Hard Work (Psychedelic Version)

One of three paintings in a series that depicts the struggles of life on the family farm. I grew up in central Pennsylvania. One of several generations of German immigrant farmers. My family is proud of their life and always believed that hard honest work leads to a successful life. In the background is various scenes and stories about the farm I grew up on. A 100-acre fruit and flower farm surrounded by mountains and Amish people. The words in German read in an endless loop…"Hard Work Pays the Debit You Gain from Hard Work" and the geometric lines represent every possible way there is to go. My father is depicted passing this mentality on to me. If there seems to be an underly sense of femininity to this image, it's because I was raised in a world of inverted social norms. My father was a farmer and flower shop owner while my mother was a tractor trailer driver.

-Jeremiah Johnson