Monnie Johnson
Monnie was born in 1956 in rural Dillon, SC, a town more noted for the glitzy South of the Border tourist attraction than fine art. He started life with an innate talent so good that his 4th grade teacher accused him of tracing a portrait of George Washington rather than applauding the free-hand copy he’d actually done. Meanwhile at home, young Monnie’s father felt work on the farm was more important than his art and that farming took precedence over all.
His mother encouraged Monnie by providing supplies for his drawings and doodling, and intervening with his Dad to allow for him to use available spare time for drawing.
In the 1980’s, Monnie met Billie Sumner, wife of one of his Pharmacy School Professors. She was an accomplished Charleston water color artist and saw in him raw talent that needed nurturing. Billie offered him classes as a graduation gift upon completion of Pharmacy School. Very quickly she became his mentor and friend with a relationship that had now spanned over 3 decades. This influential teacher fell in love with one of his first oil paintings-of a study of water lilies in oils, a piece that was displayed in her Old Mount Pleasant home till the day of her departure to her heavenly home. Art collectors have included Ed Asner, Shelly Taylor Morgan, and others in Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland and Australia have followed Billie’s lead, adding Monnie’s work to their collections over the years.
Monnie first exhibited at Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in 1987; then, although his work was well accepted, he resumed focus on his family and career for close to 20 years by returning as an officer in The United States Air Force. Upon retirement in 2002, he pondered returning to Piccolo and did so in 2005. He has been exhibiting every year since.
Over the years, Monnie has been on a continuing quest to answer the question “what makes a piece of art really good?” He has a voracious appetite for learning and growing and has taken courses, participated in workshops, and studied the work of hundreds of artists in galleries and museums. Among others, he credits McClellanville artist Emmy Bronson, and his gallery/artist colleagues in Charleston and Summerville as influencers in his signature style.
Monnie loves to focus on light, the use of broad brush strokes, and color. He delights in the rainy season here in Charleston…loves the reflections of objects and people on the glistening sidewalks. It’s the mood of the moment that Monnie captures in those rainy day pieces of art.
Monnie’s art studio is located @ 4940 Lambs Road North Charleston, SC 29418 by appointment. He and his work can be seen yearly at the Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition in Marion square in May. He lives with his beautiful wife, Lesley there in North Charleston.
Currently guest artist at :
https://monniejohnson.art