Bare Trees: Peter Rotter

Canadian artist Peter Rotter finds his inspiration in the landscape of rural Ontario, with his large paintings of trees especially compelling. He is able to pull graphically strong compositions from scenes that many artists would decide are too full of unorganizable detail, and in this way they remind me of the great tree paintings of Gustav Klimt:

Winter Birches 40"×60" oil on canvas 2010

 The Escarpment 60"x48" oil on canvas 

Many Colours of Spring 48"×48" oil on canvas 2011

Winter Sunset 48"×60" oil on canvas 2011

Deep Snow 48"×60" oil on canvas 2009

Peter Rotter works from his own photographs, which must occasionally be works of art in themselves.

Lately I've been especially caught up in the debate that's been chugging along ever since the invention of the camera, which is whether it is preferable to work from life, or from a photo. This is a subject worth a great deal of pondering, but surely the end result is what is most important. Unlike a lot of landscape paintings done from photographs, Rotter's work seems to rival the beauty of real woodland scenes, while his human reaction to the natural world is shown as emotional, subtle and complex.

Peter Rotter has a solo show opening March 22 at the Studio House PEC in Wellington, Ontario. You can also see more of Peter Rotter's work by visiting his website.

I am drawn to a particular place by a luminous colour, a certain slant of light, an interesting shape, or shadow, movement of sky, a memory of sound, smell and sense of ease- Peter Rotter