About the Artist

Brittany Johnson

I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, VA. I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Art Education. I am a Signature member of the International society of scratchboard artists. I am an Active Board member and past president of the Chesapeake Bay Art Association, a non-profit art organization raising money for student scholarships as well as hosting the Ocean view Art Show in Norfolk, Va.

In 11th grade I quit band to take my first art class since elementary and I fell in love. For the remainder of high school i carried around a backpack filled with acrylic paint and prismacolor markers and my art journal. I would finger paint, draw, and write in my journal throughout the day with any free time I had and walk the halls with hands coated in paint.. I completely immersed myself in trying out different mediums and techniques throughout high school and college. After graduatuation i primarily painted abstract work that evolved over time. After having my first few art shows I began to explore through painting landscapes, seascapes, and sea life, Slowly I branched out to small realistic animal portraits with bright abstract backgrounds.

Almost all of my work has always related to nature, and the beauty we can find in the world around us. I combineD washes and stains with thick texture and often liked to incorporate metallic and interference paints as well as flakes of mica in my work. I have always wanted my work to brighten and liven up whatever space it is in.

in 2011 I made a scratchboard portrait of a friends dog as a wedding gift., I had done a few scratchboard portraits in high school and at the time still only knew about the paper version and the classic scratchboard stylus. My first few portraits were done on this paper with only stippling. After sharing that portrait on social media I received several commissions and over time pet portraits turned into my best seller and scratchboard became my favorite medium to work with.

In 2018 I made the move to transition my art to solely scratchboard work and I have not looked back. I love that scratchboard is such a unique medium and at shows most customers comment that they have never seen anything like it.  Focusing on scratchboard I am continually learning new techniques and my work is always improving as my knowledge of the medium expands. I now use a wide variety of tools in my work from microblading tattoo needles, to slice blades, microfiber brushes and X-acto Knives. I have been exploring new techniques of adding color with inks to my pieces..

I have hosted a few workshops on how to scratchboard through the CBAA. And taught a workshop at Virginia MOCA I am grateful for the opportunity to share this medium and encourage other artists to try it out.

being able to memorialize others beloved pets and leave them with something unique they can cherish forever is so rewarding. I like to say that if the customer doesn’t cry when seeing their completed for the first time then I didn't do a good enough job. 

my Paintings have been featured at Art Everywhere in Norfolk, the 2015 CBAA member show at the D'Art center in Norfolk, at Bean There Coffee Shop in Virginia Beach, at Java Surf Coffee Shop, Oral Surgery of Tidewater, the 2016 and 2017 CBAA Member Show at the Suffolk Cultural Center for the Arts,  at Gus and George's Spaghetti and Steakhouse in Virginia Beach. At the 2018 CBAA Member show at MacArthur Mall in Norfolk, VA. my scratchboard work has been at the CHarles Taylor Center of the Arts, and the Virginia Museum of Contemporary art, I can also be found with a booth at Outdoor Art shows across the state of Virginia and North Carolina. Previously I have participated at the East Beach Art Show, the Senastional Spring Art Show, The Steel Pier Art Show, Artisans in The Park, Ocean view Art Show, 3rd Thursday art walk at shore drive, Neptune Festival Arts and Craft show, the Chix Beach Art Show, the Virginia Beach Pet Expo, Sidewalk Art Show ( roanoke), Arts in the park (Richmond, VA), Boardwalk Art Show, both Fall and Spring Stockley Gardens Art sHow, Festival in the Park ( Charlotte, NC), crafted VA, and holiday Markets. I was one of the 40 artists selected for Judging in the 2023 Boardwalk Art show, and I won the 2-d Judges choice award at Festival in the Park in Charlotte NC in 2023.

Home Life

THanks to the support of my hard working husband Zach i am homeschooling our three children. I work a few hours a week as an assistant for an insurance Broker and i work on my art as much as I can,. I stay busy with pet portrait commissions and preparing new work for upcoming art shows. In what little free time. I have i love to bake, read (especially anything involving the supernatural, magic, and fantasy), and spend time with my family outdoors Playing disc golf, on hikes, or at the beach.