Commission: "Snow at Sunrise"

This weekend I put the finishing touches on this commissioned work. The painting is loosely based on a photograph provided by the patron. The scene depicts a portion of their country property after a heavy snowfall. In order to make the project a bit more challenging, I decided (with the patron's blessing) to complete the piece in a panorama-styled format using three 20 x 16 inch canvases. Since I knew that the work was going to be placed above an entertainment center in the patron's home, I also thought that this format would work best.

"Snow at Sunrise." Oil on three 20 x 16 inch stretched canvases, total size 20 x 48 inches. Completed August 2009.

"Main Street" Update

Here is an update on the large canvas I began a few weeks ago entitled "Main Street" (see August 1, 2009 post). After two more long work sessions, the canvas stands in this current state, still unfinished. In general I am satisfied with its progress, although I have some question regarding the sky and the brick structures in the far left side of the work. I still need to work up the structures along the right side, add highlights and shadows, and then decide any further refinements that might be needed. Comments are always welcome!

"Main Street" (tentative title). Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 48 inches. In progress; begun July 2009.

Dormer Windows

I typically arrange my studio painting sessions so that they allow extended periods of time to work on a piece (usually 6 to 8 hours). However, sometimes I find that I am unexpectedly motivated to paint after hours or when I have a small time frame available. The canvas above is an example. It was completed in less than an hour late one weekday evening, using leftover oils from the past week's pallet. It was also created strictly from imagination, without any specific source material. The idea of attic-level dormer windows just kind of came to me one evening, and I decided to take an old, used canvas and quickly paint an impression of the idea. Here are the results.

"Dormer Windows." Oil on stretched canvas, 8 x 10 inches. Completed January 2009.

In Progress: "Main Street"

When I originally created this artist blog back in December 2008, it was my intent to post works in progress as well as finished pieces. Unfortunately I haven't been very faithful to that intent, as I have primarily posted canvases after their completion rather than in progress.

Today's post returns to the original intent. I began this large (36 x 48 inch) canvas last week and have allowed it to sit since then as I considered its next metamorphosis. The composition is based on a photograph I took over the Independence Day holiday weekend while visiting my sister and her family in Mount Airy, Maryland. It depicts an intersection of that town's Main Street. I loved the unusual flat-iron shaped building that stands at this intersection, so I quickly snapped a photo of it as we walked to lunch.

Last week, I developed the composition using the original digital photo as a resource. Prior to beginning, I primed the canvas (which I had stretched myself) with an abstract collage of acrylic colors. That is the underpainting one can still see in this stage of the work. I like working on top of a confused color field - I feel that it encourages me to work more loosely. Then, I sketched my composition using a soft brush filled with burnt umber oil paint slightly diluted with painting medium. From there, I began to build up the painted surface.

Because this is a large canvas for me, it will likely take several extended sessions to complete this painting. Once it is finished, I will post the final results.

"Main Street" (tentative title). Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 48 inches. In progress; begun July 2009.

Cary Farmhouse Series: Seventh Post

This work is probably the most unique approach I took in the Cary farmhouse series I completed during 2008. Instead of interpreting the subject on one canvas, I decided to create a panoramic image presented over four smaller canvases, each measuring 9 x 12 inches in size. This produced a final image that measured 12 x 36 inches in size.

I started by sketching out the subject onto the four canvases using a small paintbrush filled with burnt sienna oil paint. Then, I worked on two canvases at a time placed side by side on my easel. I used the same palette throughout the work and completed the painting in one long marathon session (approximately 6 hours). Once dry, I framed the four canvases within one canvas floater frame as a single work.

This painting was one of 20 displayed in my solo show at the Burke Arts Council in May 2009. It was also one of three paintings that sold during the show's run, and now belongs to a private collector in Black Mountain, NC.

"Farmhouse Panorama." Oil on four 12 x 9-inch stretched canvases (total size 12 x 36 inches). Completed August 2008.

Shadows at Dusk

Since January I have been working on a series of canvases based on buildings in Cumberland, Maryland. I visited that old railroad city the day after Christmas 2008 and compiled a large photographic archive of structures with my digital camera. That archive has been a source for several paintings since then.

This work, entitled "Shadows at Dusk," is based on two houses I saw on Cumberland's Greene Street. While I relied on my digital images to develop the houses, I improvised the lighting, the color palette and the dramatic sky from both memory and imagination. I used a palette dominated by cadmium orange and cerulean blue, and tried to emphasize the feeling of light at dusk as it washes over the brick facades and creates long shadows and dark recessed areas. This painting is the largest work I've completed in two years, and rests upon a canvas that I stretched myself.

"Shadows at Dusk." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 48 inches. Completed January 2009.

Cary Farmhouse Series: Sixth Post

This canvas was the sixth completed in my Cary Farmhouse Series from 2008. This work depicts the farmhouse from the southwest, capturing the structure in early morning light. Since I didn't find this perspective as interesting (mainly because the wrap-around porch is not prominently displayed), I tried to emphasize the shadows and lighting effect created by the time of day. This painting was chosen by juror Anna Olivia Sisk for inclusion in the juried exhibition "Landscape and Location" held at the Island Ford Art Gallery in Statesville, NC in Summer 2008.

