Look Within Painting

My art is my truth - a thoughtful and authentic expression of myself and my journey, the outlet in which my innermost feelings come to light. An honest and vulnerable exposition of the darkness of addiction to the hope and freedom of recovery. Life altering experiences - trauma, addiction, recovery, self-discovery, finding purpose and meaning - serve as the focal points for my work. Vibrant colors are at the center, reflecting my gratitude for the fullness of life. Color use, movement, shapes and precision are foundational to my style. Bold, with an understated elegance, I seek to inform my work with the sensitivity, honesty and courage to share my story of overcoming. Painting awakens my spirit. Free and with an open heart, I’m able to communicate and connect in the purest fashion. I paint to share my journey, to bare my soul, to heal, to inspire. Self-taught contemporary artist from New York. In 2017, after 30 years, I picked up a paint brush for the first time since high school. It was a moment of clarity - a sense of purpose. The following year, after two decades in advertising, I made a life-changing decision and left the corporate world to pursue my art full time. Discovering my art was a long, arduous journey. Creatively oriented from a young age, my interest in art grew during my schooling years through painting, ceramics and design classes. However, doubt set in. An art-related career was vague and the expectations to be a successful “corporate citizen” were too great. I succumbed to the norm and went down the path of what was expected, what I was "supposed" to be. As my career in advertising unfolded, discontent grew. However, I had reached a point where the idea of change was too frightening. Concurrently, I found myself caught in the grips of addiction which took everything from me, nearly my life. Starting over in 2010, I entered recovery and have not turned back. As I immersed myself in the self-discovery process of recovery, my artistic interests rekindled. It took several more years to reach that “moment” in 2017. Once I embraced my creativity, a sense of joy emerged. It was the change my spirit needed, the catalyst for my true path. Instagram: @chris_johnsonart