Woodbury Man Takes His Time with Paintings

At 91 years old, Herbert Houp of Woodbury, a Korean War veteran, is a testament to a life well-lived, marked by dedication, craftsmanship, and a passion for painting.

He served in the Korean War from 1953 to 1954, where he drove tanks.

“I got out on Christmas Day,” Houp said.

When he returned home, he went to work at the Blank Book Company in Roaring Spring where he spent 11 years operating a ruling machine that added lines to paper.

Houp’s career took him to Martinsburg Cove Building Service, where he worked until his retirement in 1995.

While he was there, he learned carpentry and how to build homes.

Houp even built his own home in his spare time, the same house which he currently lives in, a project that took six months to complete.

“I did all the work myself except for the plumbing, heating, and electrical work,” he said.

Houp discovered his passion for painting after watching Bob Ross on television.

His son Barry Houp of Ore Hill, said his father is a self-taught painter and learned how to paint from watching Bob Ross on television.

“A lot of people know him in the area for his paintings — he sells them and sometimes gives them away,” he said.

Houp recorded many of Ross’s shows on 18 VHS tapes and watched them to learn how to paint.

“I never painted before, but I bought the material and started painting,” Houp said.

He said it took him a couple of months to get everything down and hone the technique. Houp said he still watches the tapes on his small television with a built-in VHS player.

He also bought a lot of books from Ross, but he gave most of those to his nephew who is learning to paint.

“He likes it, but he is still learning,” Houp said.

His paintings are created on both canvas and saws, which feature sky, clouds, water, trees, grass, snow, silos, barns and other farming buildings.

Each piece is crafted with oil paint, takes about three to four days to complete, with an additional two weeks for the paint to dry.

“Oil paint is slow to dry,” Houp said.

He has a separate workshop, where he is able to sit while he creates his paintings, and sometimes uses his walker for balance when standing.

Houp also paints different seasons on each side of the saw blades.

He has sold some of his paintings and saws to locals who appreciate his talent.

“People in the area know that I paint and look at them to buy them,” Houp said.

Despite the challenges of being in a wheelchair for 40 years, his wife Hazel would join him in his workshop, crocheting while he painted.

“We had a good life together; we had 68 years together,” Houp said.

Hazel passed away in June 2021.

He said he is considering the possibility of giving up painting in the coming year due to increased shakiness.