Podcasts Culture Mountain & Prairie with Ed Roberson Kelsey Johnson - Chasing Her Artistic Ambitions

Kelsey Johnson - Chasing Her Artistic Ambitions

Published: Feb. 23, 2021, 4:36 a.m.

Kelsey Johnson is a Bozeman-based artist whose work highlights the epic wildlife, people, and landscapes of the American West. Using graphite pencils and oil paints, Kelsey creates stunning, life-like artwork-- works that you would assume were created by a full-time artist with decades of experience. But in reality, Kelsey is new to professional art-- she balances her artistic endeavors with a full-time job, and she actually started her art business only a few years ago, back in 2018. While Kelsey\u2019s artistic career will undoubtedly continue to grow and flourish in the coming years, I am inspired by the commitment and work ethic she exhibits on a daily basis to turn her creative passions into a self-sustaining business.

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Growing up in Pennsylvania, Kelsey was always artistic, but she put art aside and earned her undergraduate degree in agricultural business and agronomy. After graduation, she began a career with a large corporation where she sold corn and soybean seeds across the United States. While the job was safe and steady with plenty of upward mobility, she couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that she was not completely fulfilled by her work. So, as you\u2019ll hear her describe, a series of events came together that prompted her to pack up and move to Montana, where she rededicated herself to her artistic inclinations.

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I greatly admire Kelsey and the way she has created a life and career here in the West. I also feel that she serves as a perfect example of how to balance professional, practical obligations with the pursuit of artistic goals. If you\u2019ve got creative ambitions but struggle to fit them in between the other demands of life, you\u2019ll find Kelsey\u2019s story inspirational. We had a wide-ranging conversation, discussing everything from her childhood on the east coast to her eventual move to Montana. We talked about her evolution as an artist, some of her artistic breakthroughs, and her creative influences. She talks a lot about juggling professional and artistic commitments, and she also offers up some excellent book, music, and film recommendations.

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And as you\u2019ll hear in the episode, Kelsey and I will be doing a giveaway of a print of her newest painting, titled \u201cLand of the Desert Poppy,\u201d which I\u2019ve linked to in the notes. If you want to enter to win, follow me on Instagram and look for a post about the giveaway later this week, the week of February 22, 2021.

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Thanks so much to Kelsey for taking the time to chat. Hope you enjoy this conversation.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

  • 3:45 \u2013 Where Kelsey grew up
  • 4:45 \u2013 How Kelsey initially got into agriculture
  • 6:30 \u2013 When did Kelsey realize that agriculture was not the path for her
  • 8:45 \u2013 How did Kelsey come to set her eyes on Montana
  • 12:15 \u2013 What did Kelsey have to do to move to Bozeman
  • 14:45 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s art
  • 18:30 \u2013 How the art community in Southwest Montana influenced Kelsey\u2019s art
  • 20:45 \u2013 The first time Kelsey sold art
  • 23:45 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s experience balancing her art with the rest of her life
  • 25:45 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s biggest surprise in setting up her art business
  • 26:45 \u2013 Kelsey discusses \u201cbig break\u201d moments that helped get her work in front of more people
  • 30:30 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s role models in the creative community of the American West
  • 33:45 \u2013Kelsey discusses how she knows she\u2019s finished with a piece and explores those moments when a piece just \u201cdoesn\u2019t work out\u201d
  • 37:15 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s advice for those getting started in creative pursuits
  • 35:30 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s most recently finished piece (ft. information on a print giveaway!)
  • 42:30 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s adventures in hunting
  • 45:45 \u2013 What Kelsey does for fun
  • 46:30 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s favorite books
  • 50:00 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s favorite musicians
  • 53:00 \u2013 Kelsey\u2019s favorite movies
  • 55:30 \u2013 Parting words of wisdom

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