All In The Details
All in the Details
It’s hard for returning guests to not notice the thoughtful transformation Chateau Elan has undergone in recent years. Refreshed guestrooms and suites, modernized restaurant concepts, an all-new bourbon bar, and an elegantly redesigned atrium are just a few of the updates that stand out at the luxurious winery and resort. Some of the most distinct changes, however, are carefully hidden in the details.
Upon arrival, guests are immediately welcomed by the expansive talent of artist Thomas Swanston through the masterpiece that hangs above the resort’s marble reception desks. The seven-paneled painting, a prime example of Swanston’s current aesthetic and theme, depicts a migratory flock of gold-and-silver-leafed sandhill cranes flashing between frames. The birds come to life against the distressed gray backdrop, catching light and attention with intention and ease. Perhaps what is most striking about the piece is its imposing size, which invites viewers to have a physical experience with the work, as though they could immerse themselves into the flock and join them on their seasonal journey.
Swanston is no stranger to large-scale work, nor to the sandhill cranes that often find themselves his subjects. The Atlanta-based artist’s fascination with the birds began years ago when he noticed them traveling over the farm he and his wife called home. He began an annual spring trek to Nebraska’s Central Platte River Valley, where bird enthusiasts, like himself, observe, admire, and photograph a spectacle of more than 600,000 cranes as they rest during their return leg north.
The intrigue of sandhill cranes serve as inspiration throughout Swanston’s studio and naturally align with his fascination for passing time and movement. The birds’ instinctual patterns are rhythmic and consistent over a lifetime, migrating with the seasons but always returning to the place they consider home. On wood panel, their persistent movement signifies the distance they cover and a sweeping passage of time. There is an underlying economic and ecological commentary to the painting, which connects its indoor viewers to the outdoors in a visceral way, communicating the ties between nature and the artificial world.
The gold and silver details that bring life to the Chateau Elan piece were accomplished with a gilding technique for which Swanston is known that enables the painting to take on different looks throughout the changing light of day. In the gilding process, metal leaves are cut, adhered, and smoothed over a surface, allowing for more shine and reflection than metallic paint can offer. The size of Swanston’s works make this process a challenge, so to ensure that the bold spirit of the sandhill cranes lives up to the scale of the large panels used, Swanston projects and traces each figure into carefully placed positions before individually laying each metal leaf.
In this particular work, specifically commissioned by Chateau Elan, the light catching the gilded crane forms carries from one panel to the next, drawing the eye in a pattern that emulates the movement of the flock and endless cycles of nature. Prior to gilding precious metals (golds and platinum leaf) Swanston applies six coats of grey gesso, sanding each coat to an eggshell finish, before sizing and guilding each panel in a base of aluminum. Sizing is the gilder’s word for the material & process-specific glue. After gilding the base, he uses aging techniques to weather the surface so that the panels appear to have experienced the passage of time. Only then does he start drawing the overall composition, one layer of cranes at a time. For the Chateau Elan commission, Swanston applied five different precious and semi-precious metal leaf; each color requires a new drawing which is then sized and gilded.
Materials affect the work just as much as its overall composition, and Swanston has mastered a variety of media and materials. Acrylic, gouache, gold leaf, oxidized copper, palladium, silver, aluminium, pewter, and more can be found in his studio. Each medium requires an understanding of different techniques, illustrating just how thoughtful Swanston is when it comes to creating. While many artists remain faithful to a single medium, Swanston has a strong appreciation for many and continually seeks ways to incorporate materials that surprise his audience and give each of his pieces an unmatched quality and individuality.
Perhaps one of Swanston’s most charming qualities is his commitment not just to art itself, but to helping other visual artists hone their craft. He was an integral figure in creating AIR Serenbe, a non-profit artist residency program at the Serenbe Institute outside of Atlanta; in fact, he was the unofficial first artist-in-residence of the program before its formal inception. During his time at Serenbe, Swanston began to explore the natural world in greater depth, integrating more of himself into his work. Realizing the impact the experience had on him, Swanston collaborated with his colleagues to create an organized art program that other artists could benefit from for years to come. The group established a working board of members that has since evolved to include an executive director and a comparatively higher budget with which to support its artists. AIR Serenbe is located in the progressive wellness-inspired community of Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia and serves as a prime example of the arts funding the arts.
Swanston was born in Annapolis, Maryland and has taken his art worldwide over the last four decades. He earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Hobart & William Smith Colleges and a masters in fine arts from The New School’s Parsons School of Design. It was during his graduate studies in Parson’s inaugural MFA program that Swanston met his wife, fellow artist Gail Foster. Swanston’s work has appeared in more than 100 gallery spaces, including 24 solo exhibitions, as well as eight museum exhibitions, dozens of public collections, and two hardcover exhibition catalogs. It has also been featured in numerous public art projects, films, and television. Today, Swanston and his wife share a lakeside cottage & renovated Masonic Lodge for their studios in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia and continue to enjoy the passion that first brought them together.
