Hebron Valley Heaven was painted entirely en plein air. I spent a wonderful day set up behind Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison County, Virginia and looked out on the Hebron Valley. This valley is where my ancestors settled in the early 1700's and they helped established Hebron Lutheran Congregation.

As a child I would visit Grandma in the white farmhouse and homestead on the hill across the river from Hebron Lutheran. Grandma was one of 12 children (6 boys and 6 girls) and I imagine the girls hiking up their long skirts to cross the "run" to walk to church on Sundays.

Almost all of the 12 siblings stayed in the Madison area where my great-grandfather (E.A. Clore) started Clore Furniture in the late 1800's. All the men became fine craftsmen and worked making hand-made Early American style furniture. You can still visit the furniture factory and showroom today to see and buy fine examples of well-crafted furniture.