TAC Member Highlight: Rusty Johnson

A lifelong fascination with carving, humor, and storytelling has shaped Rusty Johnson’s remarkable journey from a Boy Scout whittling neckerchief slides to an award-winning woodcarver recognized on the national stage. His work blends wit, realism, and craftsmanship into pieces that tell stories only wood — and imagination — can reveal.

For Rusty Johnson, carving began as a way to earn a few extra dollars. “I worked at Camp Garland two summers in the late 1950s for $8 a week,” he recalls. “But I found I could double my income carving and selling neckerchief slides to campers on the side.”

Armed with a three-blade pocketknife, he discovered a knack for shaping small pieces of wood into something special. A few years later, he saw Native Oklahoma woodcarver Willard Stone’s work at the Gilcrease Museum — a revelation that set his artistic course.

Determined to improve, he took a continuing education woodcarving class with local artist Calvin Berry at the University of Tulsa. “My first duck decoy was pretty bad,” he admits, “but it showed possibilities.” Soon after, he joined the Eastern Oklahoma Woodcarvers Association to learn from seasoned carvers. “There’s no better path to knowledge than the wisdom of our elders,” he says. “Now I am an elder.”

Art has always been part of his story. Encouraged by a middle school teacher, he entered pen-and-ink drawings in the Tulsa State Fair — and took home blue ribbons. “I thought I was pretty hot stuff,” he jokes.

Before devoting himself to carving full-time, Rusty Johnson built a career in graphic design and illustration. He majored in “Commercial Art” at the University of Tulsa (Class of 1961), where professors Brad Place, Tom Manhart, and Alexandre Hogue helped shape his creative foundation. After a 35-year career in commercial art, he retired to focus on his own vision — eventually traveling to Austria to study at the Giesler-Moroder Woodcarving School, where he learned the European tradition of mallet-and-chisel carving to complement his American knife-and-gouge techniques.

“I did a lot of cartooning,” he says, citing Mad Magazine’s Jack Davis and caricaturist Gerry Gersten as major influences. That playful sensibility lives on in his carvings. “I like to take a situation and make it fun or add a simple twist. Anthropomorphizing is always a fun solution to an idea. Thank you, Walt Disney.”

Every carving begins as a sketch. “I start with pencil drawings to get a feel for composition and character — and to see whether it can even be done in wood,” he explains. Some ideas never make it past this stage due to technical limits.

Sometimes he builds clay models to experiment with movement and form, as when he was commissioned to carve a humpback whale, for instance. “Twisting the clay helped me find the motion and curves I wanted,” he says. “It really brought the whale to life.”

Born in Louisiana and raised across Texas, Mississippi, Canada, and Oklahoma, Rusty developed a broad perspective through travel and life experience. His father’s work in oil exploration — and his own Navy service in the Caribbean and Mediterranean — helped shape his curiosity about cultures and stories, which now surface in his carvings.

“If I had to describe my style,” he says, “I’d call it eclectic/caricature/realism.” His work invites viewers to imagine short stories behind each piece. Early in his career, he focused on small birds and mammals, but his current work often features human and animal figures — sometimes humorous, sometimes reflective, always deeply expressive.

History, nature, and the quirks of human behavior fuel his imagination. His “Beat Army” series was inspired by the heroism of Native American defenders, while “Boston Tea Party” reflects on the spirited defiance of that historic protest. “Other carvings,” he adds, “are simply my renderings of nature and the human condition.”

His philosophy for creative growth is simple but timeless:“You have to know the rules before you break them. Study artists you admire and then establish your own identity. Be influenced but don’t copy. Be able to defend your work but also be open to criticism.”

A regular participant in themed art events, Rusty finds joy in seeing how others interpret a shared idea. “I like to go to shows and find pieces that make me say, ‘I wish I had done that.’”

Teaching has also become a rewarding part of his practice. “My goal is for each student to leave with a piece they’re proud of,” he says. “The project should be challenging but not impossible. There are no excuses for bad craftsmanship.”

Even after decades of carving, Rusty Johnson continues to find joy and purpose in his work. He regularly exhibits and competes in national woodcarving shows, earning recognition that reaffirms his belief that carving is not just a craft — it’s fine art.

“One of my woodcarver friends once told me, ‘You are an artist; the rest of us are just woodcarvers,’” he says. “That was humbling — and motivating.”

Follow Rusty:

Facebppk: @rusty.johnson.33