Find Unique Railroad Art & Landscape Art Here
Original Artworks using Mineral Infused Watercolors and Mixed Media elements
Specialized Railway paintings & Train décor found Here…
Clients
I’D BE HONORED TO CREATE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOUR TRAIN MUSEUM AND GIFTSHOP.
Creating unique works of railroad art for train museums that reflect the ‘Adventurous spirit’ and nostalgia of the Railway World.
Translating my Military and Travel experiences across 5 continents into Impressionistic archival mementos.
Original designs with an approachable, easy-to-work-with style that my clients love to refer to their friends.
Adam Hansen
Railway Culture Artist
Monterey, CA
CUSTOM TRAIN MERCHANDISE FOR YOUR GIFTSHOP IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK…
From our very first conversation over the phone or even during a simple, zoom consultation, I’ll lead you through everything. We’ll discover how to maximize your unique Railway experience through mutual collaboration. Then, I’ll create a sketch based on our conversation, give you a firm timeframe and price. Once we’re agreed, work begins and before you know it, your Custom Train merchandise will be sitting on your giftshop shelves.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
I’VE GOT ANSWERS…
On average, Initial pieces can take 3-4 months to create based on quantity and size. Allow an additional 6-8 weeks for creation of merchandise from our Printing House located in San Diego, CA. Having a conversation with me and deciding on the sample concept(s) gets you on the list.
Your first Sample Painting (by picture only) is FREE, each successive concept painting varies based on desired size and quantity. Once we’re agreed you will get exclusive Wholesaler access to our Postcard, Cards and Poster Collections (*For Wholesalers ONLY). Fine Art Reproductions are also available for Retail and Originals for Consignment. *Note, before I begin work, I will provide you with a sketch based on our conversation along with a Wholesale price sheet and a firm timeframe. A 50% deposit is required to begin work with the balance due upon completion.
Absolutely. No brushstroke or color mixture is the same and so while I use the same materials all the time, they way they express themselves through my work is completely unique. I also value my clients input as well, creating works that reflect their desire as well as mine.
Yes. I am a plein air and studio artist. I prefer to work on location when available and offer live painting and art demonstrations for Cooperate and Public events. I am also a Public Speaker for hire and am an advocate for public and private Rail Travel/ Improving National Infrastructure and Historic Rail preservation.
Yes. I am a proud stay at home Dad with two children. I only do 5 commissions a year and charge by the Square In. Each piece is hand framed and personally gift wrapped for your special someone or yourself! Be sure to click the ‘Commissions’ section under the ‘SHOP’ tab to maximize your commission experience. Join my email list for exclusive news on when my commissioning window opens every year in February!
It takes 5 different countries for me to make your vision come to life. I’ve searched and use only the highest quality archival materials so your painting can last for decades to come. Paper is Milled in Fabiano, Italy; Vosges, France or St. Cuthbert, Wales. Paints and materials are domestically mixed in CA and WA State, USA. Brushes are handmade in Barcelona, Spain. Your vision is worthy and only the finest materials should be used to make it!
‘Earthen Elements’ refers to the paints used to create your original or custom artwork. Alongside traditional watercolors I use specialized paints made from pulverized semi-non-precious stones and or minerals. This is the “special touch” I use to capture textures and form throughout my body of work. All Earthen Paints are ground sustainably in Seattle, WA and are Professional archival quality with excellent 100+ to indefinite lightfastness. All to say your investment will last multiple generations as long as the artwork is not displayed in direct sunlight and handled with respect. All pieces are framed by our team in house with our High Quality specifications, are Acid Free and show ready for any Gallery, Restaurant, Giftshop, Public Transit area, Venue or Business/Home space.
WANT MORE PAINTINGS WITH EARTHEN ELEMENTS?
The vistas, architecture and scenery that surround the Railway world have their own unique beauty. If your interested in something Historical, Nautical or simply different check out our ‘Urban, Sea and Landscapes’ Collection. You can find something for everyone here.
