Out to Sea

"The Shrimper"

By James Swanson / Li Newton

14"x 18" Oil on Linen panel

A Real Bubba Gumper!

Seeing a new place through the eyes of someone else is what the Artist and the Traveler project is all about. Our new Traveler and friend Li Newton brings just that to us to enjoy.

New Traveler Li Newton

I met Li when I was asked to join a painting group of artists called "Paint My Photo". It's a site where artists from around the world come to meet and exchange things like painting tips, photo references, or show off their latest works and get great feed back on it. A very friendly place, and Li was one of my first new friends there.

Li's wonderful photo of a shrimp boat going out to sea that was used for painting inspiration.

Traveler Li photo story: The shrimp boat photo was taken on Harbor Island, S.C. What a noisy racket those gulls made! I had a week off from school ( went back at 51 to learn decorative restoration in Asheville, N.C.) and we just drove to the coast, no plans, and explored.

The only photo of the painting as it was being created. At this point
it is all blocked in and  ready for details and color adjustments.

Traveler painting "The Shrimper"- I'm sorry to say that I forgot about the painting step photos for this painting. You see I was trying out a new brush technique and got caught up in it and forgot to take them. Here is the new technique that I was trying out though.

I usually start with my darkest dark colors and work to my lightest.  Well I was was trying out these really big brushes ( about 3"wide) and there wasn't much dark to begin with, so I went for the biggest mass area to cover first. And of coarse that was the sky.

I mixed up the base color tone for the sky and then broke that tone down into a few other colors by just adding blue , red or yellow to it. Then with intermingling of those colors, I slapped them on the canvas with big bold strokes.

From the sky I progressed to the blue trees in the background and then to the grasses. That left only the ship to be painted in.

Since I didn't paint in a lot of detail in the background with the big brush I didn't want to tighten up and over do the boat in details. So I only used a medium sized brush ( size 8 ) and my palette knives.

A palette knife is one of the great ways to get some thick clean paint on the canvas. You can see a lot of it's uses here in this detail. See the whites and the lines, only a palette can give you that clean of an edge in thick paint.

The lines and rigging of the boat are just touches of a loaded up with paint knife edge and then a touching of the brush softened here and there.

The gulls where painted in with just the tip of the knife with some paint on it. Simple and clean like the rest of the painting..

Then there is the person on the boat. he only gets the same amount of attention that everything else does, anymore than a few strokes and he will stick out like a sore thumb.

Done and framed

"The Shrimper"

By James Swanson / Li Newton

14"x 18" Oil on Linen panel

A special thanks goes out to our new friend and traveler Li Newton for the use of her photos and for all of her very kind comments about my art. Li is quite the artist her self, check out and enjoy her wonderful paintings and photos here.

Also check out Paint My Photo website, it's a great meeting place for artists or anyone. 

And if you are interested in becoming a traveler for this project contact me here or at the www.theartistandthetraveler.org website.

Until next time so long.

A Higher Education

"Turl Street"

By James Swanson / Traveler Kallie Day

16" x 11" Oil on Linen Panel

See the journey of this painting here and the story below.

She came, she saw, she conquered.

Traveler Kallie Day

This next traveler painting project inspiration comes from my niece Kallie Day, who was studying aboard in Italy a few years back. 

Florence Italy, all photos are from Kallie's trip.

 Kallie was junior at Skidmore College when she had the chance to go to Italy for a semester to study design. While she was there she did a lot of sight seeing of her own. 

Gull and Big Ben

Kallie and her classmates somehow were able to get to London over a weekend and did the town.

The Traveler Painting "Turl Street" When this project idea first came up I was very lucky to have my niece Kallie an Art major in Italy studying. When I mentioned the concept to her, Kallie offered up any photos I wanted.

The photo that inspired me the most right off the bat was this Oxford street shot of hers. 

Oxford, photo inspiration for the painting.

I must say, at first I thought it was Cambridge I was painting, but was quickly corrected by some English friends when they saw the painting.

Here are the steps to Turl Street.- I started this painting as a painting demonstration in front of my class.

The rough oil sketch on canvas to start the painting. I already had a composition sketch made and transferred  it to the canvas. I knew I wanted to paint this one very loose with strong bold strokes. I rubbed and brushed in the sketch with a mixture of Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna. At this point the painting was done in my head.

Painting in the dark colors first. Painting in these dark colors  first gives the painting all its structure. Kallie's photo radiated this warm monochromatic tone that I wanted to capture in paint. So I didn't go over board with the color and kept my color scheme heavily in the yellows and browns.  

This painting was part of a painting demonstration so I must apologise for the lax of photo steps here. But I was painting very quickly. Here are the painting steps from the last step. The sky was next. After that I painted background to foreground. Watching my paint edges  the whole way. I then painted the street, car and people.

With most of the painting close to finish here, all I needed to do is some clean up and color changes.

Done and signed. All this painting needed was a little warmer sky.

 Details from the painting.

Framed and ready to go.

