Blueberry Hill Farm

6x8 Oil

For many years my daughter-in-law's family owned and worked a berry farm beyond the urban boundaries of Portland, Oregon. Melany spent the years of her youth picking, separating, packing and selling blueberries, all for the reward of a big old juicy hamburger at the end of the day.

I myself have picked berries there, and have breathed in the sweet aroma of sun-warmed earth while staining my fingers blue. Today that urban boundary has munched its way out into the country, consuming miles and miles of rich farmland and turning it into rolling hills of tract homes. Blueberry Hill Farm has fallen.

The blueberries have been ripped out and the land awaits its new master plan. I painted this small study for Melany so she could have it to remember being with her family, picking blueberries and farming memories.