Drawn by the wide open spaces and muted color palettes of the desert West, Courtney Leigh Johnson’s work examines the connections between species and their importance within their ecosystems, both in life and in death. She spends a lot of time focusing on the overlooked beauty of decay and loss within the natural world. Seeing herself as part science communicator and part cabinet of curiosities curator, Courtney uses her art to bring conversations about ecology and conservation to everyday life through silkscreen, relief printing, and digital design.
Courtney’s background is in Environmental Science and Horticulture. She’s taught marine science to students in Alaska at a remote field station, managed a native plant nursery in Western North Carolina, and was even a florist for a number of years. An Appalachian transplant to the West, she is constantly trying to combine all these past experiences into her current role as an artist. In her free time she enjoys identifying native plants, looking for bones, riding her mountain bike, and cuddling her sweet pup and baby boy.