Explore the biography of award-winning artist Cheryl Johnson. Based in Charlotte, NC, Johnson’s work bridges Abstract Expressionism and contemporary narrative. Discover her artistic philosophy, the DOT method, and her mission to ignite joy through color.
"My creative process is anchored in the concept of the DOT: a convergence of Desire, Opportunity, and Time. Beginning with this internal distillation, I allow a single intuitive impulse to 'take a walk,' weaving together disparate inspirations from memory, cinema, and art history. I paint in the liminal space between the known and the felt—prioritizing atmosphere over logic. By 'thinking through ideas with feeling,' I allow the canvas to evolve organically, transforming the pressure of creation into a playful, color-rich discovery."
"Every painting begins with the DOT: This framework allows me to distill complex emotions into a potent starting point. Searching for the 'rreal thread' that connects my diverse inspirations, I move beyond imitation into pure intuition. I work in the cloudy space between images, capturing the elusive atmosphere of a moment before logic intervenes. It is a practice of constant evolution, where color and texture dictate the journey."
The Philosophy I am an artist who speaks through the language of abstraction, viewing every blank surface as an opportunity to manifest the sublime. My practice is a journey of constant evolution, mapping the intersection where raw emotion meets the memory of place. I am driven by a desire to create not just an image, but an experience—transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Inspiration & Place My work navigates the diverse geographies of my life. From the verdant "Secret Forests" of North Carolina to the translucent skies and kinetic seas of Kauai; from the autumnal warmth of the Pacific Northwest to the wild topography of Glacier National Park—these distinct environments are the soul of my canvas.
While color, light, and atmosphere act as the initial catalyst, the paintings themselves evolve into memories of discovery. They are not literal depictions, but rather the feeling of a place, captured in the shifting seasons and the passage of time.
Lineage & Evolution My artistic voice is rooted in the light and atmosphere of Impressionist masters like Monet and J.M.W. Turner. However, over decades of practice, this foundation has matured into a bold, contemporary abstraction that echoes the gestural strength of female Abstract Expressionists like Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler.
The Mission My intent is to render the universal intimate. Whether I am exploring deep, textured landscapes or the occasional human figure, I invite the viewer to engage on a level that is as deeply emotional as it is visual. My goal is to create a connection that allows you to feel, not just to see.
It is a profound honor to have these works preserved in distinguished private and public collections across the globe.
Cheryl Johnson | Crafting a Legacy of Beauty and Abstraction
Cheryl Johnson is an American artist painting in the language of abstraction. Driven by the desire to illuminate the human experience through color, her work is a constant exploration of emotion and the concept of place.
Her primary body of work, the Secret Forests series, draws inspiration from the verdant landscapes of North Carolina, the luminous skies of Hawaii, and the wild topography of the American Northwest. Though her early influences were rooted in the Impressionism of Monet and Turner, Johnson’s style has evolved into a sophisticated contemporary abstraction, echoing the bold gestural energy of Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler.
Johnson’s paintings are memories of discovery—inviting the viewer to experience the artwork on a deeply emotional level. Her work is collected by private individuals and found in public collections worldwide.
Cheryl Johnson refers to her paintings and drawings as "psychological" or "invented landscapes," a term derived from a working process where the artwork is realized only in the very moment of painting. The creation is purely driven by emotion and instinct. This interior impulse, however, is skillfully informed by a deep knowledge of art history, compositional balance, and meticulous attention to detail. The result is a fusion of spontaneous color choices and vibrant brushstrokes that convey both immediacy and formal rigor.
Based in North Carolina, Cheryl Johnson employs a multidisciplinary approach to surface design, mastering a complex fusion of oil, acrylic, latex, and encaustic.
Her process is sculptural; utilizing tools traditionally reserved for ceramics, she carves, fuses, and layers beeswax and resin to build profound texture. These excavated areas are then saturated with pigment, creating geometrically complex abstract landscapes that teem with subterranean detail and invite a sense of wonder.
