Nathan Ohlrich

My final semester of classes has brought me more than a few surprises and blessings. The first one is in the form of my watercolor teacher at UNL. He is one of the most well known landscape painters in the Midwest and the United States. His name is Keith Jacobshagen. Keep this picture in mind–>

Throughout the classes so far, he has invited us in to his mind, letting us know his process of how he creates his paintings. It all started out with his love of flying. His father is a pilot, and he learned to fly at a very young age, even before he learned to drive. This aerial (superior) perspective is very apparent in his lifetime of works. His process starts out as:

• gets in his station wagon (daily) and drives the countryside, looking for creeks, valleys, and landscapes that intrigue him
• goes on little hikes, discovering whatever comes in his path
• let’s himself get taken in to the environment, letting his mind run free
• does quick graphite or watercolor sketches on the hood of his car, or sitting/lying on the ground

What an amazing way to spend the afternoon! Basically, the space (of the countryside – maybe more?) is what he is depicting in his images. Everything above the horizon, maybe spiritual…..below the horizon, literal/worldly? What lies in between?

I’d like to think that when people look at my artwork, I can invoke some sort of self-searching, the same way Keith does.

This is a mixed media piece that I made/am in the process of making over the past few weeks. I normally paint portraits or figurative works, but I am taking a break from that for a while.

This new piece (50″ x 34″) is still dealing with the same issues that I normally make my art about. I find it interesting how people piece their pasts together, and how clear those images in their heads are. I did a series of twelve portraits (see them here) this past summer evaluating this same premise. Either by use of layers or clarity I hoped to achieve my direction. This image of a slingshot is done with charcoal, acrylic, oils, and gesso. I kind of see it as a memory, a view back into my childhood, where sometimes my whole afternoon would be centered around having fun (or shooting things with my slingshot – not people haha). How great it would be if I could slow my life down enough to explore and play like when I was younger!