Changing Scenery, a show of realistic paintings by Pete Meehan and Peggy Luderer, will run at the Newburyport Art Association from August 19 through September 5.
The opening reception is Friday August 20, from 7-9 PM.
It is open to the public and will be held in the Art Association’s Laura Coombs Hill Gallery, at 65 Water Street.
Changing Scenery, reflects the inspiration Pete and Peggy have each found in their relocation to the Newburyport area. Changing architecture and landscape are celebrated in the paintings on display. Both artists are award winners. Pete lives in Seabrook, NH, and Peggy in West Newbury.
Pete Meehan has been painting the landscape in oils since the age of 16. He pursued his passion for art as a Fine Arts graduate at Rowan University. “I believe I learn something new from every painting I do.” Painting on location for 1 to 3 days, Meehan starts quickly and loosely with no preliminary drawing done on the canvas. He then fine-tunes the work back in his studio to an almost photo realistic effect.
Meehan’s’ work has been selected for exhibit in many juried shows throughout New England, and has recently won “Best in Show” in the Marblehead Festival of Arts, the Regional Juried Show in Newburyport, and the Maine Open Juried Show. Meehan has also had success with awards from the public, winning numerous “Peoples Choice” awards. His work has been featured in the North Light book, “Strokes of Genius”.
Meehan has been an artist member of the Marblehead Arts Association for over 25 years. He is also currently a member of “Upcountry Artists”, and the Newburyport Art Association. After living and painting in the mountains of Maine for 20 years, he is now living with his wife in coastal New Hampshire. This change of scenery is reflected in his work as he enjoys a new direction in painting the towns and villages he is now surrounded by.
“My favorite part of painting is the process of creating it, watching it evolve. I enjoy painting on location, there’s something very invigorating being right there in the middle of the scene I am painting. I always have a pre-conceived idea of what the end result will be and I enjoy working towards that goal, as the painting comes to life in front of me. I do paint in a realistic, detailed manner, which brings out the texture and feel of the rocks, trees, water, etc. I look to evoke a strong composition and a sense of timelessness in my work.”
Moving frequently has given Peggy Luderer many rich and varied changes of scenery. Her husbands business has taken them to 9 states and Switzerland. She holds a BA in art from DePauw University and has studies Interior Design. In addition to creating art, Luderer has raised three children, taught art, and worked as an interior decorator. She is currently serving as a docent (MFA Associate) at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, an exhilarating experience that has affected her painting. Luderer became “hooked” on watercolors about 13 years ago after taking a class. Another class with Lully Schwartz, at the NAA reintroduced her to oils. Peggy has received awards in the Newburyport Art Association’s Regional shows for the last four years, winning “Best of Show” in 2009. Juror John Stomberg, of Williams College Museum of Art, wrote of the Fenway Park painting, “…an ambitious picture rendered with passion, skill, and love for the subject.” She became a juried member of the Marblehead Arts Association in May.
Peggy especially loves painting architecture as it relates to people and to the surrounding landscape. Like many painters, she finds the New England light especially seductive, and is always inspired by a sunny day and the way objects are defined by the light and shadows. Capturing the energy generated by people as they relate to each other and to their environments is something she strives to achieve. She typically paints from photos she takes and often combines elements from several shots in compositions she refines in her studio.