“I feel a personal connection to the work in front of me and I can look back at what I’ve accomplished while planning my next step for tomorrow. It’s a clear path that is soothing and I hope my paintings project my celebration of life as I pursue my passion and have more joy every day.” – Cheryl Johnson
I sometimes work on a series of paintings at the same time. I begin with a thought in mind while allowing each painting to develop its own unique story. I enjoy painting on canvas, linen, wood panels and paper using a variety of mediums. Emotions enter as I build up layers, add lines and gestural marks while using complementary colors. My being open to serendipity and chance keeps a sense of surprise and spontaneity in the finished painting. I paint intuitively while adjusting the composition and choosing bold and contrasting color. I am mindful to keep space, light and dark balanced while still taking daring risks until the end so the painting keeps the feeling of energy flowing.
"...If you’re decorating an important room, the work needs to be something with a bit of gravitas.'"
Primarily a painter, Cheryl's work focuses on gesture and colour; emphasizing energetic, animated brush strokes and bold palettes. Her work is both highly abstract and highly personal, a dynamic expression of emotions.
She regularly exhibits her work in galleries and art fairs throughout North America. In addition, she teaches online (artlessonsnow.com) and often teaches painting workshops, and has served as a jury member on several national art prizes.
Inspired by people and nature. Created by the use of quality oil paint with the use of large brushes, palette knives on quality canvas, arches oil and stone paper.
Layered carefully over a period of time.
Creating a strong emotional or expressive abstract in her unique style, inspired by the work of Gerhard Richter and Joan Mitchell.
Inspired by the beauty and power of nature
Turning a passion into a lifelong career, Cheryl Johnson takes inspiration from great artists such as, Claude Monet, Mark Rothko.
A great lover of traveling, she draws inspiration from her surroundings. For this reason her abstract paintings result from her love of beauty, texture and color.
Emotion evolve through an encounter with landscape, ocean and sky. In this way, the love of beauty and color emerges through her technique, and is instantly noticed and admired by the viewer.
Chromatic strokes blend with Achromatic tones
Deftly mixing Values and Colors. Chromatic colors are colors in which one particular hue predominates. For example, blue and green are chromatic colors, while white, gray, and black are achromatic colors, as they have no dominant hue. They have lightness but no hue or saturation. They can be created by mixing complementary colors together.
An extremely versatile multi-media artist, Cheryl Johnson, approaches each medium in a unique and exacting way. From photography, to watercolor and oil painting, each painting is characterized by a different process. The technique of oil painting consists of deliberate slow layering, overlapping, layer by layer, of different colors and hues, to obtain abstract works ranging from minimal to more complexity. Deep Grays, Blues and greens and reds are often recurrent in her works, but each art piece is an ongoing experiment to discover new nuances by mixing the colors.
A Lifetime career
Cheryl Johnsons’s career consists of numerous high-level exhibitions. Her works are currently exposed in many collections around the world, from Europe to the US.
BIO
Cheryl Johnson is a contemporary painter born in Kellogg, Idaho. She is best known for her abstract compositions layered in textured brushstrokes, layered pools of paint and beautiful faces and forms. Cheryl received a B.A. in Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1969 and an M.A. in Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 1971 . In 2008, she traveled to Kauai, Hawaii, bringing her into collaboration with local artists. She has since returned annually, finding inspiration for her work in both the terrain and culture. Cheryl lives and works in Charlotte, NC.
American, b. 1947, Kellogg, Idaho. Contemporary | Established | Mid Career female Artist | Kauai | North Carolina | USA | Abstract Expressionist.
With a distinct style that merges abstraction with representation in increasing degrees, her work brings together instinctive compositions while revealing her precise powers of observation. Remarkable for their compositional rhythms, bold coloration, and sweeping gestural brushstrokes, Johnsons’ paintings bring alive the fundamental quest to express something personal, subjective and emotive, in a poetic, abstract way.
American Artist, Cheryl Johnson is a painter best known for her strong use of color, and intuitive mark making. Resonating with the Abstract Expressionists, as well as the language of figurative painting; interested in creating paintings that invite viewers to spend more time with an artwork to expand their ways of seeing. She has created a body of work based on gestural energy and the intuitive expression of deep inner emotion.
Cheryl considers herself more in line with Abstract Expressionism since her work flows from the deep well of her inner emotion.
Johnson’s art consists of abstract paintings more often made of mixed media; oil, acrylic, latex, pastel, charcoal, oil crayon.
