The Artist And The Traveler - Painting From Afar.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Map it and Paint it.

I've done quite a few different ways of traveling so far on this painting journey. I've seen things from Travelers on glaciers to volcanoes, from oceans to mountains and now with the help of Google street maps I get to see Terre Haute IN.

Down town Terre Haute the land of the Wabash Cannonball.
This is the kind of photo that I used to paint this little part of this painting project.

One of the many views of Terre Haute, IN. I found during my virtual tour

of this all American type city. This is the first stage of this painting that
I was able to do in one quick sitting, I liked a lot of it and didn't
think a ton of more work was needed.

I got this idea from my wife Becky, who is a professional children's photographer. She does a lot of Traveling around Chicago for photo shoots and likes to see exactly where she is heading and she uses Google maps to see what the street looks like and where she can find parking.

I thought it was an interesting idea to travel using Google maps to see an area so I thought I'd try it out on this next little project of Terre Haute IN. paintings.

"NEXT TO THE TRACKS"12" x 16" I really didn't do an awful lot more to this painting from the last stage. I toned down the house made the tree next to it stronger. I also added a man to it.

Traveler paintings of Terre Haute via Google maps: Most Traditional artist these days paint with photos as reference in some way shape or form. Some artists like perfect photos and some like really bad ones to work from. I myself will use anything. To me no matter how good or bad you photo reference is you are still making a painting and it has to stand alone by its self in the end. So these map photos from Google will do the trick just fine. Also I painted these in a plein air style( as if I were standing right there.) and paint them pretty fast.

Steps to a few Google map paintings

The painting of 3rd Street is started. I've been trying out a
big brush technique to block in paintings a little different.

Here is the color palette that I mixed up for the start of this painting.

One of my favorite parts on a painting is putting
in the dark colors in the beginning.

Putting in the sky here was pretty simple with this big brush technique.

The painting is blocked in here and is now ready
for a few corrections and details.

Almost there. Just some general clean up and some color adjustments are needed.

"3RD STREET" 12 x 16"

I found this little scene on Putnum Street and felt it
would be a nice little painting. Using the big brush technique.
I was able to this painting going pretty fast.

"PUTNUM STREET" 14"x 18"

N 4th street Terre Haute, IN
After I found this place to paint I did play with the image in Photoshop before it was ready to paint.
I also wanted to paint this as if I were standing right there (Plein air style) in the summer sun.

Oil sketch for the painting "Edge of Town".
I was real excited about this spot I found in Here haute and
wanted to paint the painting with that feeling.

The warm darks are painted on top of the sketch.
This big brush technique keeps me from noodling
things out and forces me to see the big picture.

Putting in the rough landscape and trying to keep the painting
exciting with stroke and color.

Blocked in. A lot of good things are going on so far with this painting.
Now all i have to do is find away to tie them together.

"EDGE OF TOWN" 16"x 20" oil

Near plum street you will find the Railroad Museum. There you will find all kinds of railroad history from locomotives to historic buildings. There on the edge of the museum property is the Halley Tower. It's the last maned switching station in the Midwest. Thus worthy of a painting.

HALEY TOWER, 20"x 16" oil

My little Google trip of Terre Haute IN. was a virtual a wakening. Seeing this city street by street from a distance was pretty extraordinairy. I highly recommend it for everyone. Check out Terre Haute sometime it's a very interesting place to see from a computer or with your own eyes!

Off I go to another town. If you have a town that you want me to check out send me a note here or at the website- www.theartistandthetraveler.org.

Until next time Tally Ho!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Land that Time Forgot!

"Mackinac Horses"

By James Swanson

20" x 16" Oil on Linen Panel

Traveler for this painting Mary M.

News flash! A tiny island off the state of Michigan has stopped time!

No motor cars, trucks or buses move there and people have to get around like they did a hundred years ago by foot, bike or horse.

Downtown Mackinac Island

Welcome to Mackinac Island, and the home of the Grand hotel.

The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island

This is where we meet our next Traveler Mary M.

One of Traveler Mary M photos

Mary is an old family friend who visited there a few years back and was kind enough to share her photo album from there.

Mackinac State park

Traveler Painting "Mackinac Horses"This next painting came into being because of an art contest at Mackinac. The contest had to do with Mackinac life. Since our friend Mary had recently been there she offered her photos for me to pick from. I wanted to paint horses do I cropped in tight on one to work from.
Painting steps to Mackinac Horses:

Oil sketch on canvas.

Here are the colors I mixed for the beginning of the painting.

The darkest dark colors are painted in first.

Next I moved to the mid tone colors.

Then the higher key colors were added. At this point I decided that I was going to just paint the horses and their rigging and let the background go.

Here the defining of the horses took place. To keep the painting from getting flat I gave the horses their own space. I did that by painting them slightly differently. The front horse received most of the little details while the other horse was done in big simple strokes.

Done. This painting was fun. It was one of those paintings where when ever you put down a stroke you liked it and went on.

Details from the painting

"Mackinac Horses"

By James Swanson

20" x 16" Oil on Linen Panel

Traveler for this painting Mary M.

A big thanks goes out to Mary M. for the use of her photos. See more of her photos here.

Also a little note on this painting, it didn't win a prize in the art show. But it was bought and will be staying at the Grand Hotel. Not a bad new stable.

Well, I'm off to find a new venue to paint. Until we meet again hold on to your horses.

The artist and traveler project is always looking for new places and faces. Contact me here or at www.theartistandthetraveler.org to take part.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Something Old, Is New Again.

"Old Juke Joint"

By James Swanson

12"x16" Oil on panel

Traveler Carrie Layne Mashon
Here are the painting steps to this old juke joint.

Times a Wastin, Let's get Paintin.
Living in Alberta Canada the days tend to start getting pretty short when fall arrives. So those golden hours of artistic light get very precious.

Carrie Layne Mashon

That is where we meet our next Traveler Carrie Layne Mashon. Carrie lives and works there in Alberta and was kind enough to post some of here inviting photos for me to paint.

Carrie's photo that inspired the painting

Traveler Painting "The Old Juke Joint" Carrie and I belong to the same painting group. When Carrie posted her photo I had to paint it. It was just one of those images that said paint me to me. So I jumped to it. Here are my painting steps to The Old Juke Joint.

The sketch on canvas to start. Here I've also painted in the darkest dark colors. These warm darks I will try and not touch too much through out the painting.

Next up is to paint the next darkest colors. The dynamic mountain in the background really helps speed this painting along. The cool shadow is all blues and deep purples.

Here the painting is totally blocked-in. OK it's blocked in now its time to make some adjustments.

Done. I kind of got caught up in this one and didn't take pictures of a couple of steps. But I think you can see how the painting changes from the last image.

Details from the painting