I was not an academic student per se, but certainly a creative one. I would sit in the classroom and gaze endlessly out the window, looking at the clouds dance across the mid-morning sky and their shadows play on the surrounding mountains. On weekends, my father would take us on the longest drives, discovering all the nooks and crannies of my beloved Trinidad and Tobago. A bright, browneyed boy looking out the window of the car, as it traversed the land. The breeze against my face, observing and recording our countryside and rural lifestyle. In presenting this body of work, I referenced these traditional influences. Other inspirations for my painting sessions were the landscapes of Constable and the mood evoked in the works of Turner. Ultimately, it’s Cazabon’s feel for Trinidad and Tobago’s scenery that continues to inspire me. My process included numerous hours of daydreaming, imagining and constructing compositions, as well as a rigorous cycle of editing. Day Dreamin’ consists of twenty or so new paintings, from 8”x8” through 36”x48”, experimenting with texture, mood and tone, while reflecting seemingly idyllic landscapes. -Peter Sheppard.
Part of the endearing legacy of painting the environment comes from the attention to detail and the ability and skill in capturing light. Peter Sheppard’s latest body of work at Y Gallery is entitled “Day Dreaming.” An activity usually disparaged and believed to be an idle thing that very few can afford. However, without the ability to think outside the box, to look past all that is in front of you is extremely important. It is also to some extent part of being able to paint as deftly as Mr.Sheppard does. There was a time when I felt very jaded about Landscape painting. There is so much of it on view I felt. I have witnessed the careful works of John Constable and magically whistful flecks of color of Joseph Mallord William Turner, and our own Michel Jean Cazabon’s Caribbean atmosphere et al. The Landscape painting is perennial in museums and gallery spaces the world over. Yet, it is indeed such work that also has caused me great pause. I have been taken up, shaken and moved by the mastery of capturing the familiar. This, Mr.Sheppard does very well in his own right. Instantly, I am taken by both the discipline and light hand he uses to capture depth of field and atmosphere within his pieces. Mr.Sheppard says that he does not walk into a gallery space with work in hand. He prefers to spend his time on the preliminary contemplation of white canvas, both in terms of his material and the gallery proper. His is indeed a need to hazely focus on what is possible and do-able. After all, as I stated before, what more can one wring out of the familiar? But that is indeed the challenge. Mr. Sheppard does not use photography or work exclusively in the plein air fashion. His is a recollection of a time and place. A memory. A juxtapositioning of colours. He captures the way one broad leaf may fall on another; looking at contrasts; a world of textures; tones; sizes and shapes.
As a traveller as well, he has seen many of the great paintings up close. He has worked at his craft for over two decades; done miniatures; monochromatic painting and pieces over two feet high. He is always challenging his eye, always learning, still influencing and producing feelings of wonder and joy in many a heart with his delicate brushstrokes. Upon entering his studio, Peter puts you at ease. He is surrounded by a good view of the coast, and he takes care to alert friends, family and aquaintances to weather changes and traffic from his view on his hill in Cocorite. Everywhere your turn, you are confronted by lush greenery. Mr. Sheppard’s work is not only a tangible contemplation of what we take for granted every day, but a testimony to appreciating what we call home. In light of the recent earthquake that was felt in Trinidad and Tobago, his paintings remind us of the fragility of our lives, and of how much we rely on our island and on each other. At moments like this, work such as his provides a calm and a beauty. Daydreaming is a respite to the perplexities of our combined experiences. - Adele Todd .
August Rain . Mixed media on gesso board . 8 x 8�.
Gulf . Mixed media on gesso board. 8 x 8� .
Central . Acrylic on canvas . 12 x 16� .
Adam . Acrylic on Canvas . 6 x 12” .
Eve . Acrylic on Canvas . 6 x 12” .
The Cocoa Estate . Acrylic on canvas . 48 x 36� .
The Village . Acrylic on canvas . 48 x 36� .
The Vendor Series . 8 x 8 “ . Acrylics
Wooden Houses . Acrylic on canvas . 12 x 16�. Close up.
After the Rain . Acrylic on canvas . 12 x 16” .
Hunter’s Rest . Acrylic on canvas . 12 x 16” .
Poui Trace . Acrylic on canvas . 15 x 30” .
Cascades . Acrylic on canvas . 15 x 30” .
PUBLISHED BY Y Art Gallery 26 Taylor Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad and Tobago (868) 628 4165 CATALOGUE PHOTOGRAPHY Melissa Miller LOGO DESIGN Melissa Miller DESIGN AND LAYOUT Melissa Miller © 2018, All rights reserved.
Y Art Gallery 26 Taylor Street, Woodbrook, Trinidad and Tobago. © 2018, All rights reserved.