In a career that has thrived through multiple evolutions in style, she combines brushwork with bold splashes and drips of color that encompasses mark making that is poetic and gracefully formed and at times boldly colored––that emerge in an uncanny, perfect balance. Her large-scale portrait paintings investigate the potential of big, aggressive brushstrokes and vivid color to convey emotion.
Johnson’s subjects range from abstract themes inspired equally by the landscapes to intimate figurative studies and poignant faces. By presenting two suites of paintings from her disparate styles in dialogue with one another, Cheryl Johnson will offer viewers a concise and rare opportunity to examine how one artist explores media, technique, and style — developmentally, artistically, and spiritually — through two seemingly oppositional, but nonetheless complementary, bodies of work.
An established artist, Cheryl Johnson is defined as an individual who has a lifetime of painting and who has more than 50 years of experience and is at a mature stage of her career, with an extensive body of work and a history of public exhibition.
Large-Scale Painting, Large/Loose Brushstrokes, Women Artists, Contemporary Figurative Painting, Gestural, Splattered/Dripped, Painting, Line, Form, and Color, Mixed-Media, Oil Painting, Sculpture.
Cheryl Johnson Cheryl Johnson is an American abstract artist whose work has appeared in galleries throughout the US. Her works are held in numerous private collections in the US, Europe, and Canada. She maintains a studio in Kauai, HI and divides her time between there and Charlotte, NC. A highly collectible artist.
With a long and varied career as an IBM Talent Manager, Instructional Designer and Website Manager; ensconced in a life of technology and marketing. In 2010, she gave up a regular pay cheque at IBM to pursue her love of painting full-time.
Here is a reformatted and condensed version of the resume content, focusing on clarity, professional impact, and logical flow.
Highly experienced Senior-Level Professional with a proven ability to lead and inspire cross-functional creative teams, consistently delivering superb creative work under tight deadlines. A thought leader in Adult Learning Theory, Standards, and Practices with deep expertise in project management, website, and instructional design.
Senior-Level Experience in International Sales and Marketing, and consulting for Fortune 100/500 clients (IBM, AT&T, Prudential, Nortel, Piedmont Gas, etc.).
Proven expertise in designing and developing creative and compelling e-learning and videos.
Skilled graphic artist, writer, and engaging presenter with the ability to quickly become a trusted advisor.
20+ years in learning or human resources consulting; 15+ years in instructional design.
Area
Expertise
Instructional Design
ADDIE model, Needs Analysis, Learning Objectives, Curriculum Design, Training Evaluation (Instructor-led and Web-based), Adult Learning Principles.
Technology
E-learning development applications (Breeze, Captivate, Articulate, Dreamweaver, or related systems), Website Management, Social Media Connections, Proprietary Software Training.
Project & Program Mgt.
Lead complex projects and multiple engagements, P&L/Budget Management, On-Time/On-Budget/On-Scope Delivery, Business Analysis, Sales Support, Team Leadership/Mentoring.
Communications
Graphic Design, Strong Writing Skills, Presentation Delivery, Proposal Content, Communication Review.
IBM | 2004 – 2012
Talent-Learning & Workforce Management: Websites Manager for 25 internal sites, supporting a suite of career programs and resources used by 450,000 IBMers to coordinate recruitment, learning, workforce management, and global mobility strategies.
Expertise Management: Created and managed 27 global sites (e.g., Career Smart, Expertise Taxonomy, Career Framework) supporting the enterprise-wide HR system for employee replacement, skills, and capabilities assessment tools.
Global Community Leader: Established and led the Workforce Management Global Community of Practice to enhance leadership, workforce management, and social media connections for 450,000 IBMers.
Project Leadership: Led the Talent Website Integration Project, initiative to analyze, reduce, and maintain Workforce Management sites globally.
Consulting Services: Supported internal and external clients including Freddie Mac, National City, IBM Retail Sales, and IBM Delivery Excellence.
CLJohnson Consulting | 2001 – 2004
Principle Consultant providing design, development, and project management expertise to Fortune 100/500 clients.
Project Leadership: Managed large and/or multiple projects, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and on-scope delivery. Managed P&L, mentored team resources, and conducted day-to-day team activities.
Business Development: Identified and cultivated new business opportunities; performed Business Analysis to understand customer challenges and strategize solution design.
Instructional Design/Creative Work: Served as Creative Director/Senior Instructional Designer for various projects, including creating training for the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) Online University Concept.
