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Erin Johnston- B.F.A. in Drawing and Painting

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing and Painting from the University of Southern Mississippi.

As a two-time recipient of the Foundation Art Scholarship Award,

 I have worked diligently to develop a purposeful insight to understanding the concepts of drawing and design. Being able to draw is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. It helps you to appreciate and value so many wonders that exist around us.

from the University of Southern Mississippi
While receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Drawing and Painting from the University of Southern Mississippi, I quickly realized that learning how to draw was undoubtedly about learning how to see the intimate details of our surroundings. Being able to draw is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. It helps you to appreciate and value so many wonders that exist around us. As children, we innately experience art with such a pure and honest approach. I am excited to help foster these elements as we continue to harvest the vitality of the human spirit.

What students say about Ms. Erin's class

google

My 8 year old expressed interest in art classes so I started doing some research and stumbled across Art+ Academy. I’m so grateful we landed here, my daughter’s teacher, Ms Erin, is not only talented, but is brilliant with kids. She is so skilled at setting expectations with the class, communicates with kids like adults, and it truly cultivates a relationship of mutual respect. The fact that supplies are included makes it very approachable for my daughter to try lots of methods and materials. It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into hiring true art professionals.

google

My experience attending adult classes at Art + Academy has been so helpful to reigniting my passion for artistic creation. It has shown me a path forward in my life that I thought would be left behind unfulfilled. My instructor Erin listens, observes and finds the ways to guide me not away from any one approach to my art but presents alternatives and/or source material that may serve me better.

google

My 6 years old looks forward to her art class every week. Her teacher Ms Erin is an amazing teacher and my daughter has really enjoyed learning from her! I would definitely recommend Art + Academy to everyone who has interest in learning arts!…

google

5 star review! My daughter can be tough to teach as she wants to do her own thing with drawing. She enjoyed the art camp with Ms. Erin! Ms. Erin has a great, relaxed way of teaching the kids but still allowing them to make artistic decisions. The art show was cool though not by kiddo’s cup of tea but a valuable experience for her. I have already recommended Art+Academy/Ms. Erin to friends. For anyone who is weighing options, I highly recommend Art Plus Academy. We will definitely be back next summer!

google

We have been attending Art Plus Academy in person in Northwest Austin before the Covid pandemic started, we started when my child was in first grade. We continue to be with Art Plus Academy online throughout the Covid pandemic. We are grateful we had an in-person Art class, when available and in our area. Yet, we are more grateful that Art Plus Academy continues to offer online Art classes, when many other Art studios choose not to do so, as my child is now in 6th grade. Thank you to Art Plus Academy for offering various Art class for all ages.

google

My daughter had a wonderful time at art camp with Ms. Erin. She told me she was nervous as we walked in on the first day, but Ms. Erin is a warm and highly-skilled art teacher who made her feel at ease right away. My daughter created beautiful pieces each day and came home raving about her experience. We cannot wait to enroll my daughter for the fall semester. We know she is in the best hands at Art + Academy!

google

Our daughter attends Art+Academy. For three years under the tuition of Ms Erin, we share that our expectations have been exceeded. Erin was pivotal to our daughter’s admittance into a middle school fine arts program here in Austin. She earned our daughter’s trust. The respect and genuine friendship Erin exhibits towards her students gives them the space and time to develop confidence from within. Erin is an exceptional art teacher. Catch her if you can! PAINTING:: By Julia 10yrs old painted 2021 During this lesson Erin highlighted artist Kandinsky. He studied the relationship of music to art and how it affects emotion in your color and brushstroke. Erin played jazz music while the students painted 🙂

google

My children have thoroughly enjoyed the art instruction they have found at Art + Academy. They love the in-person classes as well as the online offerings. Actually, the online art classes during this season of staying at home have been true gems! We have been so impressed with how the classes have translated to an online format. We highly recommend this local art instruction option!

