Something you just can’t get from a print. You know a print….that is a copy of a real painting……… If your taste runs towards a Picasso then you may want to get a print, since the original works are kind of pricey.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a landscape painting to enjoy or even share with your friends, you will probably be much happier with an original work.

I have always preferred to have the real thing.

Now I am sure that those folks that sell prints will argue that prints are original art.

And if you are gravitating towards some art works from the old masters, then unless you have a ton of money, prints will have to do. On the other hand, I can remember about 45 years ago, I liked some art prints. I visited a friend’s home and saw the ones I liked on the living room wall. That turned me off to copies of art.

A number of years back I lived in a large condo, close to my office, man was that convenient.

Anyway, I needed a couple pieces of some kind of art to fill two empty spaces of the walls.

I ended up building two good sized wood sculptures. I got the exact sizes that I needed and I had the right color mixes……. And of course, not a copy of anything…………

Now the progress of my landscape art…my paintings……..I am on my second trip to Michigan.  A small town area known as Lake…..A very nice quite, mostly farming, community……

I see deer almost every day……one morning a deer was about 25 feet from the dining room window…….eating a piece of bread. Fantastic.

The trees and bushes were in full bloom and I have taken a lot of photos in anticipation of my return to Florida and my studio….Should be in just a few more days……..

I have really enjoyed the opportunity to see such different landscape views….

My head is full of ideas….now I just need to get them down on canvas…….

Thanks for stopping by to visit….I will try to get on a regular schedule and share some more adventures in landscapes…..

Until next time…take care

Jim Gillum

One of my favorite places to just plain look at and enjoy nature, is on the St. John’s River….right here in sunny Florida….

I took the pontoon boat out for a run. It has been docked for over a year and needed some work. It is running just great now and is a pleasure to operate.

The recent cold spell that hit central Florida has drastically changed the appearance of the river landscape. A lot of the green is now brown and some of the more tropical plants have been frozen out.

The water level on the river is down a couple of feet and that changes the overall look of the whole place.

From a more positive prospective, the fallen leaves from the trees allow the trunk and branch structure to be easily seen. The lower water exposes more tree trunks and fallen logs.

The seasonal changes make all the scenery look different from the summer and provide a different perspective on the river.

At any rate the pontoon boat provides an excellent platform for photography. It not only is very stable, but provides plenty of room to move around to get different angles.

On this latest trip, we had the chance to see a lot of wildlife. There were several manatees, many birds, an otter and several alligators. On one of the banks we saw about 20 wild turkeys.

I took enough photos for about a dozen paintings. I hope to start painting again in the very near future. 

Thanks for stopping by……

See you next time..

Jim Gillum

Unlike a “job” that requires your presence everyday at work, art works require creativity on the part of the artist.  Some people may be able to break out the brushes and simply just “whip out” a painting.  I can’t do that.  At least, not paint with feeling.

For the past four months, I have not touched a paint brush.  There have been some major changes in my life that have slowed my creative spark. No need to go into to details.  I am getting back on track.  The posts will become more regular and hopefully informative.

At least I can share some ideas.

Just a few days ago I went to an art show at Daytona  Beach, Florida of course.  I saw some interesting art work.  Some very nice and some would have to be in the eye of the beholder.  I am not one to criticize someone else’s work.  That is the beauty of art.  You like what you like and there are many forms for people to enjoy.

Obviously, if this is not your first visit, you know that my preference is landscapes.  I love nature.  I like to see trees and bushes and rocks and all the things that nature provides. 

One boat ride on the St. John’s River would show you the peaceful quiet beauty.  The trees, the birds, all the water grasses.  Even the alligators and sometimes a manatee or two.  In fact, in the last week I went out to clean up the boat and a manatee has been visiting.  She has been spending some time under my pontoon boat.

You may ask, how I know she is a she.  Well, the lady who lives next to the house where my boat is docked told me some of the history.  The manatee has a long gash on her back. The neighbor was at the place where the manatee was re-released into the wild after being treated for her injury.  The neighbor fed the manatee some lettuce and cabbage. The manatee comes to the canal to visit several times a year and is recognizable by the long scar on her back.  That has been going on for the past four years.

