Living in Colorado means "Mountains". Unfortunately, our home doesn't have a decent view of the mountains. Actually, we don't have any view of the mountains. A nearby ridge blocks the view. Needless to say, that's a downright shame, and something that needed to be rectified. Well, I came up with a solution. It's not an actual 'view' of the mountains, but it's the best we could do; given the logistical realities of the situation. The solution? Create a painting from a photo, print it in large scale, frame it, and mount it above the fireplace.

This web page is a recap of the project that brough a little piece of the Rocky Mountains to our home. The project took approximately four months to complete, and the total cost was a little over $500.00

All the content (photos, banners, photos) of this web page (and the ones that follow) is original work. The copyright is held by the author: Robert L. Vaessen

Empty nook
Painting nook

Painting nook
When we bought our home in February of 2005, it didn't come with a mountain view, but the nook above the fireplace would make a nice place for a painting, mural or photo. We took our time contemplating a few options for the nook; something with a mountain theme, that's for sure.

Photo-painting
Oil on canvas

Oil on canvas
I converted a photo (one that I took) into a pseudo oil painting using the GIMP. The original photos were taken at Cottonwood Pass. in south-central Colorado, near Buena Vista. We wanted a painting, so I converted a panoramic photo into a painting!

It took some work, but I managed to produce a panorama shot with dimensions of 100"x40", while maintaining a 72x72dpi resolution. I took the photo (on a CD) to a local print shop, and they printed the image on a piece of canvas for me.

Simulated painting
Simulated painting

Simulated painting
Mock-up of the photo-painting inserted into the nook using the GIMP. We really didn't know what the photo would look like in the nook, but the Gimp allowed me to superimpose the photo/painting over the nook. It sure looks like it'll work.

Actual painting
Actual painting
Actual painting
Here's a photo of the actual painting in the actual nook. No digital trickery. The finished photo-painting was printed on canvas (Think Big Solutions) and stretched over stretcher bars (Redshift framing and gallery). The finished product measures 102" wide, by 42" inches high.
My creation
My creation!
Project completed
Here's the artist (umm, that's me) posing beside his creation. The project started in June of 2005, and was completed by October of 2005. The entire project cost a little over $500.00, not counting a trip into the mountains. Now that it's over, I'm glad I did it. We now have a 'view' of the mountains, and I have the satisfaction of having authored the work myself!


Author:
Robert L. Vaessen e-mail: robert robsworld org
Last updated: Thu, Oct 13, 2005
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