Susan L. Johnson is a Maine watercolor artist whose intimate, scientifically grounded paintings of farm and marine animals invite viewers to slow down, look closely, and discover the quiet drama of the natural world. A Signature Member of the New England Watercolor Society, Susan L. Johnson brings a rare depth of biological expertise to her art — shaped by a B.S. from Cornell, an M.Ed. from Harvard, and a thirty-year career spanning high school teaching, science television production, and Harvard outreach programs.
Working from fieldwork, live observation, and firsthand encounters with mackerel, alewives, and sheep, she paints with striking intimacy and emphasis on gesture, negative space, and simplified form. Represented by Portland Art Gallery, Susan L. Johnson creates watercolors that bridge scientific curiosity and artistic intuition in equal measure.
What does a life sciences educator discover when she finally returns to the nature-loving child she once was — and what does a mackerel seen through clear water reveal that no photograph could capture?