore creatively again with an open mind. It’s hard to turn down projects and commissions, but I had to in order to free myself of deadlines and play in the studio again. I have a couple of personal art projects I’d like to pursue and it’s been nice to have the time and freedom to explore those. Stay tuned for more news on these in the next couple of months!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were visiting (and let’s say they are also into art), I would definitely take her to the DMA or the Nasher Sculpture Center. Dallas has some of the best museums! I love to start the day at LDU Coffee so we would grab coffee there one morning. We would have to hit up some Tex Mex spots like Mi Cocina or Odelay. My family jokes that I could eat Tex Mex for every meal. For dinner, I would take her to Carbone or The Charles! I’m gluten free and Carbone makes the best gluten free pasta in town! It’s truly amazing. If I’m not painting or on kid duty, I love to go to Session Pilates or Ritual One Yoga so I would try to talk her into those!!

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?
There are so many people who have believed in me along the way and I am truly grateful for them. My family comes to mind first since they are the ones who supported my love of art at a very early age, Brad Johnson (my husband), Brittany Cobb (the first person in Dallas who supported me & helped me sell my art) and Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means (owners of Miron Crosby who believed in me enough to ask me to paint on their fabulous cowboy boots). Working as an artist can feel a bit isolating at times because you are spending a lot of time solo in the studio so when someone buys your artwork or hires you for a project, it’s an incredible feeling. It motivates me to keep going.

Website: www.stephaniecooperjohnson.com

Instagram: @stephaniecooperjohnson