Peter Pettegrew

My paintings are drawn from the ordinary landscapes we all pass by every day...scenes from the busy highways and roads that carry us to our destinations...beauty we seldom take the time to notice or appreciate. Painting is more than just creative expressi on for me. It fulfills a spiritual need in a way that nothing else can. Through painting I share my love of nature with others and hopefully help to preserve her beauty as well too. Peter moved from the Midwest to Monterey Bay at the age of eight, where he became an avid surfer and ocean enthusiast. A passion for surfing, the beauty of the ocean and the freedom of the waves were the catalyst that motivated Peter to paint. Classroom doodles symbolized the sights and sensations of ocean landscapes that soon gave way to serious efforts to recreate his love through painting. The means became an end in itself. The spiritual threads of beauty and freedom were the unifying link. Peter’s formal art training began when he qualified for admission to Harbor Senior High in Santa Cruz, California, a progressive school dedicated to advancing the development of artistic skills and creative freedom. This is where he first experienced graphic art techniques and was introduced to serigraphy. At the age of sixteen, Peter relocated with his family to Florida. He discovered diverse new panoramas that inspired the refinement of his painting and brought a seasoned maturity to his work. He then attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where he perfected his graphic art techniques that he now employs in producing hand-pulled serigraphs and originals. He recently produced a suite of four hand-drawn, hand-pulled stone lithographs. Peter has a national clientele of private, corporate and gallery collections that actively acquire his paintings. In 1990, He was commissioned by the Orlando Chamber of Commerce to create the official watercolor representation of Downtown Orlando. His painting of Lake Eola and the surrounding area was made into a limited edition print. Peter is equally accomplished in watercolor, oil and alkyd. He allows the unique qualities of each charcoal landscape to determine the medium. He is strongly influenced by the plein-air painters of the last century. Today, Peter is creating paintings from his travels and explorations. In January 1996, he was commissioned to produce a large canvas for Florida River Wilderness. He spent two days roaming the backwaters with a guide photographing and sketching for the ideal combination of scenes. In 1995 he spent two weeks in Montana hiking and canoeing through the mountains and lakes to gain access for his paintings. In 1999 he traveled to France, gleaning images for his luminescent landscapes. He often works directly on location, filling his canvases with intense, accurate lighting of joyful grace. Peter lives in this world driven by the light and mood of sunrise and sunset. Indeed, his paintings almost implore he be known as a naturalist plein-air painter; yet his pure impressionist influence from childhood shapes the essence of his paintings. He allows the unique experience of each landscape to determine the expression of the painting. This comes from his frequent travels into the wilderness. On these expeditions, Peter becomes intertwined with his subject. Nothing is contrived.

Peter Pettegrew Images:
Bahamian Boat Shack
Boats at Rest
Gulf Coast Evening
Marsh View
Mountian Vineyard I
Mountian Vineyard II