Angela 
Marise 
Johnson

About Me



I am a writer, illustrator and artist living on the Big Island of Hawai’i. My work explores imaginary worlds, magical realism, the joy of art-making and creativity, and wonder in little moments.

I grew up on a palm tree-lined street in Los Angeles, California. As a kid, I would search for tiny people at the base of trees and draw stories about them. I started art school in illustration, but ended up studying fine art (photography, painting, video, sculpture, performance art), and minoring in creative writing (poetry). 

After moving to Hawaii in 2013, I tutored reading and taught art part-time in an elementary school. In 2019, I joined SCBWI, and started exploring the art of making picture books. My biggest source of inspiration are my daughter’s funny questions, observations and accidental poetry.

BFA from Otis College of Art and Design