About
Kathleen Mitchell Johnston is an artist located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Originally from Roanoke, she now lives in Harrisonburg with her family. Although she has always called Virginia home, she loves to travel and draw inspiration from other places. Kathleen has a Bachelor of Science in Studio Art with a minor in Art Education from James Madison University. Her artwork often reflects experiences from both being a mother and her many years working with children as an art educator. Kathleen’s paintings can be found in collections throughout the United States and Canada.
“Every canvas is a journey all its own. There are no rules. Let the picture lead you where it must go.” -Helen Frankenthaler
In my work, I explore with marks, lines, and shapes, but most notably, color. The intensity and significance of color in work by artists like Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko and Paul Klee inspire the way I use color to communicate. Mixing each oil color from a limited palette of only primaries along with white and black allows me to understand the relationship between the colors more deeply. My paintings evolve through layers where the colors react to one another by contrasting or blending. Hues, saturations, and tones are carefully balanced to make soft or bold statements. Lines express ideas and define space, dividing but also connecting to create shapes. These shapes overlap like Venn diagrams or fit together like puzzles. Lights and darks create depth, pushing and pulling in a play of dominance. My pieces are translations of the stories I hear, see and feel.
Solo Exhibitions:
The Relationship Between Order and Chaos, Staunton Augusta Art Center, Staunton, VA, 2024
Rhythms of Color, Hotel Madison, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, 2024
Explorations in Order, Wilson Downtown Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2024
Solo Exhibition, Local Chop and Grill House, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Multiple Perspectives, Darrin-McHone Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
March Hares, Frame Factory and Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Solo Exhibition, AM Yoder & Company, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Solo Exhibition, YogaSol, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Windows, The North Wing Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Meditations in Art, Wing Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2022
Solo Exhibition, Ciders from Mars, Staunton, VA, 2022
Creating a Sense of Order, Wilson Downtown Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2022
Group Exhibitions:
Riverviews Artspace 16th Annual Juried Show, Lynchburg, VA, 2024
Joshua Wilton House, Harrisonburg, VA, 2024
Art on Display at Present Thyme, Roanoke, VA, 2023
Opening Doors: The Art of Inclusion, Arts Council of the Valley, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Art on display at Frame Factory and Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
20th Annual VMRC Juried Art Exhibition, Park Gables Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
The Deck Show, The North Wing Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2022
19th Annual VMRC Juried Art Exhibition, Park Gables Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2022
#ArtFeltThanks, Harrisonburg, VA, 2020
Wooden Trout Art Gallery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2017
Dia de los Muertos, Spitzer Art Gallery, Pale Fire Brewery, Harrisonburg, VA, 2016
Have Creativity, Will Travel, Show, Arts Council of the Valley, Harrisonburg, VA, 2016
Group Show at Sunset Studios, Harrisonburg, VA, 2016
Corporate Collections:
Chop House Bistro, Luray, VA 2023
Book illustrations, Downtown Duckling Sculpture Project, Harrisonburg, VA, 2023
Explore More Discovery Museum, Harrisonburg, VA, 2022
Ciders from Mars, Staunton, VA, 2022
Logo Design for the University Health Center, JMU, 1996