Let it Snow, Let it Snow, and it Did.

"Ontario Street"

By James Swanson/ Traveler Troy Hayes

16"x 20" oil on linen panel

The painting journey of this painting. The full paint story is later in this blog.

A Stroll in the Snow.

This next Traveler Painting comes from a day that made history in Chicago this year. 

The snow started falling on February 1 and didn't stop. 

Traveler Troy Hayes, Chicago

The snowstorm that battered the area looks to be the 3rd biggest on record in Chicago, and braving that storm was old friend and Traveler Troy Hayes.

The view out Troy's window on to Lakeshore Drive at about 8 o clock.
The cars were sitting there since 3 o clock that after noon. At 3 o clock in the morning all the cars were left abandoned because of the storm

 These photos are from Troy's photo album of that days stroll in the snow.

21 inches fell in 24 hours. The drift were a little bigger.

Skier heaven in front of the Chicago Water Tower.

Looking down Walton St.

Michigan Avenue looking down Ontario Street.
This is the photo of Troy's I saw an felt inspired.

 Traveler Painting"Ontario Street" When I saw Troy's photo I asked right away if I could paint that one. I lived through this same storm too, but I was busy shoveling and Troy was out taking pictures. I saw his photo as a painting and knew exactly how I would go about painting it.
The painting steps to "Ontario Street"

The oil sketch. This how I laid out this painting. 
Troy is an old art director and it is hard to improve on his photo. 
As a painting everything was there it just needed to be moved a little off center.

Palette of colors to start this painting. 
Notice I'm painting a snow scene and there is no white. 
To me snow is never white. It is a color and it's either warm or cool.

Dark colors are painted in first. This gives the painting structure.
 Warm dark colors are painted in the foreground and cooler ones in the back. 
This starts creating the distance.

Buildings were the next thing that I put in.
 Half the painting is buildings and getting them put in moves this
painting forward pretty fast.

Snow time. Snow is warm or cool, not white.
With the snow roughed in the painting is Blocked-in.

The Start of putting in the painting details.

A little People time.
 Putting in the figures had to be done in the same manor 
as the rest of the painting.

Done.  Just enough details in the people to work.

Details from the painting.

Framed and ready to go.

"Ontario Street"

By James Swanson/ Traveler Troy Hayes

16"x 20" oil on linen panel

Traveler Troy has been a friend for a long time, and it was a pleasure having him be apart of this project.

I was I must say a little hesitant about showing Troy this painting, because I've respected his opinion as an art director for so long. He recently started a T-shirt company, checkout Troy's designs work here at Engine 29.com

Thanks Troy! And if you have an adventure that you would like to share with me contact me here or at the Artist and Traveler website I love hearing from people.

Until next time,Onward and upward.