Artwork by Cathie Johnson
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Artist’s Summary
My work could be described as nature-inspired acrylic work in a vibrant, bold, colorful expressionistic style.
Artist: Cathie (Lulu) Johnson Statement
I consider my art to be a vibrant, and whimsical expression of bold colours that electrify the nature I’m painting. One could say I am a vibrant expressionist. I’ve been inspired by Kandinsky, and in more modern times by Elizabeth Murray. Lately though I’d say I’m more inspired by Van Gogh, and Matisse and the fauvists. Colour and whimsy play a pivotal roll in my current landscapes. I find my inspiration and joy amidst nature’s splendor, surrounded by blooming flowers, and silently watching and capturing the butterflies and hummingbirds fly in. My paintings capture this interaction that I am very willing and happy to share with the onlooker. I am currently painting with acrylics on canvas and cradled wood. I try to keep the expressive lines I initially create with a marker in my beginning spontaneous sketch as I feel it allows the lost and found moments to shine through. I like the movement this lost and found line creates too.
Cathie L Johnson/ “Lulu C Johnson”: Biography
Cathie, born in Africa and raised in the Bahamas, Jamaica, England, and the Turks & Caicos Islands, gained her “Ms. Lulu” name in the Bahamas due to her unpronounceable maiden name. She moved to America at 17 to attend art school, earning her BFA from Georgia State University. Cathie started her art career in Atlanta, initially painting abstracts inspired by Wassily Kandinsky and later admiring Elisabeth Murrhy. She shifted to crafting funky, painted picture frames, which led to a lucrative business selling in local galleries and art festivals. Featured on the “Today Show” and in “In Style” magazine in 1996, her big break came during the Atlanta Olympics. After a hiatus, Cathie resumed painting in Oregon, inspired by the landscape, creating vibrant, bold mixed-media pieces with a flair reminiscent of Van Gogh and Fauvism. She has participated in numerous gallery shows and festivals in the past in Georgia and is now doing the same in Oregon.