Susan L. Johnson is a watercolor painter whose work illuminates Maine’s living creatures—especially those vital to its farms and fisheries—through a fresh and inquisitive lens. Her subjects are both recognizable and unexpected, rendered in a style that balances realism and abstraction. Whether capturing the glimmer of mackerel just pulled from the sea or the shifting stance of sheep in pasture, Susan draws attention to gestures, reflections, and interactions that tell a larger ecological story. “I want viewers to recognize the animals,” she says, “but I also want them to pause, look closer, and see something new.” Often working from her own photographs and field sketches, Susan spends hours in the environments she paints. She has documented alewives migrating upstream beneath circling ospreys, sketched in the middle of sheep fields, and even placed live mackerel in a boat-bow aquarium to capture their fleeting iridescence before releasing them. “These tactile experiences help me see more clearly,” she says. “And I hope my viewers learn alongside me.” Before pursuing painting full time, Susan had a 30-year career as a life sciences educator and science communicator. She spent 22 years at Harvard University overseeing educational outreach for youth and teens, and helping students at all levels improve their teaching and communication skills. Earlier, she taught high school biology and worked as an associate producer for several PBS science series—experiences that deepened her commitment to art as a powerful tool for understanding the natural world. “Whether I’m standing in a classroom or behind an easel,” she says, “I’m still trying to get people to look more closely—and care more deeply.” Susan holds a B.S. from Cornell University and an M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is a Signature Member of the New England Watercolor Society and has been juried into the Society of Animal Artists and the Copley Society of Art in Boston. She recently served as artist-in-residence at South Bristol School, connecting eighth graders with the alewife migration through hands-on painting and observation. She lives and paints in Portland and South Bristol, Maine. Learn more about her journey from science to art on Radio Maine.