Florida Artists Group

Peter's Bio:

I paint landscape and figurative pictures in oils. I enjoy plein air painting and I have done that in various places in the US and Europe. I have been painting full time for 7 years, after retiring from a 32-year law practice in Southern California. I was President of the Sanibel Captiva Art League from 2009 -2011. Awards include exhibition prizes from the Sanibel-Captiva Art League, BIG Arts, Art League of Fort Myers, Arts for ACT, Alliance for the Arts, Naples Art Association, 2nd Place in the 2008 Winner’s Circle Show (Art Council of Southwest Florida), and recently 2nd Place at the Plein Air competition, Paint the Cape, in Cape Coral, FL.

I was featured as an emerging artist in the May 2009 edition of Grandeur magazine, and also nominated as Lee County Florida New Artist of the Year for the Angels of the Arts awards in 2009.  I presently exhibit at the Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery on Sanibel.

Artist Statement:

I paint primarily in oils, in a representational manner, trying to blend realism with abstraction and decorative motifs and colors, blending also notions of space and scale with flatness. I attempt to put action and energy in the painting, and, to that end, I prefer figurative studies. I also paint plein air, trying to include buildings, cars and the like in natural settings for interest, together with incorporating the play of light.

As to technique, I try to use a lot of paint, with brush and knife, in a loose manner, with impasto passages, believing that the artist’s hand should be clearly seen by the viewer so that the viewer appreciates that he is looking at a traditional art form that has existed for centuries.

 

                                                                                                Peter Zell, June 2011

Education

• B.A., History, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, 1969

• J.D., Loyola University of Law, 1973 (practiced law in Los Angeles, CA
• 1973 - 2005) Drawing, painting, art history classes, Santa Ana College, Santa Ana, CA 2000 -2005

 

Workshops 1999 - 2008

1999 Judy Schroeder, 2000 Judy Schroeder, 2000 Gerald Brommer, 2005 Thomas Brown,  2006 Carol Hagerman, 2006 Howard Rose, 2007  Lois Ferguson, 2008 Greg Biolchini

Awards and Honors

Merit, San Cap Art League Members Spring Show, 2012

2nd Place, San Cap Art League Members Winter Show, 2011

Honorable Mention, San Cap Art League 36th Open Juried Show, 2011

2nd Place, Cape Coral “Paint the Cape” Plein Air Competition, 2011

3rd Place, Cape Coral “Paint the Cape” Plein Air Competition, 2010

“Expressive Power/Bold Spontaneity” Awards, Naples Art Association Members Show, February 2010 and November 2010

3rd Place, Sanibel Captiva Art League Juried Council BIG ARTS show, March 2010

2nd Place, Alliance of the Arts (Fort Myers), Symphony 50th Anniversary Competition, April 2010

3rd Place, Charlotte Harbor “Art Sensation” Plein Air Competition, 2009

2nd Place, “Text in Art” Show, BIG Arts, Sanibel, FL, 2009

Merit Award, Sanibel Captiva BIG ARTS Open Show, Sanibel, Fl, January 2009

1st Place, Arts for ACT “The Art of Music” Show, Fort Myers FL, June 2009

Nominated Lee County Alliance of the Arts “Angels of the Arts New Artist”, 2008

2nd Place, Art Council of Southwest Florida Winner’s Circle Show, BIG Arts, Sanibel, FL, December 2008

Four First Place awards, Art League of Fort Myers, FL 2007 - 2008

Four Honorable Mention/Merit, Sanibel Captiva Art Members Shows, 2005 - 2011

Four 2nd Place Awards, Art League of Fort Myers, FL 2007 - 2010

Four student awards at Santa Ana College 2003-2005

Exhibitions

One Person Exhibition:  (1) Founders Gallery, BIG Arts, Sanibel, FL 2012; (2) Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery, Sanibel, FL; April 2011; (3) Captiva Yacht Club, Captiva, FL, 2011,  (4) First Presbyterian Church, Sanibel, FL, 2010; (3) Burroughs House, Ft. Myers, FL, 2009; (4) Office of Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall, Fort Myers, FL (5) First Presbyterian Church, Sanibel, FL, 2007; Three Person Exhibition:  (1) Sanibel Public Library 2008 (2) Founders Gallery, BIG Arts, Sanibel, FL, 2009

Gallery Representation

Hirdie Girdie Art Gallery, Sanibel, FL (2011- present); Treetops Art Gallery, Sanibel, Florida 2009-2010 (closed)