Gladys Daniels Johnston

January 2006 – Artist of the Month

Although Gladys Daniels Johnston has always been an artist by trade, creating and selling painted neckties as a teenager, and botanicals and floorcloths as an adult, it was not until 1987 that she also extended her craft to include trompe l’oeil. Her artistic styles can be found among all cultures.

A native of Pennsylvania, Ms. Johnston graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design. “By education, I am a textile designer,” she says. Upon graduation she taught weaving and textile classes at the University of Illinois, later moving to the Chicago area with her husband and concentrating on raising her two daughters. Ms. Johnston has never stopped doing commissioned works. Most of her clients prefer classic, timeless designs, as opposed to anything trendy. Her trompe l’oeil often include flowers, animals, marble walls or columns. Ms. Johnston is known for her floorcloths. Her artwork and articles on technique and design have appeared in Early American Decorating Design, and she has participated in juried art shows.