All Hearts

HEART DAY: 

Bleeding or hurting? Pulsating & full of love? Purple for courage, sacrifice and resilience. 

All hearts are honored on Valentines Day.

Travel memories- Ireland dawns by J. Bohoy

From a trip to Ireland, too long ago:

It's dawn.

Aqua mist reveals:

the hills; the castle; the velvet greens.

the moss, the mounds; a mirrored lake.

A silent Irish beauty.

1974, Acrylic, 26x26

Artist's collection.

 

 In an Irish cottage:

A rich little place.

Blossoms on walls envelop the room.

With treasures of paintings, furniture, and lace.

Touring the cottage- no one's around.

She looks in the mirror- not to be found.

1974, Acrylic 36 x 39

Happy St Patrick's Day!

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." –painting collage by Johanna Bohoy

"Be happy for this moment. 
This moment is your life." 

Omar Khayyam

Have a memorable holiday and a happy New Year.

Mixed media painting collage

My painting "Group Hug" was just awarded "Artwork Best Representing Theme" in the Historic Beverly exhibit "Strength, Perseverance and Hope" which emphasized our pandemic experience.

The art was judged by art specialists, but also by some people from the local community– which made it even more special to me.

My other painting "Last Hug," also in the exhibit, depicted the show's theme as well– almost more so, as it features a good friend who truly experienced strength, perseverance and hope.

Pastel & Mixed Media 

Thank You Basket illustration by Bohoy

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

 

Oscars Red Carpet 2021-Wings on the Runway ©Bohoy

No runway to speak of.

No zoom; no masks.

No hosts to boast.

Big shoulders. 

With wings of freedom.

Mixed media, 10x8.

 

Island Breeze

Watercolor & gouache, 11x14

Island breeze. 
Granada.
Filmy Curtains billow.
Exposing the verdant view.
No AC, no fans.
For the gentle winds caress. 
Light air fluffs the dress for night.
A tropical drink in sight.

   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.

  

Oscars Red Carpet 2019- Flamboyant Runway

Flamboyance. 

Flamingoes & froufrou.

Frumpy & Flashy.

Freaky & Funny.
Fashionable & Free.
Futuristic.

A red carpet filled with no favorites.

Gemma Chan, Maya Rudolph, Kacey Musgraves, Billy Porter, Amy Poehler.

Mixed media. 

911 messages

Messages and a rose left on a wall at Ground Zero. 

Watercolor/mixed media, 7x5.

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

Holiday Harmony

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

Watercolor & pencil, 10x8

Servants in a row.

Cooks, maids & butlers all in a row. 
Snap your fingers. 
You're dreaming. 
Get cooking!

Mixed media, 4 x 6.5 
Prints available- Contact me for prices

Dizzy Gillespie 100th birthday

In celebration of the anniversary of jazz great Dizzy Gillespie’s 100th birthday, author David G. Brown shares his intimate experiences and memoirs of this magical musician in his book "Shadowing Dizzy Gillespie." 

This is the art I did for the cover. 
See the book here.

See Dizzy play here. And here.

Mixed Media, 6x9, [Commission- Alaska]

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

My quilt

From my exhibit- "Many years; Many faces"  Category: Me

I started this art sometime, many years ago– 

a self portrait

with a quilt covering of things in the world that were part of me; some unwillingly.

The plan was to keep adding to my quilt of life over the years. Recently I discovered it in a drawer –many years later.

So, I added some more things; very aware that there are large gaps of missing time.

To be continued...

“My quilt”  ?-2016, 12.5 x 17, Ink & watercolor, NFS

Quirky cat

From my exhibit- "Many years; Many faces" 

Category: pets

A Russian blue.

All stately and reserved.

Coat of insulated armor.

To protect in his outdoor kingdom.

One minute he cuddled; the next he’d split.

A mysterious and wonderful cat.

Mixed media, 11 x 14.5, $125.

Mom and her dog

From my exhibit- 

"Many years; Many faces"

Category: Women- Mom

Mom Loves Choochie.

You can see it in her eyes; 

the sweet smile.

She loves her dog. 

More than anything.

Her friend, her child, her world. ~ 

 80s, Pencil, NFS

Royalty

From my exhibit- "Many years; Many faces" 

Category: Men- Friend

In the 80s I began a painting project where I attempted to paint people as I saw them in another era, country, or style. Herewith is one of them:

"Royal.

I pictured velvet, embroidered and rich.

A person of stature. 

Tall in spirit; gentle in manner.

Could be a footman, a page,

or a king."

~ Johanna Bohoy

Mixed media, 17.5 x 14

Top Hat

From my exhibit- "Many years; Many faces"
Category: Men
In the 80s I began a painting project where I attempted to paint people as I saw them in another era, country, or style. Herewith is one of them:

I envisioned him at the turn of the century.

In top hat and cape.

Dashing and handsome.

Beard and bow.

Summoning his carriage to swoop me up.

 ~ Johanna Bohoy

“Top hat,”approx. 1985, mixed media, 17.5 x 14, NFS