When you get to see things like that, you just have to appreciate nature, just a little bit more.

Anyway, after the art show visit, I took a ride on some of the roads along the Inter-coastal Waterway.  I saw some really neat scenes that will have to be captured on canvas.  And I had my camera.  My new studio is almost set up and I am ready to start painting again.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you will visit again

Best to you,

Jim Gillum

Yes, you are correct, it is landscape artwork. In this case they are using photographs. But they are all landscapes.

Since this is a modern hospital, I have to believe that some expert told them to select landscapes. I would also have to think that they were chosen for their relaxing properties.

I must admit, that when I take a couple of moments to look at the pictures, it is very easy to let my mind drift away in the beauty of all those scenes. It certainly has to help to relax, especially if some one enjoys scenes of nature.

Imagine, if you will, relaxing by looking at a group of bushes and trees. It almost seems silly, but it does seem to work. It doesn’t even require conscious effort. You simply look at your scene, hanging there on your wall, for a few minutes and the stress seems to just drift away.

I noticed a similar effect while sitting in the waiting room at the auto dealership repair shop. The room had several pieces of artwork on the walls. And you guessed it, landscape art.

Now this may sound like a biased statement, even though the photographs were beautiful, they can not compare to the feeling of enjoyment that comes from a hand painted piece of art. The textures, the colors all give a much better “visual feel”.

Hey, maybe that’s just me. Try it for yourself and see which “feels” better to you. 

Then again, a business can place more prints on their walls, than they can original hand painted artwork. Simple economics. I would think than in many cases, it’s hung there to avoid bare walls. 

Not as you and I would do, when we place the landscapes for our enjoyment.

 And to own our little piece of nature.

Until next time,

Jim Gillum

There are several reasons that I use acrylics to paint my landscapes. One is the overall ease of use. The second is the quick drying properties.

Many years ago, when I first started to get serious about painting, I picked up a set of oil based artist colors. I like the way the paints could be worked and blended. You could just about take as much time as you wanted to play with the blends.

But, they took, what seemed like forever, time to dry. And the clean-up was sort of a pain. I had to use smelly paint thinner to clean the brushes. I also had to use paint thinner and linseed oil to thin the paint for some applications.

On top of that, I had to wait days to put objects over other objects. Just not for me.

Back to acrylics…….so much easier….at least for me they are…..

Clean-up is with soap and water. Thinning the paint is with water. And no bad paint thinner smell.

Now there are many medium modifiers that can be mixed with the paint for special purposes. For example, there is a retarding medium that slows the drying time and will let you blend colors into each other or any other type of blending.

There are mediums to ad gloss or texture and several other effects as needed.

From my point of view, the drying time is fantastic. The acrylics dry in just a few minutes and you can force dry it with a hair dryer for special manipulations.

Even though some paintings take me days to complete, I still have the option to work within minutes to add details or other fine points that I need to apply over dry paint.

And from the durability standpoint, acrylic paintings are not subject to smears after they are dry. They are safer to handle without fear of easily being damaged.
Plus they are easier to pack for shipping.

Of course, I realize that other artist may have other opinions. That is fine.
We all do our own thing and maintain our own opinions.

Thanks for visiting.
Until next time,
Jim Gillum

Seems simple enough. Don’t you think? Well, for the most part it is.

Basically, paintings come in a few forms. Two.

The first is the original painting, done with oils, acrylics, pastels or watercolors.

They are usually painted on a hard surface. That could be canvas, paper, wood or a variety of other materials.

I think we have all seen some pretty decent painting on all kinds of things. Like lamps, furniture, cookware and even wall murals. This article will be confined to the basic wall hanging art or paintings, as they are commonly known.

OK, the second form is a copy. That could be a standard print or another form called giclée. Giclée is simply a print. The colors are vast and varied and some prints are hard to distinguish from the original. But none the less, it is still a copy.

They are also available in a modified forum where paint, of sorts, is applied over the print in an effort to give it texture and depth. You would have to see one to decide if that is want you want hanging on you wall.

