NIELS PETERSON, Oct 23 - 30, 2005, The White Rock Gallery, White Rock

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"Cherry Blossoms, Kitsilano"

Niels Petersen, "Cherry Blossoms, Kitsilano," 2005, oil on canvas, 24" x 30".

NIELS PETERSON

The White Rock Gallery, White Rock

Oct 23 - 30, 2005

By Beverly Cramp

It didn’t take Niels Petersen long to establish himself as a full-time artist when he started painting oil landscapes 15 years ago. His shows quickly began to sell out and for the past seven years he has been able to spend his days “following my bliss,” as he says. Petersen learned his painting technique from the Federation of Canadian Artists. He considers his mentors to be senior Federation members Michael Svob and Alan Wylie. The subjects for Petersen’s boldly painted works come primarily from outdoor walks in Vancouver, where he has lived most of his life. “I photograph when I’m out and about looking for subjects, scenes and lighting that inspire me,” he says. “Then I push or enhance the image on canvas. I ‘Nielsify’ them.” Ultimately, Petersen is looking for the spirit of a place. Scenes that particularly attract him have “nostalgia, a combination of light and dark, and interesting shapes. I take many photos, sometimes edit them, sometimes combine them and then make some of the shapes abstract. It’s good to enhance whatever spirit it was that attracted me to the image in the first place.”

Represented exclusively by The White Rock Gallery, White Rock.