The Art of Travel

"Oasis" (Image from Bill Guffey's blog)

Bill Guffey, an artist from Kentucky, doesn’t have the time to physically travel the world; yet he has found his own method of travel. Guffey uses Google Street View to visit various locations all over the world. The Daily Mail, a British daily newspaper, covered the story. Guffey states that family commitments and career have made him realize that “his traveling days are numbered.” He has traveled virtually to England, France, Italy, and every state in the United States (except Hawaii), to name a few locations. After some virtual exploration of the world, Guffey then paints pictures based on Google’s images. What’s interesting about his paintings is that he doesn’t focus on popular world landmarks but paints pictures of houses, fields, streets and landscapes. Guffey told The Daily Mail that “Google Street View has really changed everything for [him] because it means [he] can go to all of those places [he] is in love with, sit and paint them as if [he] is really there.” Guffey traveled regularly when he was younger, to Europe and other countries—he thoroughly enjoys traveling and hopes to one day visit the places he has seen virtually. So far, Guffey has painted more than 100 pieces. Check out his Web site and his blog to see them.