Meet the Artist

My name is Amber Johnson and I’m a Johnston County native! I was born and raised in the north end of the county. My journey led me to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, where I received my BA of Psychology with a Studio Art minor. My career as a teacher began shortly after I graduated from college in 2013. I taught for several years as a teacher for students with special needs. During my time teaching, an opportunity presented itself to teach Fine Art at a middle school here in Johnston County! I grew so much in this position as a teacher, as an artist, and as a person. I loved every minute in the classroom, but in 2021, I decided to embark on a new path to open my own artistry business. I am so excited that my life’s journey has led me here!
Through Wildflower Artistry, my hope is to bring our community commissioned paintings, live wedding paintings, original artwork, and more!

Rising Stars: Meet Amber Johnson

VoyageRaleigh Interview - December 29, 2021

See the original article on VoyageRaleigh HERE.

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

Amber, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Amber Johnson and I am the owner and artist at Wildflower Artistry! Growing up, I always loved painting. My grandfather was a painter, and I loved having that connection with him! However, as a child, I had limited opportunity to grow in art. So, my passion for art died a little when I was in high school. After graduating high school, I attended the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. There I majored in Psychology and was on track to move forward into working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for children diagnosed with Autism. While I was at UNCW, I decided to circle back to my passion for art since I had the opportunity to study Fine Art. I received my minor in Studio Art and loved every second of my classes! I was always in the studio learning as much as I could in all my art courses. I took classes in drawing, pastels, sculpting, and ceramics, but never took a class in painting. I graduated in 2013, and the job I had lined up upon graduation fell apart when the government cut funding for Applied Behavior Analysis. I was a little stunned and was not sure where life would take me at that point. I began looking into working in the public school system, and wound up in education teaching students with special needs! I loved being a teacher for students with special needs, and spent 5 years doing just that! Along the way, I had a family, and art became a non-existent part of my life. It was a dormant passion that I just did not have the time for anymore.

In 2018, I had the opportunity to teach Fine Art at an innovative middle school in my district. I was unsure of taking the position because it had been so long since I had touched a paintbrush or created anything. I decided to take the leap of faith and give it a shot! So, from 2018-2021, I taught Fine Art! During my time teaching Fine Art, my passion was reignited, and watching the passion develop in many students was so motivating for me!

A close family friend approached me during my time teaching Fine Art and asked if I might could paint her dog. At that point, my life was changed! Word began to spread, and the momentum began to build. Pet portraits became a regular part of my life, and I absolutely loved seeing the joy that the portraits would bring to the owners! At the end of the 2020-2021 school year, my husband and I decided that it was time for me to resign from teaching and open the art studio, which was one of the hardest decisions of my life. I was heartbroken to be leaving education, my teaching family, and my students, but they were so supportive and encouraged me to follow my dream!

Our storefront opened in downtown Benson in August of 2021, and we have been growing and building ever since! I stay busy with commission paintings, and our storefront features artwork of other local artists and a variety of gifts. I am so thankful and blessed to be able to bring my dream to life. It is a great deal of hard work, but I love every moment of it!

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?
Honestly, my biggest struggle has been self-doubt. I have always struggled with my self-confidence in a variety of ways, and it’s no different in my journey with art. Even now, I’m always nervous when delivering the final painting. I always question if the painting is good enough. I know that my self-doubt is what held me back from painting and starting the business for a long time. Over time, I have learned how to cope with the self-doubt that kept me from moving forward with the business, and I am so happy with how far I’ve come!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am an artist that specializes in acrylic paintings! I love painting in the styles of hyperrealism and impressionism. I spend most of my time on commission paintings, specifically pet portraits. My absolute favorite thing to do is live wedding paintings, though! To be a part of such a special event and to capture it in such a unique way is indescribable. At my storefront in downtown Benson, NC, I feature the artwork of other local artists, which has been an amazing experience! I love being able to support other local artists at Wildflower!

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I have a natural talent for painting, but all the talent in the world doesn’t necessarily make one successful. I truly feel that my success so far can be attributed to the amount of time and work I put into what I do. I work hard and make sure I’m providing high-quality services and items!

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