Heading for Savannah

I'll be heading down to Savannah, Georgia today for a long weekend visit. I plan to see the George Bellows drawing exhibit at the Telfair Museum while there, as well as tour the Mercer-Williams House. This is a trip I take annually at the end of January as a mid-winter getaway, and as a chance to rekindle my visual interests in art and architecture. The weather is supposed to be sunny and mild, so it should be a good weekend to walk around this magnificent city. There is truly no place on earth like Savannah.

Favorite Artists: Tinam Valk

Tinam Valk is a Washington, DC-based artist whom I have known for nearly 25 years. She and I first met in 1985 while both working at the Maryland College of Art and Design (now known as the School of Art + Design at Montgomery College). Of German and Indonesian descent, she is originally from the Netherlands but has lived in the United States since the mid 1970s.

The painting above, "Stairway I," was an immediate favorite of mine when Tinam completed it a few years ago. A large work in oils, measuring 48 x 24 inches in dimension, I purchased it from Tinam in 2006 and it now hangs in my living room. While Tinam utilizes a variety of subject matter, working primarily in an atmospheric figurative vein, her architectural subjects are especially appealing to me. She has recently completed a series of small paintings depicting doorways, and is currently working on canvases that draw inspiration from wrought-iron works and door locks. Her portfolio also includes several large canvases based on landscape imagery sketched during her annual visits to Hunting Island, South Carolina.

Tinam has a wonderful web site at http://www.tinamvalk.com that is well worth a visit.

Childhood Memories

The painting above is another example of recent figurative work I've produced, in addition to the focus on architectural subjects. The source for this canvas was a small black-and-white family snapshot taken of me as a child in 1963. I kept much of the background just as it was in the photo, but made changes to the figure.

A self-portrait in one sense, the painting also served as a conduit to memories from my childhood. The house where we lived at the time the photo was taken hosted many of my earliest memories. We moved away from it when I was six-years-old, so I only have blurred images of my time there. Frankly, most of those memories are now based on the handful of photographic evidence that remains from that time frame. I'm intrigued by the idea of exploring childhood memories through paintings, and may return to this subject matter again some day.

"Summer 1963." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 36 inches, completed June 2007.

Figurative Painting

For the past year I have concentrated on canvases that utilized architectural themes, with an emphasis on light. However, I have at times completed works that incorporate the human figure.

This painting, entitled "3 A.M.," was completed in 2007. At the time this canvas was produced, I was going through a great deal of change in my professional life. The idea came to me after having spent a sleepless night thinking about work and its challenges. The setting was a room in my own home. For the figure, I posed myself and then took a series of self-timed digital camera shots. From these I produced a charcoal sketch, and then used the drawing as a basis for the final work. This piece was shown in the July-August 2007 exhibition "Anything Goes" at the Kirk Adam Gallery in Raleigh.

"3 A.M." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 36 inches. Completed April 2007.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/3_AM_Painting.html

On the Easel: Street Corner at Night

This painting was one of the last I completed in 2008. It's a small study that I did as an exercise over the course of a few evenings to keep in practice. The subject depicts a highly simplified version of the view from the front of my house in suburban Raleigh.

"Street Corner at Night." Oil on stretched canvas, 12 x 16 inches. Completed December 2008.

Favorite Museums: John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art

In November I had the opportunity to visit the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida. I had long wanted to do so in order to tour the Ringling's legendary winter home, Ca d'Zan, which is also located on the 20-acre site. However, in addition to the splendor offered by Ca d'Zan, I was impressed with the sumptuous art museum built by John Ringling in the 1930s adjacent to his home.

The museum's collection includes two rooms devoted to huge works by Peter Paul Rubens. It also houses multiple rooms dedicated to Italian, French, Spanish, British and American art, and features a beautiful open courtyard filled with statues made from casts of original Renaissance masterpieces, including a made-to-scale version of Michelangelo's "David."

Ca d'Zan, the Ringling's winter home, was constructed in the mid 1920s. It is styled after a Venetian palace and includes original furnishings and art from the Ringling era. John Ringling was one of the five Ringling Brothers, circus kings of the late 19th and early 20th century who were so successful they eventually purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus to create a combined act billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth." Two circus museums are also on the grounds, one holding a large collection of artifacts from the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the other containing a huge scale model of the circus in its heyday during the 1910s.

I enjoyed a memorable day-long visit at the Ringling along the shore of Sarasota Bay, and I highly recommend it as a destination for other art, architecture or circus lovers. For more information, visit http://www.ringling.org/.

Cary Farmhouse Series: Third Post

This canvas is the third I've completed in my Cary Farmhouse series. Titled "Farmhouse in the Sun," the painting was executed immediately after I finished "House on Holly Springs Road" (discussed in an earlier post).

