Around the World: Light, Land & Sea
Hannah Buchanan
Hannah Buchanan
(+44) 07522 505759 hannah@buchananmail.co.uk www.hannahbuchanan.com @hannahbuchananart All works are available for purchase upon receipt of this catalogue India | Vietnam | Australia | Fiji | Hawaii
Around the World: Light, Land & Sea
In October 2023, my husband and I set off for a 4-month adventure around the world after getting married a few months prior. I knew I was keen to paint on this trip so in the months leading up to the start date, we researched all sorts of options to make this happen. Having tested the decided painting set up during my residency last September, I had a few weeks to tweak the palette box, reduce my packing load and get ready for our big adventure. Additionally, I made a separate box for carrying up to 6 wet paintings at a time. Once dry, I would bundle the paintings together and post them home along the way for safe keeping.
Painting during our travels was such a gift. As an artist, I was fascinated by the new flora and fauna, light, weather patterns, culture and architecture in each country we visited. Although we were tourists passing through, I felt painting allowed me the time to stop and really observe the places we were in, giving me space to understand new places through an artistic perspective. I feel so lucky to have been able to bring my palette box with me, and I’m so grateful to my husband Tommy for his patience and enthusiasm in making it all happen.
India was our first stop on this adventure and what a culture shock it was. I had never seen such a place! As most areas we visited were so busy, it was hard to get my paint box out but after a couple of days I managed to find a few quiet places to paint. This is where I learnt that pre-planning is important! At 35-40°C, you want to make sure you are always in the shade for a session, so check you know where the sun will move to and that it doesn't affect your spot! A couple of times I found myself cooking in the hot midday sun as I hadn't accounted for the shade moving and needed to finish what I was working on!
Vietnam was where I started to feel more settled painting. With a lot of travelling and less time on the ground I had to choose my moments carefully, but I felt much more comfortable painting here. We had adjusted to the heat, and there were plenty of beautiful landscapes to choose from. We arrived just as the rainy season left and this presented so many beautiful skies with great, puffy, cumulus clouds. I was in sky heaven! The palette box also broke a few times here and we were moved by the kindness of people. After one particularly frustrating day,
I was lead down a small alleyway by a group of children to arrive at their dad’s workshop. We worked in silence to reattach the hinges until the box was fixed, and I was sent on my merry way!
Our next stop was Australia, which strangely also felt like a culture shock. This was the first time we were in a Western country for 2 months and the cost of a coffee and a sandwich seemed ridiculous! It’s funny how quickly you get used to things. We were grateful to be in a place where we understood the language and the change in location meant a change in subject matter. My landscapes changed to seascapes!
The light in Australia is wild. Daylight was intensely bright, and this presented strong tonal contrast and very saturated colours in my work. However, now I was painting in my swimmers on the beach, so I wasn't complaining! I had a couple of pinch-me moments when I realised that the beach had become my office, which was amazing. Something I will try to remember is the glorious smell in the air from the eucalyptus trees, it was so calming. Painting moving water is very difficult, so I tackled this head on and focussed on painting waves. Some of these studies did not make the book...
Our next stop was Fiji, which was my favourite destination. Although I was now well accustomed to painting on the beach, I was stunned by the beautiful reefs in the South Pacific. The range of blues and greens in the sea was amazing. This time, my focus was on capturing these colours as accurately as possible. I quickly noticed that taking photos didn't do these colours justice, so I would have to get as much information down on paper as I could. The culture, food, marine life and landscapes were incredible, and I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the trip.
Finally, we arrived in Hawaii for Christmas and for the last leg of the trip. Crossing the equator, we were now officially in winter weather, in what seemed to us a chilly 20-25°C! Having seen so much already, I was surprised to experience yet another brand-new landscape. The light seemed harsh again, like in Australia but without the same saturation and warm tones. We were also now on volcanic rock, forming dramatic lines, cliffs and hills around us. I was surprised at how 'American' the culture was here but again, grateful to fully understand the
language. We visited three Hawaiian Islands; Oahu, The Big Island and Kauai. Each island varies in age so you could even see changes in the landscape between the islands. There was a lot of rain here which resulted in less painting, but I was thankful for more time to explore and to enjoy the last few weeks with Tommy.
