After studying illustration at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, USA, Cat Johnston started working as an illustrator and model maker. She initially went in for paper for her creations, but later on, tried different materials for her stop-motion animation.
According to Johnston, her work is influenced by folk art, nature, and what she can recall from her childhood days. However, it’s the bizarre creatures, figuring in mythology and folklore, that really inspires her. Little wonder her creations portray unusual plants and animals.
It was when Johnston moved to San Francisco, USA, that she got the opportunity to explore the environment. Says she on thisiscolossal.com, “I was blown away by all the strange and lovely cacti and succulents and the animals I saw there (hummingbirds and pelicans and raccoons) and wanted to create a landscape of plants and creatures that felt alien and magical as California did to me.” Living here, she created many of the lifeforms that catapulted her to fame.
Just sample Johnston’s creations… strange creatures such as a moth-human hybrid, a frog in a sporting tracksuit smoking, striped coral, and many other unusual artworks. All these are created from paper and textiles. She worked with Andersen M and Tundra studios using paper for stop-motion animation. Her illustration clients include the Financial Times, Linda McCartney Foods, and Penguin.
Johnston is currently based in Portland, USA, where she devotes full time to her art when she’s not teaching or crocheting. She has over 13,000 followers on Instagram.
Cat Johnston
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