Kathy Johnson received her degree in fine arts from the University of Utah in 1990, with an emphasis on drawing and painting. She taught art, 3-D design, photography, and digital media in Salt Lake City for 25 years. As an educator, she initiated several local art exhibits and juried many more, including the Salt Lake Arts Festival.

As an artist, she has participated in numerous shows and exhibits in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Kathy has received awards for both her teaching and artistic talent. Now retired from teaching, she continues to paint and exhibit.On a professional level, Kathy would characterize her work as an exploration of color and contrast.

For 30 years she worked primarily with oils; but since 2012 she has been experimenting with encaustic (beeswax mixed with pigment and resin). With encaustic, there is less control over details and edges–surfaces are altered by heat, which makes the process somewhat unpredictable. That has encouraged her to play with layers and surface texture, and move into abstraction—and even sculpture. Kathy is overjoyed to be living in such a vibrant, thriving arts community as Kayenta in Ivins, Utah.