RAILWAY ART PAINTINGS VIA EARTHEN ELEMENTS…
Welcome! Adam Hansen is a US Navy Veteran and niche artist living and working outside Monterey, California. Since 2022 Adam has been creating specialized Train and railraod art for clients that reflect the ‘Adventurous spirit’ and nostalgia of the Railway World. These days, Adam’s Earthen Elements art is featured in multiple locations including the Nation’s largest Model Railroad museum. He captures regional and Nationwide Scenic Railroads, Train Museums and more. Whether you are looking for a Specialized Train Art for your Business or Home or want to hire Adam for Live Painting Demonstrations or Public Speaking, you’re in the right place!
Taking your giftshop or home to the next level!
The Railway giftshop is where your customer’s experience gets translated into tangible memories. You want to showcase products that will share your organization’s story long after their visit. I want to help you create those loyal patrons that will keep telling their experience over and over again to friends, family and more!
One of the things I hear from my clients is how much they enjoy the custom aesthetic I bring to their organization. Maybe it’s the museum walkthrough we did together to share their organization’s rich history and popular exhibits with me, knowing they had a hand in designing their special piece or simply knowing that each piece I create is unique. Either way, having my Railway Art Paintings in your giftshop adds to the already custom brand you’ve worked so hard to create.
HOW MY RAILWAY PAINTING JOURNEY BEGAN…
I grew up in the Midwest. 45 minutes South of Cleveland, OH in a town called Stow. –The Pennsylvania Railroad once sprawled across the state and it was naturally classic train country- and there I discovered my passions for Art, History and the Railroad. My first train set was the Little Tikes Train with 3 cars at 2 years old, ironically this is the same time my Mom like to joke I began painting…with her lipstick on the carpet, haha. I played with train sets everywhere, in the dirt, sand box and would create whole worlds surrounding the train on paper and physically. As I got older I become more curious about how trains affected society and built a clay model for a third grade history project and told stories about Steam Locomotives in my region. My parents fueled my fascination with Fine Art and Craft shows in the Northeast Ohio circuit. We took many weekend trips to Train museums and historical Railway stations. I spent hundreds of hours playing PC games like Sid Meir’s Railroads and it’s predecessor, the Railroad Tycoon series, and my all time favorite children’s book will forever be, “The Little Engine that Could” by Watty Piper. I spent my childhood education taking Art everyyear K-12 and had multiple art teachers that were positive influences in my life. It was during my childhood that I began to understand the connection between people, places and culture via Art and Railway systems.
To say it plainly I had become a full scale Railway Fanatic or Train Lover as I like to say. When I got to the Virginia Military Institute in the early 2010’s I began to expand my reach past Ohio Railroads and began exploring Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia and my roommate, and now one of my closet friends, introduced to Northern and Western’s famed 611 Class ‘J’ 1950’s Passenger Locomotive. Since joining the Navy I have been able to travel to over 5 continents and explore Railway culture on all of them in either minor or major ways. Countries include Mongolia, Spain, Morocco, Australia, all over America and extensive Rail travel in Japan.
Prior to the military I had deeply considered Art school but due to my unbased fear told to me by concerned relatives of being a “starving artist” I chose the military while I wondered if I would ever return to Art. While discerning a career post Navy in the middle of the pandemic I returned to several books I had on watercolor and remembered what joy it brought me (more than any other medium) as a child and a Senior taking AP Art. There I found the San Diego Watercolor Society and found the Thriving Christian Artist Podcast. During this critical transition time in my life from Military to Civilian- after my almost 10 year hiatus- something inside me said “THIS IS IT!” I enrolled in Matt Tommey’s Created to Thrive program, reached out to another San Diego based artist and began apprenticing him immediately. I have been drawing trains my whole life, but it wasn’t until I was challenged to look at my life critically and ask others around me “What am I good at?” that I began to wonder what if Art is really for me, no longer an elusive childhood dream? My time at VMI and as a Naval Officer was foundational to build the work ethic required of a Thriving Creative as well as the tenacity or “Spiritual Grit” as Matt says to be an entrepreneur. But since I have found this community I believe that this practically is possible to be my life long profession. To fully move beyond “starving to thriving artist mentally, physically, financially and most importantly spiritually. My mind feels freed from fear and now I am able to help others do the same within their own life circumstances.
