Crabtree Falls Trail II

 

Crabtree Falls Trail II

12" x 16" oil on Belgian Linen

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I really like this painting but, as usual, the iPhone camera just doesn't do it justice. If you open the photo and zoom in you can really see what's going on - many layers. 

Tye River Barn II

 

Tye River Barn II

8" x 8" oil on board

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Another one from our winter vacation to Nelson County, VA. I started it outside but had to finish it at home because it got too dark and cold, and we had to go home the next day. I was drawn by the light on the pine tree - it looks a lot warmer than it was! Low 20's, and the paint was like spackle.  

Tye River Barn

 

Tye River Barn

8" x 8" oil on board

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The family and I took a mini-vacation to Nelson County, VA, for a few days after Christmas, and I was able to sneak in a painting during the final afternoon. I've been painting mostly indoors lately, and it felt great to get back outside, despite the fact that it was FREEZING, and the paint was like spackle that I had to slap on with a palette knife. 

I took photos of the same barn, and it really drives home the difference between what your eyes can see and the camera's interpretation of a scene. In the photo, the shadows to the left and right of the barn are solid black masses but in person, I could see several variations of light and color within the shadows. When I'm painting from photos, I try to remember that and paint the way I know my eyes would see it, but it's still tough recreate the range of values and colors of nature when painting from photos. While this painting and my other plein air paintings may not be as finished as some of my "studio" paintings, I think I prefer the looseness and color of plein air. Last post of the year.  It has been a good year for painting!

Here's the photo:

Hay Bales at Dickie Brothers Orchard

Hay Bales at Dickie Brothers Orchard

12" x 12" oil on board

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This is a scene from Dickie Brothers orchard down in Nelson County, VA. As a kid, my family made the drive over the mountain on route 56 from Staunton, VA each fall to Dickie Brothers for apple picking. Route 56 crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway in Shenandoah National Park and passes Crab Tree Falls on the way. The road is extremely windy and my mom always used to get car sick. Even so, apple picking was one of my favorite days of the year - picnicking by the Tye River and all the apples I could eat.  Sarah and I still make it to Dickie Brothers on occasion, usually for anniversary trips, and not a day passes that I don't eat my mid-morning apple...this painting looks great in a thick, gold plein air frame.  Let me know if you want it!

Nelson County Back Road

Nelson County Back Road

9" x 12" oil on board

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Although I used a photo reference for this painting, I tried to paint as though I was outside - meaning, quickly and without a lot of thinking in the moment. That's my favorite way to paint and one of the reasons why I prefer to paint outside. Outside, conditions change so quickly that you don't have time to overanalyze, which is what I do when I have too much time on my hands.  I do think it has a fresh look to it. 

Morning In Nelson County

 

Morning In Nelson County

8" x 10" oil on board

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Instagram

My wife, Sarah, and I just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.  This painting is based on a photo from our 5th wedding anniversary down in Nelson County, VA. I think I snapped the photo as we were leaving the bed and breakfast on our way home from a weekend of hiking and wine drinking. We're celebrating our 15th at the Inn On Tabbs Creek, on the East River in Mathews, Va., near the Chesapeake Bay.  We're going to an oyster roast and then spending a day out on the boat, hopefully catching some speckled trout and rockfish. 

I haven't been painting from photos a lot, lately, but I wanted to try a new technique, which was turning the reference photo upside down while painting. The idea is to think more about shapes and warm vs. cool instead of painting things like mountains and trees. I think it worked!  I can feel the morning when I look at it and that was my main goal.  

Speaking of new things; I'm on Instagram!  I hate it and I'm already totally addicted and can't stop staring at my phone, but at least it's a good way to get visibility.  Here's a link:  

https://www.instagram.com/erik_bohn_painting/

Give me a follow!

Crabtree Falls

 

Crabtree Falls

8" x 10" oil on board

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Every now and then a painting feels like a step forward. Although, sometimes I say that and a month later I can't stand to look at it. 

I don't think that will happen with this one, though. I rarely say this, but I'm happy with almost everything about this painting.

Composition, light, color...it's what I've been striving for. The warm foreground, cool middle, sun shining through the trees...I can feel it, and passing that feeling along has become my goal when painting. 

A couple of things that might have helped this one out. First, the kids were staying at their grandparent's, so it was quiet, and I wasn't rushed. Second, I painted this in two sittings, which I rarely do. It may have even benefitted from a third sitting because I started rushing to finish in time for a dinner reservation, and I got pretty tired by the end.  I love this palette, too. The entire painting is three colors, Venetian Red, yellow, and blue-black. Harmony is created when everything is mixed from the same three colors.

This was a good year painting-wise. There were times when I was frustrated by having to squeeze in paintings and finish them in hour or even half an hour with no corrections, etc. But I realize now that it was good practice for moments like this when I'm able to take my time. My goal for the new year is to have a bigger painting going that I work on in pieces over time. I also want to find some go-to outdoor locations, preferably where there aren't a lot of people. 

FYI, this location is just below Crab Tree Falls down in Nelson County, VA.  

Dickie Brother's Orchard III

 

Dickie Brother's Orchard III

6" x 6" oil on board

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Just had to satisfy the urge. 

Rockfish Valley

Rockfish Valley
8" x 10" oil on HD Canvas


This is a semi-imaginary scene from Nelson County, VA on the Bold Rock Cider Property in Nellysford, VA. I used a reference photo, but I changed up the color scheme big time and added some embellishments such as the river, snaking off into the distance. Here's the reference photo: