Check Out Lily Johnson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Johnson.

Lily, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started making art pretty much as soon as I came out the womb. Both of my parents are artists so they definitely fostered my creativity. When I was growing up, my parents were very involved in the art local community so they would drag me and my brother along to art shows and exhibits. I was the kid that had all the arts and crafts supplies, I would always be making some form of art whether it was with molding clay, paper, beads, you name it. Both the middle and high schools that I went to were “art magnet” schools. I learned some basic painting and drawing skills and towards the end of high school was when I realized how much I enjoyed painting. Right out of high school I took a few painting classes at a local community college where I got my first set of brushes and have been creating my own path in art ever since.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I feel like life is rarely a smooth road, if it were smooth I wouldn’t be where I am today. I embrace all the bumps and curves along the way. Over the years of making art, I have dealt with the personal conflict of not thinking my art was “good enough”, or wondering what makes an artist, am I technically an artist? I used to be so focused and concerned that my art doesn’t have a style, that my art is too random and that I need to perfect my craft. I now embrace that I make art because I like to – and as long as I’m making art I’m happy. Other struggles that I have encountered surround balancing art with school and work. I have been in school nonstop since I graduated in 2015 and I always have to remind myself that school is a priority, which sometimes will leave me for months without making art.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in acrylic painting, but sometimes i bounce around to different mediums such as watercolor or colored pencil. I will use almost any flat surface as a canvas. As a person, I am known for being very bubbly, compassionate, and charismatic. My art correlates with that and is generally bright, colorful, and warm. I am inspired by vibrant, contrasting colors found in nature. I reach for warmth despite living in a state where it’s cold and snowy half of the year. I am proud of my creativity and all the art that I have created over the years. Sometimes there is no better feeling than looking at a finished piece of art and thinking “I really just made this with my own two hands”.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters to me most is happiness, and happiness to me is finding new ways to express my creativity. Happiness is being somewhere outside whether its hiking, camping, or traveling to new places. It is being surrounded by my friends, family, and my two cats.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tropicalilyart
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/tropicalily?ref=profile_header