The Paintings of Peter Stolvoort

Who's looking at who?

2009-05-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

On my many travels to shows and openings I try to take some time to smell the roses if you will. Many times I’ll find a little out of the way place that later becomes my inspiration for my next painting. Sometimes I fell that I’m not alone, so who looking at whommmmm?

Today the shoe was on the other foot.

2009-05-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

I was asked to jury the art show at the local high school, ironically this comes at a time when my works are being juried and judged throughout the country.
I walked the show no less then four times just to get an overall impression, (outstanding) and then I looked at each and every piece, the same way I would hope a jury would look at my own work. To see all that talent was wonderful, invigorating and simple amazing. I wanted to give them each and every one an award, as I could see all the hard work, the joy and the raw energy in the works of these young emerging artists. As with any show there clearly were some standouts and but then looking harder I found some real gems, sometimes way down at the bottom of the display or just in the mix of so much art. To me this process was about finding what was right with the piece, not what was wrong, to encourage young talent to keep on working, and in a flashback moment I remember how I felt winning some of these very same awards… it funny how life seems to run in circles.

The rustle of marsh grass

2009-05-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

I gaze out at endless waterways; a soft breeze tickles my face. Bright sunlight reflected on distant waves makes the water simmer and dance with light and shadow. Echoes of mash birds and the rustle of marsh grass break the silence. These are the inspiration for my latest series of paintings.

Looking for the sun

2008-04-09T07:08:00.001-07:00

A light spring rain is feeding my very green grass and soon I won't be able to find the studio for all the tall weeds. The dampness has also affected my ability to paint, as the drying times between paint layers are now very long. I however continue to get canvases ready for painting and will add layers to my new creations as they dry… which is soon I hope.

Catching Currents

2008-04-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

As I pour my morning coffee an Osprey with a very large fish in its talons passes by my kitchen window. Straining under the weight she beats her wings hard and fast to gain some altitude and then simply opens them wide as she catches the air currents coming off the bay and ever so gracefully glides to her nest out in the harbor. Her glide reminds me of those big jumbo jets coming into the airport.
My hard work these past weeks has been very rewarding as I am really happy with the results, now comes the hard part-where to place my new works, and as I have an emotional attachment to them it’s sometimes hard to let them go.

Shades of spring

2008-04-07T10:46:00.000-07:00

It’s cool, no make that down right cold, the kind of cold where the dampness cuts right through you. At the dock I can hear a flock of gulls calling, over the last few days there has been a hatch of bloodworms and the gulls are having their fill of them. Along with a large bloom of jellyfish the deep green water looks like something right out of a Sci-Fi movie with darting bloodworms and jellyfish moving throughout. At the studio I continue get ready for the upcoming exhibitions, framing, adding wire, mixing new colors and painting away and I’m very happy with the outcome.

The vastness inspires

2008-04-04T17:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, how wonderful the daylight is here, the soft blue sky ever mixing with the colors of the sunset. And with a great CD playing endlessly I find myself transformed, somewhat transfixed to a place of wonderment, peace and joy. I feel the warmth, the openness, the vastness of this plane and it fills me, surrounds me, and inspires me to paint.

A soft roar...

2008-04-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

As I paint, my mind wanders… at oceans edge I slowly walk, I hear soft sounds of waves retreating and then returning with a muffled roar, a timeless, endless rhythm. I count my steps, two no three, before the roar returns, and with each wave the water edges closer as the incoming tide returns. Now, more than somewhat lightheaded, not sure if it was the flashback or maybe way too many paint fumes, I lay the bush down.

Morning light reveals

2008-04-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Blending of colors, then remixing and remix again is giving my palate a new softer look. My newest creations awaited me after a very long windy early spring night. Their soft pastels were refreshing in the morning light. Today I’ll continue to refine, create and explore new palates and compositions. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow's early light will reveal.

Consumed

2008-03-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

The air was cool and damp, the night was clear and many stars filled the sky. Now my hands are stiff, almost numb, my legs are cramping and my back hurts. So many hours and days of doing nothing but painting are taking their toll on me and now I’m just a physical wreck. On the up side, paint is flowing and my color combs are working great. I so lose myself in the wet of the paint that I just don’t know where the time goes. I’m transformed to a place and time where I feel the sand, the air, the sounds, the very scent. I am the paint, it calls me, moves me, fills me and consumes me.

Is the color white really white?