In this piece I again explored the contrasts created by the strong late afternoon light that uniquely occurs during the winter months, when the sun is low on the horizon. I struggled with the sky on this canvas, and reworked it twice after having started on the painting. The sky dominates the composition, so it was important that it match the feeling I was trying to convey with the light. At first I created a dramatic cloud scene, but that seemed to overwhelm the canvas. I painted over that and settled on a quieter, cloudless skyscape that I think better captures the mood I was attempting to convey.

This painting was juried into the May 2008 exhibit "SCOPE: The North Carolina Landscape" at the Visual Art Exchange by juror Tom Grubbs. It was also awarded the Third Place prize in the exhibit, and was purchased by a private collector in Raleigh during the show's run.

"Farmhouse in the Sun." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 36 inches, completed February 2008.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/Farmhouse_in_the_Sun_Painting.html

"City Scenes" Opens Tonight at Visual Art Exchange

The Visual Art Exchange's new exhibit, "City Scenes," opens tonight. The reception is from 6 to 9 p.m. in the VAE's gallery at 325 Blake Street, Raleigh NC. I had one painting, "Movie Theater at Night," accepted into the juried exhibition by juror Mary Kay Kennedy of the Collector's Gallery. The show will run until January 29.

On the Easel: Evening in Columbus

The past two months have been a very productive period for me, despite the holidays. Since November 1st I have worked on nine paintings, although I have already painted over one of these. Most (with the exception of one) have an architectural theme to them, and several (like the one above) have been based on buildings I sketched or photographed during my time in Columbus, Ohio.

This painting is based on a house located on the east side of Columbus, near Franklin Park. It was a beast of a place, three stories tall, and in a slight state of decline. Houses nearby were either in a similar state, or completely abandoned. I understand that the east side has seen a renaissance since I left in 1999; I'd be curious to explore this neighborhood again today.

"Evening in Columbus." Oil on stretched canvas, 36 x 24 inches. Completed in December 2008.

On the Easel: House at the Beach

This painting, entitled "House at the Beach," is one I completed this month. The work does not depict an actual scene; instead, it is a work of imagination using a variety of visual sources. The Victorian-style house is loosely based on two different houses I photographed while living in Columbus, Ohio from 1996 to 1999. The beach scene is a compilation of imagery I sketched and photographed along the Pacific Coast during a trip to California in September of this year.

Originally, I planned this canvas as a night scene. However, early in the painting process I decided to convert to a late afternoon time period. This allowed me to focus on the effect created from sunlight hitting the brick facade of the structure. The right side of the building was painted primarily in Utrecht Cadmium Orange Hue Series 2. I have used Utrecht paints since my college days in the mid 1980s when an art instructor at the University of Maryland, Richard Klank, recommended them in my first painting course. My basic pallet includes Utrecht White, Naples Yellow Light, Cadmium Yellow Hue, Naples Yellow Hue, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Orange Hue, Cadmium Red Hue (mixture), Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Alizarin Crimson, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue and Green Earth Hue (mixture).

"House at the Beach." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches, completed in December 2008.

The Christmas Tree

Since the Christmas holiday has almost arrived, I thought I would post a painting of mine that captures the spirit of the season. This work depicts my friend, artist Tinam Valk, sipping wine in her living room near her candle-lit Christmas tree. It served as the image on my first hand-made Christmas card in 1995.

"The Christmas Tree." Oil on stretched canvas, 30 x 24 inches, completed in 1995.

Cary Farmhouse Series: Second Post

This painting of the Cary farmhouse located on Holly Springs Road was my second within the series. After completing a small 9 x 12 inch oil study, I chose a tighter composition from the study for the larger 24 x 30 inch work.

The contrasts formed by the shadows on the rooftop, and on the front porch, particularly attracted me to this subject. The house faces west, so the late afternoon light (especially in February, when this work was produced) creates deep blue shadows on the faded white facade. In fact, the sunlight at this time of day was so appealing to me that I immediately began an even larger canvas (24 x 36 inches) again based on the smaller study, but utilizing a slightly different perspective and composition. I'll discuss that work in a future post.

In May 2008 I entered this painting in the Visual Art Exchange's "SCOPE: The North Carolina Landscape" juried exhibition (along with the larger canvas mentioned above), and juror Tom Grubb - Curator at the Fayetteville Museum of Art - selected both pieces for the show. This version remains one of my favorite paintings, and currently hangs in my family room rather than on my studio storage shelves.

"House on Holly Springs Road." Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches, completed in February 2008.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/House_on_Holly_Springs_Road_Painting.html

Blue Christmas

Since 1995 I have created an individual Christmas card design to mail to a handful of family and friends. Most of these cards have featured small oil paintings but occassionally I have also used pastel drawings or computer-generated designs.

This year's card, depicted above, featured a painting of the exterior of my Raleigh home decorated for the holidays. Since the color of the lights used to outline my house are blue, I decided to title the work "Blue Christmas."

