Meet Sarah Fernsler Johnston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Fernsler Johnston.

Hi Sarah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have always been someone who loved the creative process, whether it was when I was a child squishing playdough or an adult learning to knit and crochet. I began my career path as a teacher because I knew that being an educator was something that I would find meaningful. I have been a classroom teacher, an elementary art teacher, and a museum educator at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

I enjoyed designing curriculum to engage and inspire my students, but truthfully when I was a full-time teacher I found that all my creative energy went fully into my teaching. I found it hard to keep a regular art practice of my own. After starting a family and taking time off from teaching to be with my own young children, I found myself needing to make art, especially linocut prints because I could use all the materials easily at home.

I first fell in love with printmaking in college and found it to be the type of art I most enjoyed making because I loved going through the many steps of making a print. I still find the process magical! At the start of the pandemic, all the part-time teaching I had been doing while being a full-time parent was no longer possible.

I started really focusing my energy on making prints and committing more time to my art practice. I am happy to be able to teach again because I definitely describe myself as a teaching artist, but I also love being able to draw, carve, and handprint my artwork. After taking an Arts Entrepreneurship class through Triangle Artworks I have launched my own small business.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like many people, I have taken a winding path to end up where I am now. I have lived and worked in five states and I am grateful to have had a range of jobs along the way from being a first-year teacher in Chicago Public Schools to working with preschoolers at Arts Together here in Raleigh.

One of the biggest struggles that impacted me was going through infertility. I always knew I wanted a family but when my partner and I wanted to start our family we found that getting pregnant was not going to happen for us without medical help. As we navigated various treatments, I would knit and crochet daily and that became a part of my creative practice.

After four years and IVF, we were able to have our first child. I love being able to make art for my own children or for anyone who enjoys whimsical images that often include animals or nature themes. My artwork connects me to my children, teaching, and motherhood while also providing me with an outlet from caregiving.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a printmaker. I make block prints, which means after I draw an image, I then transfer it to a soft rubber block that I carve into. I love the process of carving away everything that will not get inked up. After carving, I then roll ink onto the block and print it on paper or fabric.

Because of my background in art education and my love of picture book art, I enjoy making artwork that shows the world from the perspective of a child, especially toy portraits of favorite objects. This could be a favorite stuffed animal or a robotic dinosaur that comes to life through the imagination. I also love drawing and printing the small nature treasures that can be found on a walk in the neighborhood like a seedpod from a magnolia or sycamore tree.

I want my work to be playful, so I enjoy adding printed textures using things like bubble wrap or adding dimensional texture by stitching with Sashiko thread onto prints. My prints and my functional art, like tea towels or tee shirts, share a whimsical and imaginative style.

I am most proud of being a committed lifelong learner. I am someone who has just started my art business and I have had to learn many new skills along the way, like building my first website. I will always be someone who signs up to take a new class. I had the privilege of going to Penland School of Craft in October 2021 and got to work with Paul Andrew Wandless as he taught Printmaking on Clay.

Being an artist and especially a teaching artist means I am constantly looking for new ways to make art and new ways to share my knowledge with students.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The most important thing in a creative career is to show up and make the work. Some days that come easily and some days it does not, but you will always see progress with enough practice. I wish I had let go of the idea earlier that being an artist meant having a certain skill level.

I now see that being an artist is more about choosing to have a creative practice that grows with the routine of making and nurturing your own curiosity. I also am grateful to be in my 40s because I have learned to worry less about making art that everyone has to like. There are so many different people with different tastes and interests, so you just have to find your audience that connects with your work.

One of my favorite sayings is “comparison is the thief of joy.” If I find myself thinking about the success of others, I know it is time to refocus my energy on seeing my own progress instead of looking at someone else on their artistic journey.

Contact Info:

• Email: sarah.drawpaintprint@gmail.com
• Website: drawpaintprint.com
• Instagram: @drawpaintprint
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drawpaintprint
• Other: TikTok.com/@drawpaintprint