"Farmhouse in Morning Light." Oil on stretched canvas, 18 x 24 inches. Completed April 2008.

House in Pasadena

This is yet another "house" painting that I have recently completed. Entitled "House in Pasadena," it is a compilation of images I photographed during my vacation to Southern California in September 2008.

The structure in the painting is based on a home I saw on Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, CA. The house itself was in the middle of a major renovation, and had windows removed and sections of wall under construction. Based on the style, I estimate it was originally constructed in the early 1900s. When I developed the composition for the canvas, I chose to add a background of distant mountain peaks reminiscent of the ones I had seen surrounding the Pasadena area. I also inserted a palm tree in dark silhouette, and improvised the night setting. I spent several sessions working up the lighting in the second-story window and the front porch area, and also creating the right reflections in the darker windows. This canvas was one of twenty that was featured in my solo exhibition at the Burke Arts Council in May of this year.

"House in Pasadena." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches. Completed January 2009.

Another visit to Rocky Mount

I'm taking a break this weekend from painting to play host to my parents for Father's Day. Yesterday we took a road trip out of Raleigh to eastern North Carolina. The first stop was the Rocky Mount Arts Center to see the juried exhibition in which I currently have one painting on display, "Fourth and Montgomery" (seen above). From there, we traveled to Wilson, NC to visit the North Carolina Baseball Museum at Fleming Field. The ballpark was constructed in 1939 as a WPA project, and was recently renovated to include the museum. Afterwards, we enjoyed genuine eastern NC barbecue at Parker's Barbecue in Wilson. It was lip-smackin' good!

House on Washington Street

In early January of this year I began a series of canvases based on houses and streets in Cumberland, Maryland. My parents live in the panhandle of West Virginia, and during my Christmas visit I drove to Cumberland to do my own walking tour of its historic district. I strolled up and down Washington Street, taking photographs and making mental notes on the architecture and atmosphere of this old railroad town.

To date I have completed six paintings based on my visit to Cumberland, this canvas being the first. It depicts one of the many large brick homes built in the late 1880s and '90s when Cumberland was a wealthy industrial center for Western Maryland. Today the city is struggling to hold its own, but - thanks to its relative proximity to Baltimore and Washington - many of its ornate Victorian houses have been restored and are now used as either second residences or B&Bs.

"House on Washington Street." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches. Completed January 2009.

Rocky Mount Arts Center National Juried Exhibition: Juror's Merit Award

Last night I attended the opening reception for the Rocky Mount Art Center's 52nd Annual National Juried Art Exhibition at the Imperial Centre. I was fortunate to be one of 15 artists (out of 283 entries) selected by juror Anne Lemanski for inclusion in the show. My painting, "Fourth and Montgomery" (seen on the left in the above image), was also awarded a Juror's Merit Prize ($100 cash award) by Ms. Lemanski. The exhibit includes artists from across the country and I felt very honored to have been among those chosen for the exhibition. The show continues through September 13, 2009.

The Rocky Mount Arts Center is located in the former Imperial Tobacco Company warehouse and factory in downtown Rocky Mount. It is a phenomenal facility that encompasses over 135,000 square feet of exhibition, performance and museum space. It is definitely a crown jewel for the City of Rocky Mount.

Burke Arts Council Show Closes

My solo exhibition at the Burke Arts Council closed on Friday and I drove up to Morganton, NC today to retrieve the canvases. A total of three paintings sold during the course of the show (out of 20 on display), so I was very pleased with the results. The newly renovated Jailhouse Gallery is wonderful, and I highly recommend a trip to Morganton to see it and the town. Morganton has a thriving cultural arts community and its location in the foothills of western North Carolina is very picturesque. My thanks go out again to Ann DiSanto, executive director for the BAC, for making this experience possible.

Favorite Museums: Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

One of my favorite local museums is the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Located about 30 minutes west of Raleigh, on the Duke University campus, the museum opened in 2005 and has produced some outstanding exhibitions since then.

This year I have visited twice, both times to see a show on the Bloomsbury Group entitled "A Room of Their Own." While the museum's collection concentrates on contemporary art, its exhibition schedule has included shows beyond that range, including a landmark exhibit for our area that featured the art of El Greco. Later this summer the Nasher will feature a Picasso exhibition entitled "Picasso and the Allure of Language.

For more information on the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, visit http://www.nasher.duke.edu/.

Cary Farmhouse Series: Fifth Post

Nine of the 20 paintings I have currently on display in the Burke Arts Council's Jailhouse Gallery are from my 2008 Cary Farmhouse Series. One of them is the painting seen above, "Farmhouse Study at Night." Recently purchased by a Raleigh collector prior to the opening of the exhibit, this canvas will be delivered to its new owner upon its return from Morganton, NC in early June.