"Blue Christmas," 11 x 14 inches, oil on stretched canvas. Completed in November 2008.

My Studio

My painting studio is located on the lower level of my split-level home in Raleigh, NC. It measures approximately 12 feet by 22 feet, and was originally a built-in one-car garage. Sometime during the 1980s, the garage was converted into a finished office by the previous owner, who then used it as a base for his life insurance agency. The former garage door was replaced by a set of French doors, and the room was dry-walled, carpeted and air-conditioned.

When I moved into the house in 2004, I immediately chose this space for my studio. I eventually removed the carpeting, painted the original concrete floor a terracotta red, and installed shelving for storage and bookcases for my visual art texts. It's a small but comfortable space for me to work in, and very secluded from the rest of the house. All in all, the perfect artist's retreat.

Shuttered Cabin

Structures that have been abandoned and stand in a state of disrepair have always attracted me. When I was a child, I grew up near the ruins of a sanitarium complex. I could ride through the grounds on my bicycle and play in the debris of the hospital buildings and staff quarters.

The above painting is based on a similar subject I found on a business trip to Corpus Christi, Texas in 1995. Walking through the city on a quiet Sunday afternoon, I found a small house boarded-up and long-since forgotten, standing behind a chain-linked fence near some warehouse buildings. I didn't have a sketchbook with me, so I took several photographs and filed them away. In 2006 I used the photos to create the painting "Abandoned Cottage." Then, this summer I pulled them out again to create this work.

"Shuttered Cabin." Oil on stretched canvas, 9x12 inches, completed in June 2008.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/Shuttered_Cabin_Painting.html

The Circus House

The architecture of Columbus, Ohio also inspired this painting. It is based on a mansion in that city's Victorian Village neighborhood that is known as "The Circus House." I toured the home back in the 1990s during a Victorian Village home tour. It was constructed in the 1890s by a circus entrepreneur named Peter Sells, thus the name. Its unusual design gave it an eerie sense of forboding that I found appealing.

"The Circus House." Oil on canvas paper, 16x20 inches. Completed September 2008.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/The_Circus_House_Painting.html

Favorite Museums: Reynolda House

One of my passions is to visit visual art museums whenever I am traveling to new areas. I especially love American art, so museums specializing in this interest have a special appeal.

One of the best in the country, Reynolda House, is just two hours from my home. Located in Winston-Salem, NC, Reynolda House features both a modern museum of art facility and the historic home of the R.J. Reynolds family of tobacco fame.

Last month I visited Reynolda House to see the exhibit "John Sloan's New York." Sloan's work has always intrigued me, but it was a special treat to view a large body of his work up close.

Visit the Reynolda House website at http://www.reynoldahouse.org/.

Savannah, Georgia

My favorite city in North America - and probably the world - is Savannah, Georgia. No other locale has such a combination of mystery, atmosphere, architecture and history. An annual trek to Savannah is a tradition in my household, and every year I discover something new or intriguing.

The city's architecture serves as a great inspiration for my creative juices. This work, "Night in Savannah," attempts to capture the mixture of beauty, decay and decadence that so intrigues me during my stays there. Oil on stretched canvas, 24 x 30 inches, completed January 2008 (purchased by the Arts Council of Wayne County for its permanent collection).

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/Night_in_Savannah_Painting.html

Farmhouse Series

At the beginning of this year I began a series of paintings based on a single subject: an early 20th century farmhouse located on Holly Springs Road in Cary, NC. The farmhouse stands on about 50 acres of land near the intersection of Cary Parkway, and was constructed around 1910-1915. A little research on my part led me to discover that this was the home of the Jones-Franklin Farm, an old homestead in the Cary area of Wake County. A small cemetery is also located on the farm site, as is an older wooden farmhouse that may date to the late 18th century.

I find the house itself very interesting, particularly at dusk when the sunlight falls on the building's western side. At this point in time, I've completed 12 different pieces based on the farmhouse. They can be seen on my website at http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/farmhouse_series.html.

"Study for 'House on Holly Springs Road.'" Oil on stretched canvas, 9 x 12 inches, completed in January 2008.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/Holly_Springs_House_Study_Painting.html

Architectural subjects

I've always had a love for architecture, especially residential structures. The Victorian style is a favorite of mine, particularly when completed in masonry (rather than wood). I lived in Columbus, Ohio for nearly four years and fell in love with that city's surviving Victorian neighborhoods. I have since used some of these examples as source material for recent works.

"Night Windows," 24 by 18 inches, oil on stretched canvas, completed in August 2008. This was the second canvas I completed based on a beautiful High Victorian brick mansion located on East Broad Street in Columbus. The house has survived into the 21st century and is now leased out as commercial real estate.

http://www.kennetheugenepeters.com/Night_Windows_Painting.html