2008-03-23T08:34:00.000-07:00

White green blue water
White clouds laced with lavender
White tan yellow sand

A soft roar

2008-03-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

White gray fleeting clouds
Bitter biting chilling winds
Rolling rolling waves

Tweaking a new look

2008-03-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

The week has just flown by; I worked hard all week at finishing a new set of paintings. Yesterday I stopped in to see a woodworking artisan located not far from me here on the Eastern Shore. He is working on making a few very special hand made frames for this new set of paintings. I’m very excited to see the finished product. The frames are being made out a light maple with a shadow area of rich deep walnut. It’s a very, very classic look and I can’t wait to show them off. We are now looking at the overall scale of the frames verses the paintings and after a few tweaks we should be good to go.

Infinite sands await

2008-03-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Soft white and tan sands
Cerulean blue sky, white clouds
Light emerald green seas

Water, sky, sand

2008-03-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

Waves break
Gulls sound
Sun peeks

Foot prints

2008-03-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

Broken shells peek through the sand
A soft breeze, slow rolling waves
Left only faint foot prints

The sound of pipers running

2008-03-18T09:53:00.000-07:00

Along waters edge I walk
Salty air at my back, sun in my face, long shadows follow
Waves roar, pipers run

All in a days work

2008-03-15T16:29:00.001-07:00

lost oh so lost

2008-03-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sand as far as I can see, sand to the left of me, sand to the right of me, sand, sand, sand... ah but before me the beach, and not a soul in sight, ahhhhhh bliss.

Impressions

2008-03-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Mixing and then remixing of colors, light and deep in tone on it went all day. Layering and relaying color upon color, wet over wet, and finally the work is taking on shape and form. After a few days of drying I’ll add some more layers of color and refine the composition. It’s a powerful and fresh work I can’t wait to finish it. Later today I worked on painting and sizing backgrounds for a new set of paintings that will be based on impressions of Assateague Island.

Dancing at the edge

2008-03-08T01:06:00.000-08:00

Water from the wetlands backed up into yard today making a large lake. I always wonder where all the little fish come from as I never seem to see that many when I look into the swamp. Maybe they live at the base of the bushes, as there are many holes there full of black, swampy water. When it rains and the lake forms it seems they just love to race around until the sun dries it back. The early morning sun brings with it flocks of black birds which seem to be drawn to the new lake, and at its edge they dance, bathe and just simply have fun for hours at a time.

lost in the moment...

2008-03-06T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today I needed to stop at the Bishop’s Stock Gallery in Snow Hill, MD to pick up a few paintings that had been hanging in their Winter Abstract show. If you’re ever going past Snow Hill, you really need to stop in and see the gallery. Ann and Randy Coates have done a wonderful job at setting up a world-class gallery with a very interesting mix of artists.
After my stop, I ran up the road a bit from Snow Hill to see the beaches at Assateague State Park. Driving into the park, I was faced with a number of foreboding signs that state that there could be a 3 mile back-up at times (note to self: don’t do this in the summer). As I turned into the totally empty parking lot, I was so relieved. Over the dunes I head, straight to the water, right to the edge and then back quickly as a giant wave comes up to greet me. Large clumps of sea foam are being pushed up the beach by the soft cool breeze and I watch its faint trail fade away into the sand. It’s been a long time since I walked a beach without seeing a soul; as I walk, I watch my long shadow grow and go in and out of the waters edge. It’s timeless here, so peaceful, yes so peaceful… I feel refreshed, ok maybe that was a chill as I return facing into the cold wind.
My steps match the rhyme of the sea, mindless, lost in the moment at peace I walk, listening to soft sounds of the waves… time fades away. I’m almost back at edge of the dune, when suddenly out of nowhere, a jet fighter with all it's missiles and guns alit by the setting sun roars by me… shaking the ground, the very air and me to the core. The moment is gone… we are not at peace.

summer schedule

2008-03-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

The weeks and weeks of researching up coming shows, filling out forms, making slides and then sending them off to be juried is finally paying off, and my summer schedule is starting to fill out. I’m so looking forward to getting out there and showing my new works. This year I’ve up graded my display and can’t wait to meet new and old clients a like out on the open road.

A Big Day

2008-02-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

A big day here, it’s my birthday, so it’s kind of fitting that I’m starting this log today. I’m in Lewes Delaware doing a show at Children’s Beach House what beautiful facility, which sits right on the beach, and along with a wonderful group of dedicated staffers, it the best! I’ve also met some very talented local artists here at the show, Abraxas and Richard Toft to name but a few and made new friends as well placed work into homes into the Lewes and the Rehoboth area.