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 originalHighwayman. 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
The Havana Cultura site is an exciting, vivid destination that is, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your bandwidth, all javascript/Flash driven. The site is financed by Havana Club brand rum. who appear to have spared no expense. Visual arts and contemporary music are presented TV magazine-style. Makes us even more anxious for the day that trade relations are liberalized.
The default language is Spanish, but English is one of the other languages offered. Offered, but perhaps ineffectively. We’ll be watching this site.
Florida landscape impressionist painter Peter Pettegrew talks to his fans at gallery openings in Jacksonville and Tampa, Florida.
Those who wish to may phone 727-894-5266 or email SevenNorth@gmail.com to obtain the whole documentary on a DVD for the cost of postage and handling, which is around 9 and change in the US, I believe.
Or tries to, anyway. This video clip from the “Heart of a Landscape Painter” documentary gives a pretty accurate demonstration of the joys and annoyances of outdoor painting in the highly unpredictable climate of the southeastern United States. Not exactly a demo, this is more a peek into the process that results in all those great nature paintings one sees hanging in galleries and collector’s homes. My own take is that if plein air painters didn’t have pretty good senses of humor, they would be studio painters.
Filmed during a trip up to the Ace Basin of coastal South Carolina, this video reproduces in YouTube’s Flash format as kind blocky and washed-out, as is typical– but those who wish to may phone 727-894-5266 or email SevenNorth@gmail.com to obtain the whole documentary on a DVD for the cost of postage and handling, which is around 9 and change in the US, I believe.
Roser Park is the sinuous centerpiece of a very old neighborhood in St Pete. The unusual thing about Roser Park is that it is in a deep gulch. Big deal? Not around here. Around the Tampa Bay area, a fifty foot deep gulley is the local equivalent of the Grand Canyon, a veritable Marianas Trench of a topographical feature. Oh, and the neighborhood is kinda cute.
These 18×24 acrylic on canvas paintings are available for viewing at Interior Motives Gallery in St Petersburg.
The National Museum of Fine Arts of Havana, which we won’t be seeing until the policies of the US government toward Cuba are relaxed, is hosting an exhibition of Cuban artists stressing the insularity (which we think can be here translated as “island-ness”) of Cuban art traditions. Certainly political conditions in the second half of the twentieth century have conspired to keep a certain Cuba relatively isolated from daily casual contact with much of the art world’s permutations and fashions. This, we feel, accounts for Cuban arts fresh appeal, as Cuba is allowed to emerge from its largely US-imposed isolation.
So we find ourselves wondering, will Cuban art maintain its character and charm once US collectors are unleashed upon it, or will market forces direct Cuban artists into the blander mainstream? Will commercial success, and it is coming, spoil Cuban art?
Florida landscape impressionist painter Peter Pettegrew’s enthusiasm for art and love for kids comes shining through in this video snippet from his documentary film “Heart of a Landscape Painter.” The whole DVD is available at the cost of shipping and handling from his publisher and videographer, Wind Dog Films. Call 727-894-5266 or email sevennorth@gmail.com.
And the inevitable liberalization of trade restrictions that will follow? The Miami Herald outlines a little Calle Ocho tour of Cuban art galleries and eateries that may tide you over till you can get friendly with the State Department again.
And don’t forget to check out the great original Cuban paintings and prints we can deliver to your doorstep, no trips to Miami or Havana required. That’s them, just to your right, under “The Art of Cuba” in yellow letters. If you see anything you like, call Lila at 727-894-5266 or email us at sevennorth@gmail.com. We’ll be here, drinking Mojitos.
“Looking South from Marco” is the title of Florida landscape impressionist painter Peter Pettegrew’s new study for another large 50×70 inch commissioned painting for a private collector. This is the view looking south from the patrons backyard (yes, this is Marco Island in the Everglades).
Pettegrew favors traveling to the site of his subject, studying the flora & fauna while hiking around, getting a sense of the place before starting a smaller “study painting” on location (plein air). Once the collector approves the study, Peter will start the master painting in his studio to complete the commission. In this case the gallery handling the sale liked the study itself so much they bought it for their own stock. There were a few changes agreed to by Peter and the collector which will be reflected in the final painting, so we are looking forward to seeing the large finished product this coming fall. It should take Pettegrew 2-3 months to finish– look for the post here and on pettegrew.com
looking south from marco island
Florida landscape impressionist painter Peter Pettegrew at work on a large painting
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