Born in 1961 in Chillicothe, Ohio, Tim Johnson was deeply influenced by the rolling hills and lush woodlands of his home state. He became interested in art at an early age and experimented with a wide range of mediums and subject matter, eventually settling on architectural structures and their relationship with the environment. In 1985, Johnson received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University. Immediate following his completion of academic study, he began a six-year journey through Europe where he studied classic and impressionist styles of painting and took in a variety of scenery. In 1991, Tim returned to the U.S. and settled in Phoenix, Arizona. There he began assimilating the various elements of European, Midwestern and Southwestern influences on his work.