I continued to draw as a hobby for almost 10 years until I transitioned out of the military in San Diego, CA and began professional art classes the weekend I departed my last ship, USS Mobile Bay CG-53. After 6 months, I created enough works to generate a portfolio and held my first solo show in the city’s prestigious Spanish Village Arts Center in Balboa Park. My work began to be noticed by people who loved the Specialized niche of Railway stations, trains and more. During the course of this merely 1.5 week show that I was graced with only a 48 hour notice. My Dad and I framed over 30+ artworks and got international exposure by over 300+ people from 4 different continents, to include multiple Train museums, Major Model Railroad Business owners, a Fine art scouter and an employee of America’s Amtrak. In this short year my work and I transitioned into art as a profession. Since then, it’s been a real journey! I’m now wholesaling with the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and the Old Town Model Railroad Depot, printing using state of the art practices with German and Swiss technology and have had 3 solo shows in under a year. I have been able to study under one of the world’s leading water color artist, Joseph Zbukvic and many others. I am having a blast meeting other creatives and anyone else interested in ‘Railroadiana’ or ‘Railwayana’. If you would of told me in high school that I would be doing this I would have laughed, now I stand back and smile.
Chalk it all up to chance, but I believe life has a plan and anyone can discover it if they seek the source. Whether it was historical railway artifacts in Ohio or across the world, endless train books I found “by proximity” or just loving to walk Ohio Fine Art Circuit as a youth it all came together in me to inform my artwork and niche Railway aesthetic. Now, I am fortunate to work with clients who fully embrace this idea of Railway Culture in their giftshops and homes. Some are very traditional and some are fanciful but all love the nostalgia trains bring into their surroundings. They embrace fine interior design, beautiful furniture and artwork but at the same time want a little dreamy nostalgia that really defines the Manifest Destiny Spirit of Americans and Worldwide Adventurers. Imagine magazines like Trains, Classic Trains, Railroad Heritage, Railroads Illustrated, Garden Railways, and Classic Toy Trains all wrapped into a painting.
WHY TRAINS?
For me trains and transportation are symbols; Physical and Spiritual conduits moving from our minds to our hearts. A transport where we can observe creation as we travel; dream together and wonder like children again. I sense these feelings of childlike wonder when I ride and paint trains, transportation and urbanscapes and am passionate about sharing my experiences with you! When I paint I have a profound spiritual connection with our Creator and I sense the universe smile. I was made for a purpose and I believe my paintings can help inspire you to find yours!
CREATING AN AMBIENCE OF ‘HYGGE & PEACE’
Our motto at Adam Hansen Art is “Every Piece points to Peace” I firmly believe that artwork is a powerful conduit because as they say, “the eye is a gateway to the soul”. Art is a tool and I believe it can be used for good or evil. I choose to create artwork for good and to connect people and places together just like the Railroad.
My namesake is Danish and my all time favorite word is “HYGGE” (HUE-GAH). There is no English equivalent. My interpretation of this word is simply ‘being at peace with yourself and your surroundings’. My deepest desire is that my artwork would bring a peaceful ambience to your Business or Home and it cause you to seek peace within yourself.
Creating personalized artwork just for you
Over my 15+ years of working with the public, the thing I enjoy most is listening to people’s stories and helping them achieve their aspirations. I am super quirky and I believe that the unique parts of ourselves come alive through storytelling. Painting is my way of expressing the best stories I hear which are the people around me.
When working with an artist like me to create specialized railway paintings for your business or home, remember I can create custom work specifically for your organizational or Interior design needs or you can purchase original artworks hand framed and ready to hang. Whether something for the waiting room or your giftshop, fireplace mantel or Railroad themed room, I’d be happy to help you incorporate my work into your own personal decor. Find out more about custom merchandise for your giftshop or check out my current inventory of ‘Railway Culture’ Paintings.
