Air and Skye

"A Walk in the Skye"
By James Swanson / Traveler Gary

14"x 18" Oil on panel

Watch the Journey if this painting

If you ever felt like you were walking on air, you should try walking in the Skye?

Traveler Gary

The Isle of Skye in Scotland is where we meet up our new Traveler Gary. Gary is a UK walker that I met through another Travelers web link to his web site.

Photos are from Gary's web site.

Gary has a fine site called "My Wainwrights" where he talks about his walks in the mountains of the UK Lake District.

Photos are from Gary's trip to the Ilse of Skye.

The Wainwrights are a group of mountains walks named after Alfred Wainwright who pioneered the peek to peek walking. Our Traveler Gary has made all the climbs, but when I saw he walked in the Skye I had to get painting.

Traveler Gary's Story: This was our first visit to Skye, we were really lucky with the weather, six days of blue skies and warm sunshine.

We didn't do as much walking as we would have normally done, but we decided that the island was so lovely we needed to explore it as much as possible.

Gary's walking companion Tim.

This would allow us to be better prepared for future visits, which I hope there will be many more.

The photo of Gary's that I will work from.

The Traveler Painting "A Walk in the Skye" I wanted to paint something of the Isle of Skye ever since a friend told me about the place. He said it was a magical place where the folks believe in Fairies. And when I came across Traveler Gary's trip there he sure made it look magical.

The start of the painting. I rubbed mixture of Burnt Sienna, Venetian Red, and oil into the canvas and then used a paper towel to pull out the lighter areas. This gives the painting and atmosphere right off the bat.

I start with the darkest dark colors first. The darks are different shades and temperatures of Cobalt Blue and Venetian Red and Burnt Seana.

The painting Blocked In. Laying in the paint went really well from the start on this painting. It must be this magical place.

The sky of Skye. With the painting blocked in it time to start the refining process The sky in this painting has to hold its own against the landscape without competing for your attention.

Refining the painting its in the details. With my paintings I like having the brush do most of the work. I don't like forcing the brush make perfect shapes. I like dragging the brush flat across the canvas an letting the paint and brush do their job.


And then make judgement calls about what I like and what I want to change and what should be left alone.

The finished painting. I made quite a few little changes to this piece even after I thought I was there with it.

Details for the Painting

The Framed Painting

"A Walk in the Skye"
By James Swanson / Traveler Gary
14"x 18" Oil on panel

Going through Gary's web site is like going to Disneyland, a magical place. Gary has also open a second site Mountain and Skies of the UK of just his photos. Take a look I'm sure you will enjoy it. Thanks Gary, I hope to travel with you again when I get to the Himalayas.

If you have a trip that you'd like me to tag along, send me a note at www.TheArtistandtheTraveler.org.

Until next time keep an eye out for them fairies.