Watercolour
Allison Johnson
Subjects | Impressionism, Landscape, Seascapes, Florals
Working in watercolour and acrylic, self taught artist Allison (Allie) creates expressive semi abstract landscapes and florals inspired by nature’s shifting moods.
Allison Johnson is a self-taught artist based in a small rural town ,in East Gippsland, Victoria. She began painting in 2016 as a way to navigate significant life changes, and what started as a form of personal healing soon became a passionate and ongoing creative journey. Deeply inspired by the natural beauty of her surroundings, Allison is especially drawn to places where land and water meet, a recurring theme in her work. She believes in the restorative power of water and aims to evoke that sense of calm and connection through her art. Working intuitively with watercolour and acrylic, her process is spontaneous and guided by emotion, allowing each piece to unfold naturally. Allison’s landscapes and florals are gentle yet expressive, capturing moments of joy, stillness, and freedom. Her work is a heartfelt reflection of the environment she calls home.
Available to Bid
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I work with watercolour and acrylic. I love watercolor for its unpredictability and ethereal qualities and acrylic paint because it allows me to create layers and rich texture.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
I do very little planning, prefering to let the paint lead me, working intuitively, my process is guided by emotion allowing each piece to unfold.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I call my spare room ( formally my youngest bedroom) the studio, its quite chaotic, I am messy and its great 🙂
Tell us a bit about your story and how you came to be an artist
I have always been creative, with art coming and going through my life.
2016 brought some huge life changes and I returned to art through various online free offering and discovering a world of information I didn’t know existed. Starting a healing phase in my life.
After the 2019 bushfires followed by the pandemic, a very venerable and isolating time for so many, I starting sending hand painted cards as surprise happy mail to my family and friends, and haven’t really stopped.
I gained some confidence, found supportive on line communities and started to enter competitions and exhibitions, now I can’t imagine not painting.
How would you describe your creative process?
I prefer not to plan very much, I find it better to say out of my head and let the feelings lead the way. I like to work quickly and with a limited palette.
What inspires you?
I am lucky enough to live in beautiful East Gippsland, with beaches and wilderness nearby, I am drawn to areas where land and water meet, fragile and full of potential. I love to spend time in my garden, surrounded by plants and birdlife.
How would you describe your artistic style?
I would say my style is intuitive, semi abstract and impessionistic.
What message and emotion do you hope to convey with your work?
I hope to evoke calm, with a touch of mystery perhaps.
Transporting the viewer away for the hustle and bustle of the everyday.
Career Highlights
- Aspire Gallery, Petite Pieces Art Prize, Finalist 2024.2025
- Aspire Gallery, Foot Square Art Prize, Finalist 2024, 2025
- Incognito Art Show 2023, selling out on the first day.
