Today we’d like to introduce you to Althea Johnson.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I thought I would have become a veterinarian actually, my love for dogs led me to learn 1001 breeds of dogs and I was a summer dog walker in Prospect Park, Brooklyn every year after I turned 16 years old. I just love animals in general. In my spare time, I would draw in charcoal portraits. I always loved packaging and typography. I grew up in a family of educators, and my dad is a High School Architecture teacher and College Professor, and my mom a High School English teacher. I was certainly going to be an Architect or a teacher more than a graphic designer. I graduated from college at 16 and spent one year learning Spanish in college and did my basic classes, then two years later decided to enroll in fashion design program at Houston Community College. I spent a couple of years in that program.
In 2003, I enrolled in the Graphic Design program at the Arts Institute of Houston and graduated in 2005 with Honors. I have worked in restaurant branding and design with my internship at Landry’s Restaurants in 2005. Later moved into real estate companies as a graphic designer. After taking a few years off as I am also a mom of two, a DeBakey high school student who wants to be a general physician and a middle school student who wants to be a veterinarian. They are equally as creative as they are in love with science and medicine
I took the time and freelanced for different business, in medical, technology and restaurant businesses. I went back into restaurant design and branding and worked five years at Luby’s Fuddruckers as their senior designer until 2015.
I continued my work in design freelancing and under contracts for Oil and Gas companies and other restaurant brands. In 2015 I began working with Dish Society. I have been a graphic designer and creative director for the brand. I designed the interiors for Buff Burger in the museum district and also designed graphically for their other locations.
I became a multidisciplinary designer over the years.
Currently, I am a freelance creative living and working in New York City and also in Houston becoming a bicoastal designer. I enjoy living in Houston for 23 years in which designing for restaurant brands has been my focus with the constant growth in the restaurant business. I have branded numerous companies which are not related to the food industry as well. I have a passion for design. Daily I am inhaling new design, print, packaging, typography, architecture, staying current with the digital design and social media and working with my clients in both New York and Houston.
My tagline for my creative freelance is “Create more to each day.”
Please tell us about your art.
I am a strong typographer as you can see in my work I have a certain style. If possible, I use multiple fonts to cohesively tell a story. I fancy packaging and design of structures and most times use influences from architecture and interior design to implement into graphic and digital design. I use my background in fashion design to create textures and graphic artwork from an idea. I begin with idea generation and then proceed with sketches, or mocks and then go from there. I have experience in press and printing as well which is a major plus working with clients.
My design is based on passion for typography, ideas and other influences within design; it is where everything really begins for me. I can design with brand guidelines, but I also create and implement new guidelines. I am experienced in branding and rebranding.
I want others to feel inspired by my work that is transferred from my thoughts, it shows how I think, and the way I see design and then bring that to life. I can design masculine with strong and bold but also feminine with whimsy.
What do you think about the conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I actually see a lot of great artists, and I do think there are ways artists are being promoted in small galleries and even showcasing their work on social media has lend to recognition and success even. I do agree that Houston is a safe city in art culture when it comes to showcasing designers and artists although it is a Metropolitan city. I would love to see more open forums for artists to join, exhibitions and just the art community grow larger and better.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
In all Dish Society locations. Wall murals in Dish Society Heights. All menu designs. Website design. www.dishsociety.com / @dishsociety
Buff Burger Montrose, Interior Design and business cards design @buffburger
My work is viewable on Instagram @the_breakfast_artist.
On my website www.thebreakfastartist.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebreakfastartist.com
- Email: goodmorning@thebreakfastartist.com
- Instagram: the_breakfast_artist
Image Credit:
Instagram @DarkMatter.nef / Photographer
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
