Abigail Ogilvy Gallery: What's your studio ritual?
Juliet Johnstone: I start by sitting with whatever I painted the night before. I work late, so that morning pause helps me see things clearly. I usually spend 20 to 30 minutes just looking before touching a brush.
Image Courtesy of Noah Paul
AOG: How does scale influence the way you approach a painting?
JJ: Scale invites movement into a painting which is something that I strive to have. For these works, I find it important to not have a single focal point, but instead have many entry points to the piece. For me, the movement of shape and color is supported by the scale of the paintings.
AOG: What part of your process feels most instinct driven?
JJ: Color
AOG: What kind of references do you use for research?
JJ: That's my favorite part. I collect all kinds of books, flowers, insects, graphic design, and I photograph street and business signs around LA. They are amazing references for text that you cannot find online. Old magazines can be helpful in sourcing color combinations that are not of-the-moment too.
Image Courtesy of Noah Paul
AOG: How separate, or interconnected, do you feel your identity as a painter is from your identity as a designer?
JJ: I'm still understanding how those two sides of me relate. They feel separate because the processes behind them are so different. Painting is medatative, research-driven, open-ended, I can work on a piece indefinitely with no real finish line. Design is intentional, structured, and begins with a clear vision, which leaves far less room to wander. Still, they're connected because they come from the same place. I was a painter first, my brand began accidentally when I painted on my studio pants. The designer in me wouldn't exist without the painter.
Image Courtesy of Noah Paul
AOG: How do you balance spontaneity with structure?
JJ: I follow the feeling, once I find the direction, the structure naturally appears.
Interview by Ana Makharadze
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