Zatista The premier source for original art online

"Out of the Limelight" by Latisha Yates on Zatista.com

My wife and I are big foodies, and lately we’ve gotten hooked on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel. Thanks to Netflix, we’ve been gobbling up episodes like we were getting paid for it.

"Raining Love in Paris" by Liz London on Zatista.com

If you haven’t seen the show, the concept is pretty basic: fly chef and author Anthony Bourdain, famous for his searing, hilarious book, Kitchen Confidential, around the world and stuff him to the gills with local food. What makes the show so great is that Tony, as I have come to call him, is one heck of a writer. His commentary somehow manages to be pithy and profound at the same time. Sure, his pursuits are hedonistic, but he manages to make his traveling, eating and drinking relevant within the greater context of life — which I admire. (I’m getting to my point, don’t worry.)

"Les Lavandes" by Edwidge Mitterand on Zatista.com

Of all the places we’ve watched him explore, nowhere shuts Tony up like France. For someone who makes his living talking, he always seems awestruck — almost dumbfounded — by the place. The countryside! The food! The people! The history! The wine! The conversation! The splendor is too much for him to handle, and I think he’s sold us on our next trip.

"Blacksmith France 2" by Nina Fuller on Zatista.com

The problem is that there’s a recession on, people! I can’t afford to fall in love with far off lands right now. A grand tour is out of the question, so for now, we’re going to have to satisfy our wanderlust with art inspired by France. With what two Air France tickets cost (yes, I’ve checked) I figure I’ve got a pretty good budget to work with.

"Paysage in South of France" by Abel Lauvray on Zatista.com

Considering what’s at my finger tips here on Zatista, it’s not a bad compromise.

"No Cargo" by Tracy Mewmaw on Zatista.com

Wow, the summer is really getting away from us here and it looks like there may be no hope of getting away before the New Year. I can’t say I feel alone in that predicament though, pretty much everyone I know is forgoing vacations to save a little money or just get ahead on a few projects around the house.

"Early Morning at Portland Head Light" by David Cleaveland on Zatista.com

The good news is that there is a close second to actually going places: buying really, really good photos of those places. I’m a pretty bad photographer, so my vacation shots would be all “fingers over the lens” and “long arm goofball self-portraits” anyway.

"Old Deerfield Barns" by Diane Gray on Zatista.com

Plus, think about how easy it is to spend a couple thousand dollars just on hotels and food (and the odd bungee jump at a random state fair)! By comparison, buying an outstanding photo of a beautiful destination is a great deal. Just fix yourself a cold beverage, hang your new piece on the wall, point the fan in your direction and kick back – the environment will thank you, too.

"Chaco Canyon" by Arthur Davis on Zatista.com

After taking in some barns and lighthouses in the Northeast, it only makes sense to stop off in the Southwest. Green chili salsa and margaritas anyone?

"Johnboat" by Tracy Mewmaw on Zatista.com

This one is even shot point-of-view – nothing like a swim on a hot summer day!

"Muir Beach 2" by Rachel Hutchins on Zatista.com

Maybe make a stop just north of San Francisco to take in some redwoods and a nice deserted beach.

"Mt. Hood Sunrise" by Elizabeth Wade on Zatista.com

And then swing by the Pacific Northwest for some salmon and a microbrew or two. Ahh, what a trip!

In addition to art, travel has always been one of my passions. I’m not too picky about the destination; you name it, I’ll pack my bag. This year my travels have focused on the US where a certain type of journey has been popular for generations. I’m talkin’ about hitting the open highway.

David Hockney "Pearblossom Hwy., 11-18th April 1986, #2" getty.edu

The road: a rich and symbolic subject in our nation’s creative history. Muse to artists, photographers, song writers, authors, and more, the road never ceases to be alluring visually or metaphorically.

Jonathan Ball "Highway Cliff 03-079-25" zatista.com

Ronald Primeau author of Romance of the Road says, “Americans are in love with roads and cars, and we celebrate this in song, literature, poetry, film, and video. There is a long history of Americans traveling the highway. It’s a sacred space, an epic quest. We all have our stories. Getting away is a chance at a new start, a time to discover self and country, glide through vast empty spaces and then come home to write or sing about the adventures.”

Matt Dinerstein "Into the Night" zatista.com

I recently came across a great blog about a road journey. After being let go from her 12-year video production job at General Motors, Sandi Wheaton traveled from Chicago to LA via Route 66.

Sandi Wheaton "Route 66 Road Shield" sandiwheaton.com

With a Jeep, an Aliner trailer and a bunch of cameras including one using beautiful-but-now-obsolete Kodak black and white infrared film, this was a trip she’d wanted to take for years and finally she had the time. Like many artists out there, Sandi hopes to find a new path doing what she loves most: traveling, taking pictures and sharing what she discovers.

Pablo Jones "Interchange" zatista.com

Regardless of the medium, what often comes of this type of soul searching journey is pure art. With little effort, you’ll find inspiring examples of road-inspired artistry all around you. If you’re new to the appeal of the road you’re sure to fall in love with this subject matter in a heartbeat.

Tracy Mewmaw "Road Trip" zatista.com

Go ahead- plan a road trip, write a song, or add a painting or photograph of the road to your art collection today.

Some of my favorite travel photography was created decades ago when the world still seemed a mystery and far away places were truly exotic. But today, air travel, television, and the internet have made even the most foreign scenery somewhat familiar to us.

From Vietnam to Vancouver, while on vacation I take as many snapshots as the next person.

gettyimages.com Brian Lawrence "Statue of Liberty"

But once I’m home loading pictures into iPhoto, I’m often surprised to see that my most interesting images are of the least expected subject matter.

zatista.com Jennifer Childs "Little Italy Remaining"

I like to apply this theory to collecting travel photography as well, in order to curate a compelling group of unique photographic images. You’ll notice in the pair of New York images above – as well as in the pairings of Italy, Greece and beach images below – an obvious image is juxtaposed with something less expected and therefore a bit more enticing.

gettyimages.com Arctic-Images "Leaning tower of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy"

zatista.com "Discussion" by Daniel Grant

For me, the challenge to collecting travel photography is to evoke a sense of a place without falling for the obvious images of that place.

gettyimages.com "Parthenon Facade, Acropolis, Athens, Greece" by Harald Sund

zatista.com "Dock Workers Athens" by Simon MacArthur

Case in point: At the beach house where we stayed during a recent holiday in Florida, I came face to face with a terribly boring group of artworks. These images added next to nothing of interest to the home simply because the subject matter was too similar to what we saw outside during the day. If a person sits poolside every night watching the sunset, why hang a photo of that same sunset in the living room? The redundancy didn’t do much for me.

gettyimages.com "Razorbill" by Guy Edwardes

zatista.com "Fins" by Nick Lavecchia

Take your travel photography collecting to the next level- don’t miss an opportunity to let your original art collection add impact to your surroundings. When it comes to travel photography, go a step beyond clichéd subject matter. Images that maximize intrigue and minimize the obvious will bring you years more enjoyment and may even enhance the mystery of all the places you’ve visited, or dream of visiting one day.