"Turl Street"

By James Swanson / Traveler Kallie Day

16" x 11" Oil on Linen Panel

A quick update on Kallie- She graduated from Skidmore College, started Kallie Day Photography Studio there in Saratoga  Springs, NY and recently gave birth to a big happy baby boy named Donate. If you need a great photographer I highly recommend Kallie. Thanks for the photo Kallie

The artist and the Traveler is always looking for new spots to paint and interesting stories to hear about them. If you have any you con contact me here or through the website www.theartistandthetraveler.org

Until next time.

Dog Gone It!

"Ode to Tim"

By James Swanson / Traveler Gary

12" x 16" Oil on linen panel

Watch how this painting was made.


A Sad Time. 
I heard some sad news while I was finishing "The White Church" painting.

Traveler Gary Richardson and pal Tim

Long time walker, traveler and friend Gary Richardson's walking mate past away in his sleep.

I think Tim liked Gay's photos as much as the walks.

Gary's big white dog Tim was always a favorite of mine to look at while perusing Gary's photo albums.

Good boy Tim

Tim just stood out in his pictures and you could feel the happiness in their journeys together.

Gary's photo I asked to paint.

So in honor of Tim, I've painted Gary a little keep sake and a reminder that
Tim is in our thoughts. God speed Tim.

The Painting steps to "Ode to Tim"

The rough oil sketch for the painting. Gary's wonderful photo didn't leave me much to change in the translation to a painting. The placement of Tim was in a perfect golden rectangle spot.

The palette of colors I used to start this painting. This is where my paintings take form.
 If the colors don't work together on my palette they won't work on the canvas.

I was painting this painting in front of my class I teach, so I didn't get as many photos as I usually do.I did start with my darkest colors. I placed them warm in front and cool darks in the background.

The blues are being added and some of the heather is starting to be added along 
with putting in the greens

The sky was the next step. Keeping it from jumping out too much from the land was  a challenge, 
but I  painted it very loose in keeping it in the style of the land.

Done! There were a lot of little things to take care of from the last step. Like putting in a few details on Tim and painting in the lighter colors in the heather.

Details from the painting.

Framed and soon off to Gary

"Ode to Tim"

By James Swanson / Traveler Gary

12" x 16" Oil on linen panel

Since my last paintings traveler was my own dog Amber, I felt for Gary and his plight. But I am glad to say after some tough mourning for Tim, 

 Gary and his new walking mate Cleo.

Gary made the decision to save a rescue dog and break her into a new life. I'm very glad to say that Cleo and Gary are doing great, and are partnering up in some wonderful photos together. Now that's a good Dog!

If you and or your partner have a story you would like to share with us contact me here or at www.theartistandthetraveler.org

Until next time hold on to your hat, later!

White on White

"The White Church"

By James Swanson / Traveler Amber

22"x 28" Oil on Linen panel

Here is the Journey of this painting. Learn more about it below.

A warm walk on a cold day. 

The forecast called for snow and we got it. About 4" of the white stuff came down over night along with some cold temperatures.

Traveler Amber 

 But to our next Traveler that kind off stuff doesn't matter she's always prepared for it. And she should be because she's the family pet.

Pictures from that days walk. Fullersburg Woods

Amber is like the post office neither rain nor snow or (I think you get it) will keep her from her morning walks.

The Graue Mill

Amber is a wonderful companion to have on these walks. As she does her sniffing around I usually have time to stop and take a few pictures.

Salt Creek Dam

On this day Amber and I went down the road a bit to the forest preserve Fullersburg woods. On the short drive we passed a scene I've seen quite a few times and always wished I had my camera with me.

Faith Fellowship Church in Oak Brook Il

This time I did.

The Traveler painting "The White Church" Thanks to Amber I was able to see this view and knew it would make a nice painting.
Here are the steps to " The White Church"

The oil sketch on the canvas.
Even though there is a lot of white in this painting I still didn't
want to start with a white canvas. I rubbed in a mixture
of Burnt Sienna and drew in the paintings design.

The dark colors are painted in first. I almost always start this way.
 The darks in this painting are not a black kind of dark.
They are more of a mid tone type. They still have to separate into
warms and cools though.

I painted in the sky next to give me the relationship tone for the snow and lighter colors.
It was also important to work on the right softness to the tree line edge and the sky at that time..

The snow is painted in next. One of the thickest parts of the
painting are the light colors, and in this one there are a lot.

With the church and the houses painted in the canvas is totally blocked-in.
Now it;s time to make a few changes  to it.

Over all the painting need some warm ups. Here the snow gets a touch
 of warmth along with the church. I also went and cooled down the background trees.
They were coming forward to far in the scene.

Done. I put in some tracks in the snow to help lead the eye into the scene.

Details from the painting

Framed and ready to go.

"The White Church"

By James Swanson / Traveler Amber

22"x 28" Oil on Linen panel

I'd like to thank my dog Amber for getting me out on that cold day it was worth the frost bite. It has also opened my eyes to he beauty around me. Good Dog!

If any of you out there have your own journey that you would like to share contact me and Amber here or at www.theartistandthetraveler.org we are waiting to hear from you.

All righty then, off to my next spot to paint Talley Ho!