Johnson went to Arsenal Technical High School in Indianapolis and attended the John Herron Art Institute.
Watercolor was her primary medium, and she is best known for her representations of children and the female figure.
For a short time, Johnson lived and worked in Chicago, where she studied with Charles E. Burchfield.
Two of Johnson's paintings hang in the White House East Room, and her works have hung in 27 countries.
Johnson, have been owned by Katharine Hepburn, Harry Belafonte, Lana Turner, Joel Grey, Vincent Price, Jack Holland, Frances Myers, and Constance Vinson