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M
ary Johnson likes to paint just about
anything. The muralist has expanded
her canvas this past year to include
boots, with stunning results. Women
wearing her designs are literally stopped in their tracks as
onlookers marvel at the craftsmanship put into each pair
of Mary’s intricately painted boots. I recently sat down
with her and viewed her latest designs at the home of
her client, Tracy Bollag, who has already commissioned
several pairs.
Johnson recalls her mother painstakingly decorating
Christmas ornaments at the holidays. With artists scattered
throughout her family lineage, she felt drawn to the craft,
and admittedly enjoys 3-D engineering and the structural
mechanics of art. Johnson explains that footwear provides
a unique canvas. In addition to their curving elements,
boots are relatively small and narrow. Mary never paints
the same design on two boots in a pair. Rather, the two
complement one another in storytelling.
photos and story by Jenn Kennedy
Violet Flames