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Artist Profiles
July 2010
~ by Rebecca Hazell
September 2009
~ by Bernice Ramsdin-Firth
August 2009
~ by Gloria Lorenzen
July 2009
~ by Liz M. Forbes
June 2009
~ by Karen Allen
May 2009
~ by Bruce Whittington
April 2009
~ by Kate Sutherland
March 2009
~ by Tom Masters
February 2009
~ by Gloria Lorenzen
December 2008
~ by Roxanne Strasbourg
November 2008
~ by Rebecca Hazell
October 2008
~ by Kate Sutherland
September 2008
~ by Sylvia Holt
August 2008
~ by Gloria Lorenzen
July 2008
~ by Liz M. Forbes
June 2008
~ by Gloria Lorenzen
May 2008
~ by Bruce Whittington
April 2008
~ by Rebecca Hazell
March 2008
~ by Tom Masters
February 2008
~ by Ron Greenaway
January 2008
~ by Liz Forbes
December 2007
~ by Elizabeth Symon
November 2007
~ by Longevity John Falkner
October 2007
~ by Yvette Stack
September 2007
~ by Kate Sutherland
June 2007
~ by Bruce Whittington
May 2007
~ by Lesley Hammocks
April 2007
~ by Tom Masters
March 2007
~ by Theo Gustafson
February 2007
~ by Bernice Ramsdin-Firth
December 2006
~ by Theo Gustafson
November 2006
~ by Dorothy Jeanne Engst
October 2006
~ by Bev Mountain
September 2006
~ by Liz M. Forbes
August 2006
~ by Lesley Hammocks
July 2006
~ by Dorothy Jeanne Engst
June 2006
~ by Lesley Hammocks
May 2006
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Peter Lawson
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~ By Rebecca Hazell
If you attended last year's Verse
and Vision exhibit, you'll have
already seen Peter Lawson's work.
His magical "Field of Dreams" -
Trumpeter Swans piece won for
Best Art Depicting a Poem. He
settled with his wife by Shawnigan
Lake five years ago to devote
himself to his art career, where the
natural environment around them
is his inspiration and the isolation
allows him to work without distraction.
Born in Vernon, in the Okanagan, Peter grew up here on the island, mostly in
Victoria, though he attended the Kootenay School of Art from 1969-72. His original aim
was what was then called commercial art, but the school “was an eye-opener,” and he
was soon studying everything from printmaking to drawing and painting.
After graduation, having married and with a growing family, he moved back to
Victoria to work as a graphic artist, either through his own company or for other
companies, both local and national. Over the next ten to fifteen years, as his abilities
were recognized, he was promoted to creative director, then accounts manager and supervisor, which required
working more with clients and other creative teams than with personally making art. Though he loved his work,
one day he woke up to his suit-and-tie reality and wondered where his career was taking him. It took ten more
years of pursuing art on the side before he was able to make the transition into fine arts.
Meanwhile, divorced and remarried, he and his second wife traveled to Europe several times, visiting the great
galleries there. Peter was especially struck by the emotional power of Van Gogh's paintings: this was where he wanted to take his
work! Another strong influence was Gustave Caillebotte, who was able to "tweak reality" in his paintings while drawing the viewer
into them. Back in Canada, the mystical qualities of Lawren Harris' work called to him. And his instructors in Art College had
already noted that his style had an affinity with E. J. Hughes.
But it was on a trip to Australia at the turn of the century when Peter and his wife decided what they wanted to do for the rest
of their lives. The result: the move to Shawnigan Lake. This area is where E. J. Hughes once lived, and through a happy coincidence,
the Lawsons struck up a friendship with the elderly artist, taking him for tours to his old haunts around the lake. Peter says that
Mr. Hughes always wore a white shirt and tie, not only on these visits, but also to paint!
When Peter discusses his work, he points out that it is more about texture than detail. Using oil, acrylic, pen and ink or
graphite, he builds up a complex, rhythmic whole. Yet, as with Lawren Harris, he ensures that complexity is balanced by a sense of
space. And like Caillebotte, he convinces you of a reality that is his magical vision come to life.
To find out more or to see his work, go to www.peterlawson.ca.
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