Thoughts of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region evoke memories and emotions of a sense of place, of belonging, community, and times spent with family and friends. Often the centerpiece for this nostalgia is a cottage, typically a summer cottage shaded by big pines with a porch, a cozy reading nook, and glimpses of a lake or mountains. Perhaps a kayak rests against the woodpile, a dog chases children along the water’s edge, or a sailboat flutters out along the horizon. This is the place to enjoy the beginning and ending of the days, giving reverence to the sun as it moves between white fluffy clouds, and thanks for all that has transpired in between.
Words often fall short of capturing the essence of these experiences and places but local artist Peter Ferber has an astonishing ability to pour it all onto canvas. As we look into the intricate details that Peter paints and draws with such realism, we can’t help but be moved by the multiplicity of stories hidden in the layers and perspective – and identify with them.
At the upcoming Peter Ferber Gallery Show on Saturday, February 15th, nearly half the new original paintings feature glimpses of a lake cottage: a warm and inviting interior, or a weathered exterior that speaks to a historic and generational past. There’s also a cut paper piece of a boathouse, a medium that Peter Ferber says he enjoys immensely because it’s a very defined process of putting things together that appeals to the architect in him.
Although there’s shared content in these new originals such as the cottage glimpses, each one has something different in it according to Peter. “Whenever I approach a subject I ask myself how will I render that, how can I take a new approach or put a new order into how it goes down on the canvas? My approach is more about how can I do this rather than having any preconceptions about what it should look like. It’s much more enjoyable and fun that way and creates surprises for me in the process,” he explains.
“For me, the lake cottage suggests a simplicity to life, a more relaxed routine where we are not concerned about maintaining things. Where it’s not a problem if things are a bit rough around the edges – we can let go. It is a place where’s there’s a sense of being at ease and relaxed, and not having to care and fuss about things,” Peter shared.
The winter Peter Ferber Gallery Show will feature more than a dozen new original works in watercolor, oil, and acrylic, as well as the cut paper, in a variety of sizes. Considering the variety of beautiful hues in Peter’s watercolors, it comes as a surprise to learn that he only works with about 6 or 7 different pigments on his palette. “That was my training, he explains, to keep it simple. I find I can mix any color from these. Even with oils, I only use about ten pigments.”
This year’s paintings also include scenes from areas around Lake Winnipesaukee that he had never been to. “Quite a number of them have come as a result of someone introducing me to a location for the first time. One man took me out in his boat around the NW corner of the lake for the whole day around Forty Islands, scenes from which appear in these paintings,” Peter shared.
The Peter Ferber Gallery Show is held twice a year – in February and a summer show in August – at The Art Place, 9 N Main St in downtown Wolfeboro. Many people, some traveling long distances, arrive early before the doors open at 9:30 am and line up to ensure they are first to see the new works. Peter Ferber will be present at the show during the day, providing a wonderful opportunity to hear the stories behind the paintings directly from the artist, and light refreshments will be served. The Gallery Show will run from February 15 to 29, with a show opening snow date of Sunday, February 16 at 11:00 am . More information is available by calling 603-569-6159 or keep posted for updates on our Facebook page at /theartplacewolfeboro.