Looking back at those 4 months I am amazed at how many places we saw. It was such an adventure, and I feel so grateful to have had this opportunity. I am also happy to report that all the paintings survived!
To the reader, I hope you enjoy looking through these plein air sketches and find something that inspires you. I have been working back into the paintings since January, and only now do I feel they are ready to be presented together. Some paintings required more context and detail while others are looser, capturing more of the moments spent in the landscape. By painting almost every day and keeping consistent, this trip definitely gave me the push I needed to get comfortable painting en plein air and I look forward to refining these skills in the future.
I hope you enjoy the works and if you have any questions, please ask.
Take care,
Hannah x
1. Palm Trees at Help in Suffering, Jaipur 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
2. Sun Setting Over the Nulla (near HIS), Jaipur 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
3. Sand Dunes at Kishan Bagh, Jaipur 2023
Oil
19 x
4. The Cow Shed at HIS, Jaipur 2023
on paper
24cm
19
5. A Sunset Picnic on Amer, Jaipur 2023
Oil on paper
x 24cm
6. Sun Setting Over the Golden City, Jaisalmer 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
22.9
7. Fateh Sagar Lake, Udaipur 2023
Oil on paper
x 30.5cm
Vietnam
8. Skies in Phan Rang, Thap Cham 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
9.
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
Fishing Boats in Phan Rang, Thap Cham 2023
19 x
10. The Mountains During Sunset, Tam Dao 2023
Oil on paper
24cm
11. Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
12. Looking North from Noosa, QLD 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
Oil on paper
19 x
13. Storms at Rainbow Beach, QLD 2023
24cm
19
14. Cliffs at Sunshine Beach, QLD 2023
Oil on paper
x 24cm
Oil
19 x
15. The Rocks at Brooms Head, NSW 2023
on paper
24cm
Oil
19 x
16. The Three Sisters, Blue Mountains, NSW 2023
on paper
24cm
17. Wave Study after Patrick Okrasinksi 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
18. The Refinery, Sutton Forest, NSW 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 24cm
19
19. Callan Park on the Bay Run, Sydney 2023
Oil on paper
x 24cm
20. The Post, Malolo Island 2023
Oil on paper
19 x 25cm
Oil on paper
19 x 25cm
21. Palm Trees, Malolo Island 2023
Oil
19
22. Low Tide on Malolo Island 2023
on paper
x 25cm
19
23. CB Study, Malolo Island 2023
Oil on paper
x 25cm
19
24. Reef Study, Malolo Island 2023
Oil on paper
x 25cm
Oil on paper
19 x
25. The Bure, White Sandy Beach, Naviti Island 2023
25cm
Oil
19
26. The Reef Break, Matacawalevu Island 2023
on paper
x 25cm
Oil on paper
19 x 25 cm
27. Rainy Day on Matacawalevu Island 2023
28. Storm Approaching Malolo Island 2024
Oil on board
21 x 26cm
29. Crashing Wave Study, Oahu 2024
Oil on paper
19 x 25cm
30. January Swell, Kona 2024
Oil on paper
19 x 25cm
Oil
19
31. Punalu’u Beach, The Big Island 2024
on paper
x 25cm
Oil
19
32. Kua Bay, The Big Island 2024
on paper
x 25cm
33. The Na Pali Coast (Kalalau) Trail, Kauai 2024
Oil on paper
19 x 25cm
34. Crashing Waves on Oahu, Hawaii 2024 Oil on board
61 x 76.3cm
When will these paintings be available?
All paintings are available to purchase upon receipt of this catalogue. Please email me to enquire (hannah@buchananmail.co.uk) or click here to view the full list on my website.
Can I get my painting framed?
All sizes and prices currently exclude framing. If you would like to purchase a framed painting, please specify this in your enquiry. If framing is required, paintings will be mounted and framed under glass in a bespoke, natural grain frame with a white wash. Frame examples will be sent upon request.
Are these all the paintings you made during your travels?
No. I made a few more studies while away but these haven't made the cut. I may rework them at a later date but for now, this is the complete set!
Why are the prices so different?
I price my work based on the materials used and the time it takes for me to complete the work. Some of these paintings took more time than others, either because they required more than one plein air session or have been reworked in the studio. The prices reflect this.
To view the full list of plein air paintings on my website, click here.
(+44)
Hannah Buchanan