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 |
Painting nook
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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.
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Oil on canvas
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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.
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Simulated painting
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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.
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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! |
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:
Last updated: Thu, Oct 13, 2005
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