Pete Jordan
JULY 2011 SHOW
On exhibit for the month of July at Brackenwood Gallery are new oil paintings by PETE JORDAN. Pete paints what is familiar in the landscape of Whidbey Island where he lives. Every day Pete walks his dog along a dike that cuts across Deer Lagoon estuary just north of Double Bluff beach. From vantage points along the dike Pete views this fresh water marsh, rife with waterfowl, clumps of grasses, reeds and mudflats that are nestled at the foot of Useless Bay. Many of Pete’s paintings for this show capture Deer Lagoon and nearby Whidbey Island environs; seasonal moods, early morning light and evening shadows.
Pete Jordan has been painting northwest landscapes for 40 years and is revered as a very distinguished Northwest oil painter. In a recent interview Patricia Duff, a writer for the So. Whidbey Record wrote, “Pete’s love of the forest and his study of natural sciences, combined with his artistic talent, have given him an extraordinary ability to capture the natural world with a reverent eye for accuracy, fine detail and the luminosity of color.” SHOW CONTINUES THRU AUGUST 1, 2011.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Pete Jordan’s current landscapes, and still life’s, whether in oil paint or watercolor, have a quiet drama with a compelling and familiar accessibility; a country road, old homes in a small beach town, a sweep of beach, and useful objects of daily living come to life with the strength, confidence, and originality of this self-taught painter.
Bio
Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota in 1949, Pete Jordan moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1968. Following an early childhood interest, he has been painting full time since 1970. Combining a background in the environmental sciences with an interest in the natural world, the artist looks for and portrays subjects that are at once uncomplicated, and at the same time accurate in their detail.
Pete grew up in Isabella, Minnesota, at a Ranger Station in the National Forest there. The family moved in 1954 to Muskegon, Michigan where he lived for three years. It was during that period, at age 7, that he began painting.
From the beginning, his parents encouraged him to take his art seriously. When the family relocated to the Chicago area, where Peter lived until the late 60’s, he was regularly exposed to the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1965 he was a key finalist in the Scholastic Achievement Awards in Art through his high school. This, as well as the encouragement of a few influential art teachers, helped to push him forward toward a career in painting.
Peter had always been fascinated with the West Coast. A family vacation early on had introduced him to the mountains and forests there, and, in 1968 he decided to move to Oregon to attend college. He had a high degree of interest in the Natural Sciences during those college years, and showed great promise in that field. His greatest love, however, continued to be painting, mostly using watercolors. He supported himself by participating in art fairs, throughout the United States.
By 1976 he decided to move to Washington, and he began showing his work in galleries. He soon bought land on Whidbey Island, where he still lives with his family. In addition to building a house and studio, he planted a garden which includes an extensive collection of rhododendrons and Japanese maples.
Pete has always been fascinated with old “stuff”. His still- life’s are the reflection of this love, and they feature lanterns, oil cans, and old equipment in general. Peter started backpacking in the mid-1970’s, and he continues to consider this his favorite pastime. His love of nature comes through in his landscapes. The lighting is what most people comment on, but subject matter is what drives this artist. He isn’t drawn to the “obvious” scene, choosing instead that which is often overlooked. Morning light on a road, shadows on a field, snow alongside a path next to a fence. The viewer can feel the mood of each place can almost taste the way that moment was. Pete’s work does not hit you over the head with color and pizzazz; it enters your bones and evokes a mature appreciation for the splendor of nature.
Selected Shows
2002 Gaskill/Olson Gallery, Langley, Washington, Solo Show
2001 Gaskill/Olson Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
2000 Gaskill/Olson Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
1999 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Kimzey Miller Gallery, Two Man Show, Seattle, Washington
1998 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Kimzey Miller Gallery, Two Man Show, Seattle, Washington
1997 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Kimzey Miller Gallery, Two Man Show, Seattle, Washington
1996 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Kimzey Miller Gallery, Solo Show, Seattle, Washington
1995 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Kimzey Miller Gallery, Group Show, Seattle, Washington
1994 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Group Show, Gallery Mack, Seattle, Washington
Best of Show Award, Annual Lewis and Clark State College Art Show, Lewiston, Idaho
1993 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Group Show, Gallery Mack, Seattle, Washington
Best of Show Award, Annual Lewis and Clark State College Art Show, Lewiston, Idaho
1992 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley Annual Two-man Show
Two-man Show, Gallery Mack, Seattle, Washington
1991 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
1990 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
1989 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
1988 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Wash;ington Annual Two-man Show
1987 Childers/Proctor Gallery, Langley, Washington, Annual Two-man Show
Two-man show, Nagatani Gallery, Mt. Vernon, Washington
1986 Purchase Award, Annual Lewis and Clark State College Art Show, Lewiston, Idaho
Second Place Award, Pacific Northwest Arts & Crafts Show, Bellevue, Washington
1985 One-man show, Joyce Peter Gallery, Saugatuck, Michigan
1984 First Place & Purchase Award, Annual West Coast Paper Company Show, Seattle, Washington
One-man show, Louise Matzke gallery, Seattle, Washington
1983 Group Show, Annual West Coast Paper Company Show, Seattle, Washington
1982 Group Show, Annual Marine Painting Show, Kirsten Gallery, Seattle, Washington
One-man show, Hammersia Gallery, Edmonds, Washington
1981 One-man show, Hammersia Gallery, Edmonds, Washington
1980 One-man show, Hammersia Gallery, Edmonds, Washington
1978 Grant for King County Art Commission to teach and produce art
1977 One-man show, Uwe Wemer Gallery, Coronado, California
1965 Scholastic Achievement Award in Art, Chicago, Illinois
Collections:
Boeing Corporation
Teledyne Corporation
Rainier Bank
Farm Credit Bank of Spokane
Wah Chang International