Hello, and welcome to my blog about my artwork. My love of nature and desire for creativity began on a winding dirt road located on Tick Ridge. Spending much of my free time in the woods and fields formed the basis of my love for leaves, sticks, grasses, and especially rocks! I spent countless hours in the cow pasture, located across the dirt road from my home, watching the cloud formations in the open blue sky. To get to the best location in the field I first had to shimmy under the barbed wire fence without impaling myself. Next, after I made sure there weren’t any scary bulls in the field, I would climb a long path, beaten hard by the hooves of the slow moving cows, to the top of the high grassy hill. Once at the top, you could see for miles and miles. You could see corn fields, cows grazing in the fields or standing in the holding pens of dairy farms in the distance, and across the river to even more farms and woods. 

Nobody worried as I roamed the woods behind our house, exploring the creeks and river bed for interesting moss and rocks and animal life. No one minded if I brought baby snakes in the house or made cricket houses to keep in my bedroom. My mom never complained that I brought in mud on my feet (I was usually barefoot), or that I wanted to play outside in the rain or snow. 

Nature served as my playground, playmate and best friend when I was growing up. As an adult, I enjoy bringing attention to the beauty of nature through my artwork. I hope that you, too, appreciate the natural world that surrounds us, and that you will enjoy learning how I create my work. Thanks for joining me on WaxWork Musings - I will be posting more soon!

Me, standing at the fence surrounding the field across from my childhood home. (Photo by G.F. Johnson, 1961.)

My brothers, Eric and Zane, me and Mother down by the Little Scioto River. (Photo by G.F. Johnson, 1960.)