On a snow canvas, 

trees paint the shadows: 

Horizontal swooshes. 

Curves up a hill. 

Blankets of blue and purple and gray.

Nature's final 'painting'-- 

a camouflage for deer.

Watercolor, 8x10, 2016

Dove embrace-painting by Bohoy

Our world is not at peace.

But I wish you personal peace for the New Year 2024. 

The earth needs an embrace from the dove which has become the symbol of peace.

Throughout history its meaning also denoted many things: 

• It first appeared many times in the Bible representing innocence and purity
• In Native American folklore it was a protector of warriors
• In Aztec and Mexican tribes, the dove was used in wedding rituals as symbols of love
• In Greek mythology the dove symbolizes Aphrodite the goddess of love; sexuality
• In Japan a dove with a sword represented the end of war
• Today:
• Doves are released at the Olympic Games signifying peace among participants 
• In certain cultures at weddings and funerals doves are released as symbols of hope
• Political and anti-war protestors use it on posters as a message of peace
• The UN uses the dove logo with an olive branch for their "Day of Peace"

Peace be with you.

 

Travel Memory-Greece

"Island Siren" © Johanna Bohoy, 2016, Watercolor, 8x10



White Washed & Blue

Deep blue water, pale blue sky, 

sunshine whites, and fuschia brights.

Drink in hand, barefoot, and free.

A siren from the sea is calling me.

"Cat's House" © Johanna Bohoy, 1990, pastel.

Cat’s House

Classical ruins.

Ancient & rare. 

Tourists: “Do not touch!"

~

But the cat will.

It’s his home. 

The column– his couch. 

The sun– his heat.

A privileged king in his castle.

“Light Caught in Greece” ©Johanna Bohoy, 1978, Glyfada, Greece, Watercolor, 13x13

Light caught in Greece

The day is long

The sun slow to leave.

The light is caught

and the shadows wait.

The door– soon to close 

and the flowers to bed.

Goodnight Greece.

~ Johanna Bohoy 

Popsicles! pastel painting by Johanna Bohoy

August. 

Hot and humid.

Ice on 2 sticks.

Grape, cherry, orange.

Companions for companions.

8"x10" Pastel  [SOLD-Texas]
 

Thank You Basket illustration by Bohoy

Watercolor illustration of food products for Massachusetts Specialty Food's "Thank You Basket. "

 

 

The newborns.

Glad to be alive. 

Frolic and dance, bounce and bob, jump, and scamper, and skip on the green.

Spring is coming.

HURRAY.

Pastel, 5x7, 2009, British Isles.

   I accidentally found this YouTube video of a child reading my children's book "The Nothing Zoo" and it is so cute that I have to share it. 

Adorable. 

And here are some other illustrations from the book. 

Note: I did this many years ago and had followup books on the environment, but at that time publishers weren't interested in saving our planet. So.... they sit in a drawer. A sad commentary on the industry. If anyone is interested in backing my books, let me know.

  

Fish or fowl.

1 for the fish.
2 for the fowl.
On water.
On land.
On air.
Quiet.
Cool.
Excitement.

Pastel, 17x11, commission SOLD

Wait out the storms

Like 'ole Bessie in the barn we have to wait out the storms.

All kinds of storms.




Watercolor, 5x7, 2009, SOLD

"Beefy" beauty

Angus the dog.
"Beefy" but beautiful.
Fur of black velvet and smooth silk.
Soulful eyes.
Soulmate. 
Now sitting on a cloud.

Pastel, 10x8, commission, SOLD

Our Viv.

A picture says a thousand words.

Our Viv. 

January 5, 1949 - 

May 23, 2019

Maybellene, Maybellene.

Maybellene.
Not the song.
Not the makeup.
But one man's best friend.

Pastel, 8x10. SOLD NJ/NY. Commission.

Birds in egg. Pollution, extinction.

I did this art in college as I was concerned about pollution, extinction, and the environment back then. 

I also did my senior thesis project on the very subject. 

Amazing that so many years later (too many to reveal), we are still worried about the environment-- pollution, extinction, warming, melting... 

and it still continues to alter our earth.

22x17, pencil, collage, and emboss. 

70s

Tara rosa cat, pastel Bohoy

We had to say goodbye to our sweet cat Tara this week. She personified the word sweet. 

A gentle, delicate, feminine cat that our vet said was like a "little ballerina.” 

Never a scratch, a hiss or a bite came from her in 19 years.

She always brought us roses. Dropped them at our feet.

Where she found them- who knows?

But she always knew when 

one was needed.

♥

Man and dog, Bohoy

No truer love.
Man & his dog.


Pastel, SOLD

Holiday Harmony

It doesn't take much for cats and dogs of all breeds to play in harmony. 

Watercolor & pencil, 10x8

Cat Days, pastel, Bohoy

Cat days.

Pastel, 5x7, $125. 

Spring?

OK.
It's spring?

Pastel, 5x7, $75.

 

Cover Cats

This painting appears on the cover of the Boston City Paper with bio inside. A nice way to start my New Year. 

(Pastel, 10x8, 2008, framed, $170. 

Holiday Reflections

"Life is a reflection of how you look at it." Our holiday card from 2003 is so hauntingly relevant that we are repeating it this year.  Let us hope we can all come together in 2017. Digital painting, 2003, NFS