Paintings by Peter Wood
Robert's Dory, 2007, oil on canvas
Rural Address, Artist Statements, March, 2009.
The character of those who settled the Pontiac was formidable. Who can deny the strength of will to live and flourish in this place of harsh wilderness, poor soil and bitter winters? What’s more, many people did not simply survive; they created significant farms, homes and communities. A testament to those people is seen in the structures that is the subject of these paintings: tremendous craftsmanship; knurl posts and banisters turned from oak, 12 inch base boards, stained glass and perfect plaster and lath construction.
And yet, in times of difficulty, sometimes things fall apart. This body of work was originally inspired by the unused tobacco kilns as seen in painting c212 12 th line. These building are no longer used because the tobacco agriculture in the Pontiac has ended. Like so much that happens in shifting economic times, these kilns have been left to rot.
This collection shows 12 paintings of abandoned buildings, all in winter, and all from the Pontiac. Like portraits of people these structures are painted in ¾ profile or full profile. The buildings are evidence of great care, education and wealth of community for a people who made them. The land was harsh, the soil poor, in spring there were terrible flies and yet, these people survived and flourished.
In spite of the economic pressures that we now face, we must continue to keep this community strong. We must work against the divisive forces that occur when tempers become short, patience is lost, and people become afraid with poverty. When we are tired and hungry, the darker side of humanity shows itself. May these paintings impress upon us the need to be optimistic and remain free from impoverished thinking. The following paintings are all oil on Canvass.
C332 11th Line#1, 10"x 12" C332 11th Line#2, 10"x 12"
C36 Laughren Road, 10"x 12" C634 13th Line, 10"x 12"
C537 Thorn, 10"x 12" C673,7th Concession, 10"x 12"
C234 Route 301 South #1, 10"x 12" C234 Route 301 South #2, 10"x 12"
C27310th Line, 36"x 48" C215 12th Line, 36"x 48"
C2148 Route 301, 36"x 48" C212th Line, 48"x 60"
Flowers and Patterns, Artist statement, By Peter Wood.
“All Journeys have a secret destination of which the traveler is unaware” Martin Buber, 1878-1965
This body of work was initiated as a reference to Dutch still life’s from the 16th Century. Work from that period always contained a “Momento Mori”: a little reference to death; a fly on a beautiful rose petal, a glass placed precariously on the edge of a table, a slightly rotten piece of fruit or wilting flower. These small elements point to the fallibility of man. It said “We are not perfect.” It said “We are mortal, that everything changes and life is not forever”. I liked this idea but as with all things postmodern, I took this gesture and changed it. In the painting Star Gazer Lilies, (2006, oil on canvas) what should be brilliant, beautiful, fragrant flowers, there is the depiction of a thing long past its day of flourish. All the petals are gone. Green bare stalks and whispery leaves are all that remain. In spite of this, there is tremendous refinement and beauty in the depiction of this now dead flower. In the background abstract jewelry like shapes reflect what once might have been in the stalks: flowerlike asterisks, bright and light filled. Although there reference to death is there is still a light and life filled element in this work. In spite of my initial concept, this brighter element wrestled the free from my first thesis. In paintings like Brussels Sprouts Stalks, (2006, oil on canvas), strange, per-historic like shapes are depicted in shocking pink and brilliant green. In the painting Bowl of oranges, an austere black vessel holds refined, beautiful, bright round fruit.
Star Gazer Lilies, 18"x 12" Oraanges, 60"x 48" Brussels Sprouts Stalks, 48"x 60"
Day Lilies, 36"x 24" Devil's Paintbrush, 10"x 12" Star Gazer Lilies, 36"x 24"
Teapots, Kettles, Cups and Warmth, Artist statement, By Peter Wood.
The red enameled steel kettle is a lovely accoutrement of kitchen ware in wilderness camps in Nova Scotia. Even after smoke, cinder and a few dents, it polishes up “right some good”. A lovely wilderness substitute for Morse tea (A traditional Nova Scotia Favorite) is a dark green, fern like plant known as Labradore Tea.
One of the most renown & greatest pots of all time has and continues to be the Brown Betty. This lovely little proletariat originally hails from Stoke-On-Trent, England and fits nicely into the maritime history of Nova Scotia. A not uncommon choice tea for fishing folk of times gone past was the spirited, smokey brew Lap Sang Suchong. This magnificent tea brought from China, placed in a English pot and drunk by the world’s people is telling of the eclectic and diverse life experience for many Nova Scotians
Orange, like the colour of Buddhist robes, and a tea pot with slightly oriental styling might seem like an unlikely fit for Nova Scotia Heritage. Yet, Chögyam Trungpa Rimpoche (1939-1987) brought Tibetian Buddhism to Nova Scotia in the early seventies. Apparently this great teacher found Nova Scotia to be rich ground for the Dharma to flourish. Years later, more than 100 Shambhala Buddhist centres continue to prosper in Canada, The United States and Europe. Halifax, Nova Scotia, remains the seat for Shambhala Buddhist practice.
What ever your choice: Lap Sang Su Chong, Morse’s Black tea, or Jasmine loose leaf green tea, you will find the cool maritime weather and cheerful people a good way to know Nova Scotia. Just like the heritage of Nova Scotia, tea pots, kettles, and cups come from all over the world & from all economic levels. And yet, each makes the same great stuff: a fortifying blend of flavours that makes life better. From fishermen to farm folk, bankers and shipwrights, from the United States, the West Indies, England and Iceland: people from all over the worlds, from all walks of life have come to Nova Scotia and share in the warmth and tea.
