Meet Elisa Johns

Canvas Rebel, August 28, 2023
Elisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

 

The first painting I sold was so essential to launching my art career. The year I graduated from my MFA program coincided with a show called Supersonic that included all graduating MFA students in Southern California. It was an incredible opportunity and I was very fortunate that the curator picked a large 8×10 ft painting. The show received a lot of press and my painting happened to catch the eye of a major Los Angeles collector. The curator put me in contact with her. I attempted to negotiate a price but the collector ultimately decided what my painting worth. Being in her collection was the most valuable part of the transaction. I rented a truck and delivered the painting myself. When I arrived, she gave me a tour of her collection which included a Nancy Rubins Airplane Parts sculpture in the backyard and two incredible galleries with several amazing Cecily Brown and Peter Doig paintings. The entire experience was a very surreal introduction the the Los Angeles art world. That sale jump started my career. Within the year I had been included in several important group shows and had my first solo show.

 
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Read the full interview at canvasrebel.com.
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