Timothy Johnston’s art isn’t just something you hang on a wall—it’s something you feel. Known for his aerial landscapes that capture the emotional energy of Australia’s coastlines, deserts, and reefs, Timothy’s work sits at the intersection of beauty and purpose. His latest collaboration with ooGee Australia brings that vision into a whole new medium: handcrafted hats that blend design, conservation, and story.
In this conversation, Timothy shares how daily connection to nature fuels his creativity, why the Great Barrier Reef is his lifelong muse, and how wearable art can do more than just look good—it can help restore what we risk losing.
Let’s start with your mornings — how do you usually begin the day? Are there any creative or grounding routines that help you get into the right headspace?
The view from my apartment never gets old. I wake up to a sweeping outlook of Balmoral Beach, Clontarf, and the Sydney Heads stretching towards Manly. There’s something innately inspiring about starting the day with that kind of horizon—it pulls you out of your head and into the bigger picture.
Most mornings, I’ll grab a coffee and head to the beach for a swim or a run. I need to connect with nature daily—it resets me, creatively and emotionally. When I’m working in Los Angeles, I keep that rhythm going. Topanga Canyon near Malibu is one of my favourite places to run and recharge. And yes, coffee is fairly non-negotiable wherever I am. Nature and caffeine—that’s the dual fuel that gets me moving.
You’ve had a fascinating journey, from music to visual art. How did that path evolve, and what led you to aerial landscapes as your signature style?
From a young age, I saw the world in layers—colour, emotion, form. I painted under the mentorship of Max Watters OAM in the Hunter Valley from the age of seven. Max taught me to build my work in layers, to let the process breathe. That early foundation shaped everything. What many people don’t know is that music was just as central to me.
I sang, toured, and even made it to the finals of Australian Idol in 2009. I had offers in the UK and spent a few years pursuing a recording career. I still love music deeply—it’s just another language for storytelling. But it wasn’t until my business partner helped me take a leap of faith that art became my full-time path.
Within six months of her support and belief in my work, I was painting professionally. My aerial abstraction style really came into focus after being named a national finalist in the 2017 Macquarie Group Emerging Artist Prize. Michael Johnson, the acclaimed painter, told me: “Your paintings have that special element of capturing energy that intrinsically makes you an artist.” That was a turning point. It gave me the confidence to trust the abstract, emotional energy in my work and to dive deeper into interpreting landscape from above—the ocean, the reef, the desert.
The ooGee Art Series blends your work with handcrafted hats. What drew you to this collaboration, and what story did you want the pieces to tell?
When ooGee reached out, it felt less like a pitch and more like a shared language. Like my paintings, their hats are rooted in the Australian landscape—designed for movement, protection, and purpose. We both honour the land through craft, and that made the collaboration feel instantly right.
This collection brings my work off the wall and into the world. It’s wearable storytelling—art that travels with you. Each hat carries fragments of the reef, tones from the desert, and a sense of place. The result is something personal but practical, poetic but grounded. And best of all, it gives back—to the ecosystems that inspire it.
Designs like Wistari Reef are layered with history and purpose. Can you share more about how you approached translating conservation themes into wearable art?
For me, the Great Barrier Reef is like Monet’s garden—a lifelong muse. It’s an evolving masterpiece that never looks the same twice. I’m drawn to the interplay of light, texture, and fragility. In many ways, it reminds me of opals—alive with shifting colour and beauty. My friend Valerie Taylor AM, a pioneering conservationist, once told me that science confirms the ocean is the source of all life.
That truth drives my work. Her underwater photography from the 1970s—particularly a shot of Wistari Reef—sparked one of my paintings, which later appeared on the sails of the Sydney Opera House for World Ocean Day. To now see that same reef woven into a hat design is a full-circle moment. It’s art with memory, meaning, and movement. Each piece in this collection is a small, wearable reminder of why the reef matters—and why it needs our protection.
This project supports Taronga’s Reef Recovery Program. How important is it to you that your work contributes to environmental or social causes?
I believe creativity should contribute to something bigger. In 2019, I collaborated with award-winning marine photographer Charlotte Piho in LA to create a body of work celebrating green sea turtles and migrating humpback whales. That project opened the door to something deeper: art as environmental activism. That’s how CollaborOCEANS was born—a creative collective that unites artists, athletes, and thought leaders to champion ocean conservation. We tell stories that move people.
In 2024, with Olympian Sam Fricker as Youth Patron, we launched the first Youth Ocean Carnival, bringing together 33 schools at Luna Park Sydney to inspire action through art, music, and peer-led storytelling. So when ooGee’s Art Series began supporting Taronga’s Reef Recovery Program, it was more than a collaboration—it was a continuation of that mission. Each hat helps fund critical restoration work on the reef. These aren’t just coral structures; they’re the basis of life on Earth. To protect them through art feels like a calling answered.
You’ve brought your work into an entirely new medium. What did you learn about craftsmanship or collaboration through the process with ooGee?
As an artist, I’m always looking to push boundaries—so translating a painting into something tactile, something people wear, was a fascinating shift. I’ve loved diving into the craftsmanship behind ooGee’s process. Every hat is handmade, every detail considered. That mirrors the way I paint: slowly, with layers, texture, and intention.
The ooGee team brought a level of respect and detail that made the transition seamless. They didn’t just print art on fabric—they reinterpreted it in a way that honoured the original emotion and energy. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see my work take on new form and function—now it doesn’t just hang on a wall, it walks out into the world.
Finally, what advice would you give to other creatives looking to expand their work into new formats or industries while staying true to their vision?
Know your story. That’s where it all begins. Write it down. Revisit it often. The clearer you are on what makes your creative voice unique, the easier it becomes to translate that vision across mediums—whether that’s fashion, film, music, or design. Don’t be afraid to evolve—but do it from a place of authenticity. When your story is strong, it can stretch into new spaces without losing its truth. And surround yourself with people who respect the craft. Collaboration should feel like an extension, not a compromise.