Using source images taken at the farmhouse site during the day, I improvised a night scene for this painting in the series. The actual farmhouse is uninhabited, so I had to create the illusion of the porch light using my imagination. I also created the dusk-like sky from memory as well.

"Farmhouse Study at Night." Oil on stretched canvas, 12 x 16 inches. Completed in July 2008.

Leaving Las Vegas

I've just returned home from my first trip to Las Vegas, Nevada. While I expected to find "Sin City" over hyped and empty, I actually enjoyed my time there (and didn't spend a dime inside the casinos). In addition to the attractions along the famous Strip, I took day trip diversions to the Hoover Dam, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and Valley of Fire State Park. Another highlight was visiting the art collection and gallery of fine arts at the Bellaggio. Their current exhibit, on loan from the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, is "Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends." The exhibit included pieces by those artists as well as Frank Stella, Ellsworth Kelly and Ed Ruscha.

Upon returning from Las Vegas, I learned that one of my paintings had sold in the Burke Arts Council show. The work, "House on Holly Springs Road," is the same piece featured in the exhibit invitation. Needless to say this was very exciting news, and totally unexpected. My thanks go out again to Ann DiSanto and the Burke Arts Council for their wonderful support of my efforts.

Burke Arts Council Exhibit Opens Tonight

My new solo exhibition, featuring 20 recent paintings, opens tonight (6:30-8:30 PM) at the Burke Arts Council in Morganton, North Carolina. The council's Jailhouse Gallery (so named because it is inside the former Burke County Jail) is located at 115 East Meeting Street. Due to the gallery's distance from Raleigh, and work/personal commitments, I will be unable to attend myself. The exhibit runs until May 29 and is open Tuesdays-Thursdays, 9 AM to 5 PM and Fridays 6:30 to 8:30 PM.

Burke Arts Council Show

Yesterday I delivered 20 paintings to the Burke Arts Council in Morganton, North Carolina for the solo show I will have in its Jailhouse Gallery during May. The exhibit will open on Friday, May 8 and run until May 29. The council's executive director, Ann DiSanto, was wonderfully accommodating and supportive, and I want to thank her and the Burke Arts Council for this great opportunity.

Tomorrow I will be delivering the painting "Fourth and Montgomery" to the Rocky Mount (NC) Arts Center for the show I was juried into this summer. Then, it's back inside the studio to begin the next series of canvases.

Jordan Hall Arts Center Exhibit Reception

Many thanks to the family and friends who attended last night's reception at the Jordan Hall Arts Center for my solo exhibition "Structure and Light: Paintings by Kenneth Eugene Peters." It was wonderful to see so many folks come out on what turned out to be a very hot evening in central North Carolina. The exhibit will remain on view until this Thursday, April 30.

On Friday, May 1st I will deliver 20 works to the Burke Arts Council in Morganton, NC for the May solo show I will have in its Jailhouse Gallery. That exhibit will run from May 8 through May 29.

Roanoke Rapids

It's been awhile since I posted any recent work. This painting, entitled "Roanoke Rapids," was completed at the end of 2008. The imagery is a compilation of scenes I photographed during a visit to Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina in February 2008. My destination on that trip was the Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail, a newly-opened historic site that preserves elements of the canal that was constructed in the 19th century to divert river traffic around the falls along the Roanoke River.

I had visited Roanoke Rapids as a young boy living in Maryland during the 1960s, and had a vivid memory of the huge dam upriver from the falls. Much to my pleasure, the canal trail ended at the dam (although security implemented after 911 now prevents visitors from accessing the viewing tower of the dam, as I had done 40 years earlier). The trail itself was a peaceful walk that included a section of crumbling ramparts from the old canal. Unfortunately, the canal museum was closed on this day, so I could only walk around its grounds rather than see the displays.

The two strongest images I left with that day were the billowing smokestacks from the huge paper mill in Roanoke Rapids, and the blocks of aging mill houses with their cyclops-like second story windows. The neighborhood that encompasses these mill houses has fallen into disfavor, and the homes stand today in a variety of conditions; some are even empty and near ruins. I was fascinated with their uniformity and style, and took a series of pictures of them. Then, back in the studio I developed this composition and superimposed the paper mill stacks in the background. While it is strictly a view composed in my mind, I feel it accurately captures the mood of this once-thriving mill town.

"Roanoke Rapids." 20 x 30 inches, oil on stretched canvas. Completed in December 2008.

Exhibition News

I have recently received two new exhibit opportunities:

The Burke Arts Council has offered me a solo exhibit opportunity as part of its gallery re-opening celebration after a major renovation. The exhibit will run from May 9-29, 2009 in the BAC Jailhouse Gallery, 115 Meeting Street, Morganton, NC.

Juror Anne Lemanski selected my painting "Fourth and Montgomery" for inclusion in the Rocky Mount Art Center's 52nd National Multi-Media Juried Art Exhibition. The exhibit will run May 23-September 13, 2009 at the Rocky Mount Arts Center, 270 Gay Street, Rocky Mount NC.