Key Projects:
Designed and developed 30 hours of e-learning for integrated solutions customer data management proprietary software for County Department of Social Services (DSS).
Designed and developed Customer training as Project Manager/Team Lead for an integration/merger at Piedmont Gas.
IBM Certified Learning Specialist – 2004
BA: Bachelor of Arts in Education – Oral Roberts University (1969), Stillwater, OK (1970)
Would you like me to refine the language to target a specific role, such as a Senior Instructional Designer or a Project Manager?
Biography
Cheryl Lynn Johnson (born February 12, 1947) is a female American Abstract Expressionist Artist. She was born in Kellogg, Idaho. In her early years, she lived in the Rocky Mountains on the border of Idaho and Canada surrounded by immense beauty. Nature was her playground and inspired her to create art from a very young age. Today Cheryl lives in Mecklenburg County, Charlotte, NC.
She is of Finnish, Swedish, and Scotch-Irish descent.
Her family migrated from Kemi Finland and settled in Canada in the 1800's, working a farm in Hughendon, Alberta. Her parents moved to the U.S. and ran a small motel in Eastport, Idaho on the Canadian Border. Yearly family vacations across Canada from the states kept her interested in the beauty of nature that has influenced her work to this day.
In her early artistic career, Cheryl painted both under her familiar and family names: Cheri' and Cherah Boryl Jaurvaii. Cheryl graduated with a BFA from Oral Roberts University, MFA from Oklahoma State University continuing on with two years of study toward Doctorate Degree. She received MA in Education and Teacher Certification from the University of Tulsa.
She began painting professionally in 1969 and has had numerous shows throughout her career. She studied and worked in her early career as a Teacher, Video Producer, and Director. Skilled as a videographer, photographer, commercial artist and designer she moved to North Carolina in the early 1980s. She has continued to paint throughout her varied career while working in the corporate world and retired from IBM to paint full time in 2010.
While in the corporate world.
Cheryl L. Johnson proved herself as a multi-faceted professional with deep expertise in adult learning and creating corporate learning content, instructional design elements, websites, marketing, learning and performance improvement solutions for large and small organizations.
Ms. Johnson is an expert in adult learning, creative concept, branding and strategy development for large interactive learning, video and marketing campaigns. In her 25+ years of corporate business experience, Ms. Johnson has demonstrated success in managing strategic corporate initiatives, and provided thought leadership in innovative performance improvements in many industries.
Art in Embassies, a program within the U.S. Department of State, creates vital cross-cultural dialogue and mutual understanding through the visual arts and dynamic artist exchanges. Where is the art exhibited: The art is installed in the representational spaces of U.S. embassy residences,, chanceries, consulates, and annexes around the world.
In 2011 Cheryl studied design with the German contemporary artist Werner Haker, who catalyzed her ongoing passion for art making.
I have followed closely the work of Brian Rutenburg who has influenced my Secret Forest Studies. I have had the pleasure to attend his speaking engagements at Jerald Melberg Gallery in Charlotte, NC.
I am an avid learner about art in general and in some ways, my work is a compilation of my love affair with artists: Joan Mitchel, Cy Twombly, Rothko, Whistler, William de Kooning and a new favorite Anslem Kieffer the list goes on an on.
The primary purpose of my extensive travel is to visit great museums around the world and study the masters from many fields of art.
Tate, Guggenheim, Royal Academy, Louvre. MOMA - The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York I could spend a lifetime perusing.
The Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy holds the world’s finest collection of Renaissance paintings. All the famous names of Italian art are here—not only the Renaissance masters, but also painters from the early medieval, baroque, and Mannerist heydays. My Main attraction: “The Birth of Venus” by Botticelli.
The National Gallery in Prague is a state-owned art gallery in Prague, which manages the ... Rodin, Gauguin, Cézanne, Renoir, Schiele, Munch, Miró and my favorite Klimt.
Werner is a wonderful Architect and Built a beautiful home on the top of the mountain in Brevard, NC https://www.brackenmountainbuilders.com/cedar-gap-house
Werner Hacker
Gustav Klimt “The Maidens (Virgins)” 1913, unfortunately, under glass so there is always a glare, but simply magnificent.
Color: ee3923 R 238 G 57 B 35