Print-Like Denver Oil Painting

For our four year anniversary this past May, I painted Matt his gift, rather than buying it. The man loves maps, so I set out to make a print-style oil painting of the state of Colorado. With a heart placed over the very spot we now call home: Denver.  

This piece of art has been a long time coming. Two words: oil paint. If you've used oil on canvas, you know that oil takes patience and time. So much time. So much patience. And so much mess. (Oil based paints are my favorite thing to clean....said no one ever). The day I set out to paint this print-like map, I wanted to have the piece done and setting in our living room within 24 hours. Talk about setting way too high of expectations for myself. That, let alone trying to defy the properties of oil paint. I'm fairly certain this canvas sat on our kitchen counter for more than 24 days. Ha, 24 hours? Who was I kidding. Between the layers and the waiting for everything to dry between applications-- well, let's just say this canvas has been waiting to join the others for far too long now. 

I had been eyeing some prints maps and of Denver that I just loved on Etsy, like here and here, but I did not want to spend thirty and up dollars on something that I could easily paint myself.  I wanted to have a piece that looked like a print, but yet with depth and texture. That's where the oil paint came in. I sketched the outline and the lettering with pencil first, and then started painting the rest. I used blue painter's tape to get the really clean straight line around the edge of the state as well as with the lettering. 

The patience was totally worth it in the end. I am so happy with the texture of the oil paint. It looks so much richer in person. I personally invite you over so you can see :)