Dana M Johnson – Paintings, Illustrations, VideoThe Blog of Dana M. Johnson

Grand Ave & the trees around the Capital are in peak color, its like walking through a painting this week…

I’m working on a major cleaning of my studio, as I’m moving it 6 blocks away.  Not a big move, but a much needed cleaning project.  This past weekend I visited The Wild Rumpus Book Store in Linden Hills neighborhood of Minneapolis.  It truly is a store to visit if you enjoy books and particularly childrens books.  It is a space designed for imaginations young and old, and best of all the only book store I’ve ever shopped in and had to be careful not to step on a chicken.  A beautiful chicken in the sunlight, pecking away and cleaning up crumbs and rocks on the floor near the door way.  This particular bird had a trail of kids following after it, as it hopped over to sun itself in the window sill amid the stacks of colorful books for children.  What a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon in October.  (I should mention you will also meet chinchillas and lizards if you visit the store!  And the Scary books have thier own house with the bookstore.)

2720 West 43rd St., Minneapolis, MN 55410 Tel: 612-920-5005

Robert Street, after the storm- (Acrylic on canvas 2008)

Gallery View, (Minneapolis MN, Acrylic on Canvas 2008)

Detail, merino wool & alpaca:  Scarves by nkyang

Detail, necklaces by lawrenzjewelry

Custom made Bird Houses by Gary-

Matthew Max- in Studio at the Rossmor 6th Floor

Last night the Red Balloon Book Shop in St Paul MN hosted a reading from the Author Neil Gaiman.  This was the last night of his tour reading from his new book, “The Graveyard Book”.  Friend & fellow artist Nouka Yang and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening!  We did a little sketching during the reading, I always enjoy a good book & recommend you check out this new book, perfect to curl up with on these cool October evenings we have been having in MN.

Starts Friday Night!

6th Floor Hallway

Rossmor Building – on Robert Street, between  9th & 10th Streets

• Nouka Yang
• Lawrenz Jewelry
• Dana M Johnson