Jay's Boat Works

Artist John Bohnenberger (1926 - 2012)

Datec.1970

MediumWatercolor on paper

Dimensions21 x 28 in. (53.3 x 71.1 cm)

ClassificationsPainting

Credit LineThe Hilbert Collection

Object numberBoh-18

DescriptionWeathered dockside buildings and boats are the focus of this virtuosic watercolor by Bohnenberger. A man with his back to the viewer leans on the corner of the brown building at right, helping to draw your eye into the scene. The boats pulled up onto the ground slant upward to the right, a strong diagonal that is offset by the solid grouping of buildings to the left and the silhouette of the city buildings in the background. It's a complex composition, masterfully done.

Chicago-born John Bohnenberger moved to Southern California with his family when he was 14. After two years of high school, Bohnenberger enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1943 and served until 1946. From 1947 to 1972, he worked for the U. S. Postal Service in Monterey Park, California. In his spare time, he painted watercolors of harbors and boats, as well as views of various neighborhoods in the San Gabriel Valley.

Although he briefly studied under watercolorist Jan Kunz, Bohnenberger was primarily a self-taught artist. He was a well-liked and highly respected member of the California Art Club.

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