google

Ms. Erin at Art + Academy and the owner Monica are wonderful! Erin has the knack to keep kids focused on the artwork while listening to and embedding their view points into the process. In her own way, she challenges each individual child to bring out their thoughts on paper while keeping the main idea/goal intact. During these challenging times, when kids and adults are trapped in their homes, Monica realized the need more so than ever to keep the routine and what more positive than art? Thanks to Monica and her staff for their quick thinking and implementation of online classes. The first online session with the same instructor went smoothly and I am very satisfied to see the same high quality of instruction online as it was in person.

google

My son has been taking lessons here for over two years. It is absolutely his favorite class. He loves his instructor, Erin. She is very knowledgeable, encouraging, and patient. The gallery days are such a fun way for the kids to show off their work. Highly recommend this place!

google

My daughter is shy about taking classes where Mom can’t be right next to her. She loves Miss Erin and the class so much she doesn’t even care that I go run errands while she is at class. Unbelievable change in her!

google

My 15-year-old absolutely loves coming here for art classes; it is definitely the highlight of her week! Her skills have definitely improved in the short time that she’s been attending, and her instructor Anne is absolutely wonderful, both as an instructor and as a person. If you’re considering enrolling here, I would definitely recommend you give this school a try. It’s like no other; you won’t be disappointed.

google

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Art+ Academy. I was in an adult class with Erin as my instructor, and I could not have been happier with the class, with Erin, and Monica, the owner, who has been very friendly and helpful. Before I took the class, I felt like I had very little talent for drawing, but as a result of both the way the class is set up and Erin’s method of instruction, I very quickly discovered that I did indeed have an aptitude for this method of artistic expression. I would never have discovered that aptitude on my own. So, if you are reluctant to sign up for a class because you feel like you might not have the necessary ability, let me assure you that such a concern should not prevent you from enrolling. You might very well find you have a hidden talent that simply needed the right environment in which to emerge.–Josh B, Austin, Texas

google

Summary: Very impressed with quality of artwork both of my boys (6 & 9) brought home. They were enthusiastic everyday to go to camp, and my 6 year old would come home and “play art teacher” and show us the techniques he learned that day. The teachers were very positive, encouraging, and nurturing with the kids. As a mom, I liked that both of my kids were able to attend a summer camp at the same time/location, even though they are different ages with different interests. Great value for a summer camp with the skills taught and confidence boost my kids received! Specific to Sculpting summer camp: My 9 year old does not really enjoy drawing or painting/coloring. He enjoys math, reading, sports and engineering. It is the engineering part of him that led me to sign him up for the sculpting class, with the elements of “building” using clay, recycled/found objects, etc. He absolutely LOVED the class, and his creative side was able to shine! The summer camp sculpting class gave him a comfortable and fun environment for him to explore his “not knowing” / creative side. Specific to 5-7 drawing summer camp: My 6 year old loves to paint, draw, color and get messy. At home, he was frustrated when trying to draw certain objects, but couldn’t figure out how to get what’s in his mind onto paper. He has taken two Art+ Academy classes now (safari animals and dinosaurs) and I can not believe how much he learned in such a short period of time! His raw talent was really nurtured and has improved immensely with new skills and techniques that he’s proud to show off.

Examples of Ms. Erin's art work

Landscape. Oil-pastels Techniques. By Erin Johnston.
Landscape. Oil-pastels. By Erin Johnston.
Cityscape. Color pencil technique. By Erin Johnston.
Cityscape. Colored pencil technique. By Erin Johnston.
Cityscape. Colored Pencils. By Erin Johnston.
Cityscape. Colored Pencils. By Erin Johnston.

(512)-812-8070

Cedar Park

3621 E. Whitestone Blvd.
Suite 700.
Cedar Park TX 78613

Northwest

10401 Anderson Mill Rd
Suite 108-B
Austin, TX 78750

Southwest

5424 W US Hwy 290 Service Rd,
Suite 110
Austin, TX 78735

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