Chasing Stillness

Bio:
Pete Prown has led a 35-year career in journalism, working in two dissimilar fields – the music business and Philadelphia gardening world. He’s a writer, magazine editor, and landscape photographer. Pete is also an author with several fiction and non-fiction books to his credit.

For the past 20 years, he’s also honed his skills as a painter specializing in still life, landscapes, and botanicals. He’s exhibited his work in Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Peaches I (c) Pete Prown

Artist’s Statement:
For this special exhibition at Pendle Hill, I chose a theme involving calm and contemplation. I spend a great deal of time seeking these ideals in my art, music, writing, and daily jaunts in the woods and lanes of Delaware County. Moreover, they are all interrelated – if I’m walking, I’m thinking about painting or music, while my creative endeavors are frequently about seeking the calm of Nature. In my mind, they’re all one and the same.

I grew up in Connecticut and Vermont, surrounded by farms, pastures, and wooded landscapes, and this is reflected in my paintings. Everything seems to refer back to that idea, along with my 20-years of work in the professional-gardening sphere of Philadelphia. My ongoing work is about challenging myself to try new subjects in that vein, as well as still-lifes. This is rewarding and keeps me moving forward.

Blue Teapot on Red (c) Pete Prown

Artists that appeal to me include Martin Johnson Heade, Raphaelle Peale, William Trost Richards, Jasper Johns, Asher B. Durand, N.C. Wyeth, John Singer Sargent, and George Stubbs.

To learn more about Pete Prown’s work, please visit www.peteprown.com.

Travel directions to Pendle Hill. Click to view the flyer.