I was born in Cornwall, Ontario, moved to Greenfield Park, Quebec when I was eleven, and it was soon after that I started enjoying drawing.

By high school, I knew that the arts would be part of my future but my application to L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Montreal was rejected as the school accepted only 100 applications of over 1,000. Discouraged, I became a medical secretary.

I married George Young in 1971, moved to Edmonton in 1973 and had two children. In 1992, I lost my husband to cancer.

In 1985, I enrolled at Grant McEwan College in the two year Display and Visual Presentation program. I worked for over 15 years as a display artist at Woodwards, Eatons and The Bay.

In 1996, I married Robert Septou, a computer systems analyst. He has been very supportive of me pursuing art.

Hooray, I retired in 2007, and now have all the time in the world to paint. I’m planning to paint for the rest of my life and to take all kinds of courses in the future. (I’ve taken acrylic classes at City Art Centre to experiment with different styles. I love abstract, realism and even cubism. As an Edmonton Art Club member, I welcome constructive criticism of my work and hope to make friends with fellow artists and enjoy their wonderful creations.

Johanne currently holds the position of Historian for the Edmonton Art Club.