Of course, if your art tastes run toward the great masters and you don’t want to spend millions of dollars, then an art print is the solution.

I prefer original art. My favorite art is landscapes, seascapes and scenery in general. I have enjoyed them for many years. I never imagined that I would someday be able to paint them myself.

Now the choice is yours. What do you want to see on your wall? There are a lot of original landscape painting available on the internet. Quite a large number of them are reasonably priced.

Maybe it is time to start looking.

Thanks for visiting.

Until next time,

Jim Gillum

I am afraid that I can not give a scientific answer about different types of materials that artists use for a painting surface. I don’t even know if there is one.

I like the way the brush feels on canvas. The way the paint kind of sticks in the canvas texture. And the way a finished painting looks when done on canvas.

When I first started to learn, I tried cheap stuff. Heavy papers and the like, but once I moved to canvas. There is nothing else like it.

I have done a few painting on other surfaces for gifts. I did a small landscape on a saw blade that is hanging over a relative’s door in Ohio. And a few other odds and ends.

The real feel is doing a landscape painting on canvas. Stretched canvas. I do use canvas board, which has a nice feel and good finished appearance but still prefer the stretched.

Just like selecting a painting that you “like”, the painting surface should be something you like. Something that has the “feel” that best suits you and your taste.

Until next time, I hope that I have given you some more to think about on your journey to find that perfect piece on nature to hang on your wall.

Take care,
Jim Gillum

Landscape art has followed that same type of evolution. Of course, that has been over many years. I haven’t been there either. I have read a little and a quick spin around the internet can fill you in very fast on some limited art history.

Consider the caveman doing a cave painting a few years back, compared to the computer graphic artist that can make all the scenery for a feature film and never touch a brush.

Well, landscape art comes in many “flavors” and you get to pick what you like. And just like the many flavors of ice cream, everyone likes something different.

You can choose from oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics and other mediums. My preference is acrylics. I am not a patient person. Except when fishing, I can wait for hours for the first bite. Painting is different.

I like to get a painting going and keep moving. Although, on occasion a painting will sit on the easel for days, while I form a tree in my mind, before it goes to paint. I guess that is just me. And while some may argue that oil paints allow more time to blend colors, there are techniques that will let you blend acrylics for as long as you want.

Back to the point, with so many options available, you have many styles and techniques to pick for your art.

Get what you like. The paintings that give you a good feeling. The ones that you enjoy looking at, wherever you decide to display them.

Landscape paintings are truly the windows to nature. Enjoy those windows.

Until next time,
Jim Gillum

This is my first post. I started this blog to share some ides about landscape art. Not so much concerning “how to” information but some ideas about enjoying landscapes. The windows to nature can be on the walls of your home or office.

For starters, I am not an art critic or an art teacher or any of those other experts. I am like most people who enjoy art. I know what I like when I see it.  I can paint and I do.

My medium is acrylic paints, mostly on stretched canvas. As silly as it may sound, I paint what I see. Huh? Well, if you can’t see it, how can you paint it?

Good question. What I mean is, that I see things differently than I did many years ago and probably differently than a lot of other people.

No I am not crazy. Some of my friends might just argue that point but they have long before I started painting. About forty years ago or so, I was in the paint business. I sold it and also put it on. Houses and rooms and such. I became familiar with colors. Mixing and matching long before computers started doing that.

Then for many years I was an investigator, mostly criminal. With training and practice I learned to see more than the average person. But that is not what really made the difference. Around 1989, I decided that I wanted to learn how to paint, paintings. I bought the brushes and some paint. Made some paintings that were awful. Bought some books about painting, and started to put things together.

One of the themes that runs through a great many of the instructional guides, is to look around you at the types of things you want to paint to see how they really look. Well, I did. And I started to see things in nature that I had never noticed before.  Trees and bushes took on a different aspect a different meaning. I have always enjoyed the outdoors but now, it all looked so much better. And, I appreciate it so much more.

You can too. Simply surround yourself with the images of nature. Landscape art is the key. Original hand painted art. There is nothing else like it.

Well, until next time. Enjoy the world around you. And thanks for visiting.

Jim Gillum