Peter Pettegrew

Posts Tagged ‘art’

Peter Pettegrew & Matthew Cutter, Two Man Show July 31st – August 1st At Galeria del Mar at 9 King St. in downtown St. Augustine, Florida. Featuring Fine Wines and Tapas dishes, and a live joint painting demonstration.
Spend a weekend with these two artists whose work remains in great demand. This is a true reward for past and future collectors. Cutter’s and Pettegrew’s paintings are instantly recognizable and they have a following that is as vast as the panoramic vistas they so skillfully capture. This event will give further proof to the power of these artists to show you what they see and how these incredible visions make them feel…

About Matthew J Cutter (1974 -)
Raised in rural New Hampshire, Matthew J Cutter was introduced to art by his parents at an early age. With their encouragement he spent much of his free time drawing to his heart’s desire. Around the age of ten, Matthew’s grandmother, Helen Cutter, expanded his artistic endeavors by teaching him the basics of painting. They spent many hours together nurturing Matthew’s talent, which would prove crucial to his later development as an artist.

In his teen years Cutter left the art world behind to pursue other interests, but that early attraction resurfaced in his mid-twenties when he participated in a painting workshop with listed American artist, Morgan Samuel Price. From there his interest grew deeper and he looked to the works of the Old Masters, such as John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, and the California Impressionists to further his knowledge of painting. Present day painters such as Richard Schmid, Scott Christensen, Matt Smith, and Daniel Gerhartz have also influenced Cutter.

Matthew’s emergence to the art world has been a slow process culminating in his first one-man-show in February 2006. The show was a great success with 30 originals selling on opening night. It is worth noting that while Cutter’s pursuit of art is not a full-time opportunity at this point in his life, it is a full-time passion. He has traveled to places such as Taos, NM, the Smoky Mountains and St. Kitts in search of subject matter and he currently resides in St. Augustine, FL.

About Peter Pettegrew
Peter Pettegrew has devoted his life to capturing the timeless beauty of the natural landscape on canvass. As a youth, his world was centered around Monterey Bay, California, and it was here that his compelling encounters with the ocean inspired sketches. As early as four years of age, his aunt, who was a painter, recognized his talent and insisted to his mother that he only be given blank paper; no coloring books. Childhood sketches symbolized the sights and sensations of ocean landscapes, and soon more serious efforts resulted as he turned to painting.

By ten years of age, the artist was already studying with one of the older marine painters in the Bay Area. His formal art education began when he applied and qualified for admission to Harbor Senior High in Santa Cruz, California, a prestigious and progressive school dedicated to advancing the development of artistic skills and creative freedom. After moving to Florida, Pettegrew went on to attend the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where he studied painting as well as graphic art techniques that he now employs in his work with hand-pulled serigraphs, stone lithographs, and originals. After his formal education, he furthered his schooling in individual mediums through private artist workshops, including oil painting, watercolor techniques and charcoal drawing.

Finding his inspiration through detailed research of the Master Impressionists and plein air painters of the 19th Century, this work revealed the undeniable course for his life, “to honor the face of nature by painting her portrait in so many ways and in so many places.” His captivating impressionistic style, using delicate tones, subtle luminous lighting, and savory blends of color, has resulted in distinctive paintings for his collectors. From childhood, the landscapes have always been the beloved subject for Pettegrew’s passionate creations.

A naturalist, and outdoorsman, he camps, hikes, and explores, to find his timeless compositions. It is this focus, this need to completely lose himself in the wilderness in order to paint, breathing in the air of dawn and dusk, that nurtures the inspiration he pours onto his canvases. He draws inspiration from his diverse travels. In the last few years he has been to France, the Bahamas, Montana, and California to capture his subject. Most often he is painting in the Southeastern United States. His home and studio are in Orlando, Florida, with another family residence on Marco Island, not far from the Big Cypress Swamp in the Everglades.

Mr. Pettegrew states, “Whether I’m painting in the Everglades or in the marshes of South Carolina, these Southern wetlands have a feel and presence like nowhere else I’ve been. This land is where the spirit within lies very close to the surface. Its beauty abounds and one does not have to struggle to locate its magnificent side.” Mr. Pettegrew always receives high praise from museum and gallery directors throughout the United States for his one-man and group exhibitions. Collectors anxiously await each new painting. The huge demand for Pettegrew’s work is gratifying for the artist, by providing him the means to give back to the natural world. He acts on his commitment to Promote, Preserve, and Protect the environment through his art. His gallery and museum events, and the ongoing sales of some of his work are venues to channel his support for environmental causes. “I think we all need a greater sensitivity of our natural surroundings and what I fully experience when on location is what I spiritually need to paint. My hope is that this emotion is fully communicated, not just in the traditional sense, but rather a message of the mystery and joy in how nature really feels. Through painting, I share my love of nature with others and hopefully help to preserve her beauty.”

For additional information, Contact: Galeria del Mar @ (904) 829-2120 • 9 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 • gdm@cutterandcutter.com

Peter writes:

My wife’s parents live in a small, lakeside town called Bigfork in Northwest Montana during the summer months. Bigfork is a beautiful place, situated between several rugged mountain ranges and at the convergence of the Swan River and Flathead Lake, the longest lake in the Western United States. Jack Hannah has an incredible home on a rock out-cropping overlooking the lake and author Robert Ludlum‘s home is at the end of the street that my in-laws live on, overlooking Flathead River. We spent time on both rivers and Flathead Lake, taking in the sweeping views as you paddle, sail or float your way along. A short drive away is Glacier National Park, where I had the chance to do some sketching and photographing on the snow-capped mountain top near the summit, where the summer air is clean and crisp – a far cry from Florida’s summer humidity.

Another great way to get around was by trail bikes, where we were able to cross into town by way of the logging roads cut across the mountain ridge. We found galleries filled with exceptional landscape paintings including stone lithos by noted Montana artist Russell Chatham, an influence on my choice of subject matter since the mid 1980’s. Another surprise of the trip was participating in a sailboat regatta on Placid Lake with a mixed group of boating fanatics – a race that produced several strong gales and flipped a few of the participants into the drink. On the final day, we hiked into an area known for it’s wild huckleberries and came across a motherlode of the sweet tasting goodies. As it turned out, the late winter had been ideal for producing such an unusual bounty and we were just lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I think that could be said of the whole trip in general – Montana’s such a beautiful place, you can hardly go wrong.

New paintings on canvas and board of the Florida and Southeastern U.S. landscape. From this new group, the painting “A Day At The Beach” is a sunny departure from the usual wilderness scenes.

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:A Day At The Beach
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Board
Size:11×14

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Looking West
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Board
Size:12×24

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Virginia Waterlillies
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Board
Size:12×16

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Newton’s View
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Board
Size:20×16

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:End Of A Good Day
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Canvas
Size:18×24

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Full Moon Fishing St Johns
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Canvas
Size:20×24

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Spring Shower
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Canvas
Size:11×14

Artist:Peter Pettegrew
Title:Twilight Gem
Medium:Oil
Substrate:Canvas
Size:4×6