Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
I met up with Captain and crew at Christenstead Harbor in St. Croix, where we rented a car and toured the entire island. The shot of the pig was at an odd bar up in the rain forest that someone had suggested.
Later that day we sailed for Buck Island, still a part of St. Croix but about 1 1/2 miles off the coast. The shot of the boat “One Love” was taken from ashore and as you can see it’s a very beautiful and pristine place, part of the National Parks System.
It’s hard to believe you’re in US territory. The following day we set sail for the other Virgin Islands, about 25 miles due north, coming into Norman Island (BVI) and then dropping anchor at Cinnamon Bay on St. Johns.
Again, we were in the Parks System as this island is 2/3 National Park (USA) thanks to the generosity of Lawrence Rockefeller, who liked to spend time there. This was probably my favorite spot and one that I would like to get back to for a more extended painting excursion. After that, we sailed across to Tortola where we provisioned the boat and exchanged a few crew members. That night was spent moored in Trellis Bay, an artist community that sits just steps away from the small airport on the tip of Tortola. We sailed down the Northwest coast of Tortola the following day and docked at Soper’s Hole to have a few mechanical issues looked at, and on the suggestion of locals, stayed at dock overnight to allow some bad weather to work by. The following day was sunny and breezy with a steady 30knots blowing from the east. We sailed all the way up the Sir Francis Drake Channel to the northern tip of Virgin Gorda and grabbed a mooring just off the Bitter End Yacht Club for the night. Necker Island, owned privately by Sir Richard Bransen could be seen just off to the north. The following day we sailed to the opposite end of Virgin Gorda to the famous “Baths”, a formation of huge, smooth boulders piled up along a stretch of sandy, palm lined beach where you can either explore the caves and paths on shore or snorkel the coral reef just in front of it. Being my last day, I opted for doing both.
We spent the night in Cane Garden Bay, back in Tortola under idyllic conditions and I was delivered to the ferry dock early the next day for departure back to Florida.
Peter Pettegrew
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Caribbean impressionist landscape painter Peter Pettegrew leaves Florida today for an 8 day painting expedition to St. John, St. Croix and St Thomas– US Virgin Islands, exploring for those idyllic scenes Pettegrew always finds. Mostly known as a Florida landscape impressionist , he is also known as a western landscape impressionist, a southeastern landscape impressionist and of course a Caribbean landscape impressionist painter. On this trip he will be traveling on a 55 foot catamaran; he is an experienced sailor and will also be part of the crew.
Last year he did a voyage on the same ship and sketched, painted and sailed his way through the British Virgin Islands and then on to St. Maarten and St. Barts in the West Indies. Look for pictures of his travels here in about 2 weeks …bon voyage.
Friday, June 20th, 2008
Stellers Gallery Annex at Neptune Beach invites you to the opening reception of Florida landscape painter Peter Pettegrew, Friday June 13 from 6-9 pm.
Stellers Gallery (Neptune Beach)
200 First St
Neptune Beach, FL 32266-6177
Phone: (904) 247-7200
Via Jacksonville.com Entertainment
Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
Gallery exhibit - The Stellers Gallery in Neptune Beach will be exhibiting the impressionist-style work of Peter Pettegrew though Friday, July 11. He’s a naturalist whose paintings capture the subtle luminous lighting, delicate tones and colors from his hikes and rural camps. Pettegrew, from Central Florida, is also captivated by the “feel and presence” of Southern wetlands, from the Everglades to South Carolina. Stellers Gallery Annex, at Beaches Town Center at 200 First Street, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. 247-7200.
–From Jacksonville.com
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Peter Pettegrew has completed “Dawn On The Island,” a robust 30×40 oil painting on stretched canvas. Exploiting the subtle shades of green and gold ever-present in the wild Florida landscape is something Peter does in nearly every painting, but this piece explores these tonalities with a delicate mastery without exaggerating for effect.
Sunday, May 25th, 2008
Click here to watch Peter Pettegrew talk about the Gatorland project.
Peter Pettegrew’s art consulting expertise is tested at the famous “Old Florida” tourist attraction Gatorland. Be sure to watch the video to see Peter talking about the project.
Working alone in swamps isn’t unusual for Peter Pettegrew. But Gatorland, his current south Orange County location, is hardly the typical studio for the renowned landscape artist.
Traffic from Orange Blossom Trail whizzes behind him. Noisy construction crews hammer around him, rebuilding the entrance to one of Central Florida’s oldest attractions.
“It’s been an interesting project. Every morning we walk through [Gatorland] and look at all the nesting birds,” said Pettegrew, who makes landscapes on canvas — not huge walls — his life’s work. One of his paintings has fetched as much as $35,000 at auction, and his work is in museums, corporate offices and the private collections of former Vice President Dan Quayle and actor John Travolta.
Pettegrew, 44, and fellow artists Rita Canan and Alison Horne, owners of Orlando firm Muralistically Inclined, are finishing a weeks-long project that includes four 21-foot-tall murals on the outside of Gatorland’s new retail building.
–From the Orlando Sentinel
Read the whole story *here*.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
This is from my agency, Seven North:
Florida landscape artist Peter Pettegrew has been hired to consult at historic Gatorland, one the first of the classic tourist attractions of old Florida and the last one still operating as a private business. It is conveniently close to Peter’s home base in Orlando, Florida.
The muralist art directors at Gatorland hired Mr. Pettegrew to consult on a major (and by major, we mean physically huge) section of the project.
Pettegrew was retained on the basis of his vast knowledge of the painted Florida landscape and his 20-odd years of roaming the Kissimmee River Basin, the Everglades and the St Johns River Basin.
Distilling his many experiences combining plein air painting and Dixie crocodilians, Peter says, “Gators love it it when people are just standing around– like someone painting a landscape.”
Love me some ‘gators!
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
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
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
Renowned Central Florida art Peter Pettegrew donated his painting “Kissimmee River Basin” to benefit the Carter Center, which sold at the 2008 Winter Weekend Auction held in Port St Lucie, Florida. A very good price was made, and former President Jimmy Carter is pictured here with the painting.
In total, the auction gathered more than one million dollars for The Carter Center, which is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering.
Thursday, March 13th, 2008
Two for Nature (Conservancy of Southwest Florida)! The master painter and the master photographer.
