Peter Pettegrew

Archive for the ‘painting’ Category

The Winter Park PaintOut, which was based at on the grounds of the beautiful and historic Albin Polasek Museum in Winter Park was a big success for everyone involved. Being the first annual event, it was easily determined by the founders of the paintout that it was the beginning of a new springtime tradition. Every participating artist – over twenty five in all – sold works at the event which help raise much needed funds for the museum. The idea for the paintout was hatched by Hal Stringer and Gary Hollingsworth both of which are heavily involved in the local art community in the Orlando area. This knowledge gave them a large group of gifted painters on which to call upon for the event. “The talent at this event was unparalleled” says Peter Pettegrew who sold three of the four works he created during the event. “Everywhere you looked there were incredible paintings in the works by the best painters of the area.” Several workshops were held during the event to help educate collectors on the different approaches on Plein Air Painting each artist employs, including area great Tom Sadler who gave an interesting demonstration on old masters techniques which drew both collectors and artists alike. The final night of the event was a beautiful evening. Inside the museum, all of the works were on display among a crowd of admirers. Outside among the sculpture gardens, delicious catering, being prepared (and donated) by some of the areas best restaurants was available for collectors to relax and decide which paintings might go home with them that night. Red dots (sold stickers) lined the walls beneath the paintings and everyone involved felt a sense of hope and accomplishment for the event and the support of those who still need art to bring beauty and joy into their lives.

Peter Pettegrew at The Polesak Paintout

Penultimate Picture of Peter Pettegrew at The Polesak Paintout

Here are three new oils-on-canvas painted on the recent Caribbean splash-about. These are small canvases, 8″ x 10″ all.

Peter Pettegrew-ppoc1685-sunrise-in-keys-8x10

Peter Pettegrew-ppoc1687-evening-mooring-8x10

Peter Pettegrew-ppoc1686-sunset-colors-keys-8x10

Just about everybody has heard of Florida landscape painter Peter Pettegrew by now, but have you ever thought of him as one of South’s famous Highwayman? Alright, that’s a little bit of a stretch, but he is– in his own way– very much like a lone Highwayman painting on location all over Florida , Georgia and the Carolinas. In Pettegrew’s early days of selling his work, it was “the old paint ‘em and sell ‘em” right from his car, and later from a big van his agent Jim Cournoyer owned. And yes, sometimes the paint was still wet when the sale was made!

When Peter hooked up with Jim in 1993, Jim took over the selling so Peter could devote more time to hittin’ the highways and back roads finding new subjects with the “right place with the right light.”

Although Pettegrew’s style has more of a Hudson River School feel with many layers of paint– more like Beanie Backus (one of Peter’s favorites and a Highwaymen mentor), in fact, his work has a lot in common with the Highwaymen. All of the Highwaymen artists are largely self taught, sharing ideas and learning with fellow painters, occasionally doing workshops together and separately.

Here is Pettegrew with Sam Newton who, along with brothers Len and Harold Newton, are among the best known original Highwayman. Peter took Sam’s workshop and they had much to talk about… a lot of years and stories on the road painting in Florida.

Peter’s favorite time to work is always what is called the “golden time,” just like Beanie Backus and most of the Highwayman.

“My favorite times of day were late afternoon or early morning, because the light is more alive then. I like the effect of light on the color of an object, and how light differs from day-to-day, season-to-season, place-to-place.”
Beanie Backus

JC

Here’s Peter– and more is on the way!

I met up with Captain and crew at Christenstead Harbor in St. Croix, where we rented a car and toured the entire island. The shot of the pig was at an odd bar up in the rain forest that someone had suggested.

Later that day we sailed for Buck Island, still a part of St. Croix but about 1 1/2 miles off the coast. The shot of the boat “One Love” was taken from ashore and as you can see it’s a very beautiful and pristine place, part of the National Parks System.

It’s hard to believe you’re in US territory. The following day we set sail for the other Virgin Islands, about 25 miles due north, coming into Norman Island (BVI) and then dropping anchor at Cinnamon Bay on St. Johns.

Again, we were in the Parks System as this island is 2/3  National Park (USA)  thanks to the generosity of Lawrence Rockefeller, who liked to spend time there. This was probably my favorite spot and one that I would like to get back to for a more extended painting excursion. After that, we sailed across to Tortola where we provisioned the boat and exchanged a few crew members. That night was spent moored in Trellis Bay, an artist community that sits just steps away from the small airport on the tip of Tortola. We sailed down the Northwest coast of Tortola the following day and docked at Soper’s Hole to have a few mechanical issues looked at, and on the suggestion of locals, stayed at dock overnight to allow some bad weather to work by. The following day was sunny and breezy with a steady 30knots blowing from the east. We sailed all the way up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the northern tip of Virgin Gorda and grabbed a mooring just off the Bitter End Yacht Club for the night. Necker Island, owned privately by Sir Richard Bransen could be seen just off to the north. The following day we sailed to the opposite end of Virgin Gorda to the famous “Baths”, a formation of huge, smooth boulders piled up along a stretch of sandy, palm lined beach where you can either explore the caves and paths on shore or snorkel the coral reef just in front of it. Being my last day, I opted for doing both.

We spent the night in Cane Garden Bay, back in Tortola under idyllic conditions and I was delivered to the ferry dock early the next day for departure back to Florida.

Peter Pettegrew

Peter Pettegrew has completed “Dawn On The Island,” a robust 30×40 oil painting on stretched canvas. Exploiting the subtle shades of green and gold ever-present in the wild Florida landscape is something Peter does in nearly every painting, but this piece explores these tonalities with a delicate mastery without exaggerating for effect.