Avery Fischer Johnson was born in Wheaton, Illinois, he was a painter, illustrator, and art teacher who settled in Denville, New Jersey. His primary choice in medium was watercolor.
He was an instructor art at the Montclair Art Museum, and he also taught at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts.
Johnson early education was a BA degree from Wheaton College in 1928 and in 1933, graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago. His career affiliations included being a member of the National Academy of Design and the American Watercolor Society.
His Bordentown, New Jersey post office mural was the winner in the 48 States mural competition in 1939. His other murals include the post office murals North Bergen, New Jersey; Lake Village, Arkansas; Liberty, Indiana; and Marseilles, Illinois.