Painter Thomas Swanston captures the life-changing experience of observing a natural migration. When the Atlanta-based painter witnessed flocks of birds in the sky over his farm one day, he became fascinated with Sandhill cranes, an interest which would change the trajectory of his art.
Swanston began annual trips to the Central Platte River Valley in Nebraska to photograph and observe the over 600,000 birds that migrate through the area. Swanston witnessed how the birds’ travels are rhythmic, with a pattern of departure and return, and are part of the natural flow of the planet.
Drawing on these first-hand experiences, he depicts the cranes through a host of media and techniques. He uses materials ranging from gold leaf, silver and pewter to oxidized copper, palladium and gouache. The gilding allows his paintings to change according to the light.
A 1978 graduate from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Swanston complemented his Bachelor of Arts degree with studies at the New York Studio School. After enrolling in 1980, he became one of the first to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Parsons School of Design and met his wife and fellow artist, Gail Foster. Together, they now run their own art center, StudioSwan.
Swanston later attended AIR Serenbe, a nonprofit that connects individuals to nature. He played a major role in founding its art program, which continues to support artists today.
Swanston has exhibited his work in numerous solo and group shows. His art is in private collections around the world, including Ritz-Carlton hotels in the United Arab Emirates, Japan and China and Four Seasons hotels in California, Wyoming and Morocco.
Swanston and his wife continue to share their passions for art and nature from their studios in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Thomas Swanston’s paintings and mixed media.
Deep into Twilight
By Thomas Swanston
Located in Bozeman, MT
Thomas Swanston was born 1956 in Annapolis Md., Naval Hospital. He graduated from Hobart & William Smith Colleges 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts, with studi...
Gold, Silver
Where Time Stood Still
By Olga Tsyhypko
Located in Zofingen, AG
Where Time Stood Still (From the "Synchronicity of Souls" series) "Where Time Stood Still" is a visual manifesto of safety, unconditional trust, and the mental connection between hum...
Canvas, Acrylic
$1,100
H 31.5 in W 63 in D 0.4 in
Magical Ecstasy Oil Painting on Canvas, Dreamlike Animals, 80x160 cm
Located in Bogotá, Bogotá
Magical Ecstasy presents a composition in which birds, animals, and human figures coexist within a single pictorial space. The image is organized through fields of color, symbols, an...
Gold Leaf
Accepting the Light
By Olga Tsyhypko
Located in Zofingen, AG
"Accepting the Light" is a symbolic figurative painting in the naive style, which belongs to the series "Canvases of the Inner Master”. The work continues the artist's central theme:...
Canvas, Acrylic
Togetherness
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Trust Two white dogs resting closely together symbolize emot...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tender Presence II
Located in Zofingen, AG
Size: 95×95 cm (overall size with stretching 105×105 cm) Year: 2026 Materials: acrylic on canvas Shipping: rolled Series: Trust This work continues the “Trust” series, developing the...
Canvas, Acrylic
" Between Silence and Choice"
Located in Zofingen, AG
" Between Silence and Choice" Series “Light Between Days” " Between Silence and Choice" explores the quiet inner moments that shape a human life. In this work, Ukrainian figurative ...
Canvas, Acrylic
The Power of Healing
By Olga Tsyhypko
Located in Zofingen, AG
The painting "The Power of Healing," a profound addition to the "Lights of the Universe" series, captures the transformative moment of spiritual and physical restoration. The central...
Canvas, Acrylic
$750
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 0.79 in
The Love Figurative Painting, Expressive Palette, 30X30 cm, New
By Batia Malka
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Malka is from her latest body of works called "Figurinot" - Whether portraying human figures or porcelain and ceramic sculptures, Malka grants each subject...
Canvas, Acrylic
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger...
Located in Paris, IDF
Acrylic on canvas Stras Bear is a French artist born in 1974 who lives and works in Tbilisi, Georgia. He lived a large part of his life in Strasbourg where he moved at the age of 8....
Canvas, Acrylic
$5,368
H 47.25 in W 59.06 in D 1.78 in
Eluere I, contemporary landscape painting, birds flying
By Henry Walsh
Located in Deddington, GB
An original work by Henry Walsh titled Eluere I. Painted in acrylic on deep canvas. 120 x 150cm Unframed but ready to hang. Signed on reverse. “My work begins with snapshots of bus...
Canvas, Acrylic
$750
H 7.09 in W 9.45 in D 0.79 in
Foxes Figurative Oil Painting, Expressive Palette, 18x25 cm, New
By Batia Malka
Located in New York, NY
This beautiful painting by Malka is from her latest body of works called "Figurinot" - Whether portraying human figures or porcelain and ceramic sculptures, Malka grants each subject...
Canvas, Acrylic
Gold Sea Turtles on Off White Splash
By Josh Brown
Located in Napa, CA
Josh Brown has had a lifetime interest in creating art, most notably through his depiction of animals. He swiftly captures the mood of his subjects and brings the personality of each...
Canvas, Acrylic