Peter Symonds Exhibition 2020

About the exhibition

Landscape artist Peter Symond’s enduring love affair with the Lake District has been severely challenged this year. At the beginning of the 2020, nobody could have imagined what lay ahead of us and the resulting travel restrictions. Thankfully for us all, Peter had already gathered all the reference material necessary for this exhibition and so, deprived of his regular visits to the Lakes, he was then able to console himself in his studio at home in Surrey surrounding himself with his beloved Lake District. Indeed it must have been torture for him to paint this collection of beautiful paintings with no idea of when he and his cherished landscape would be reunited, but paint them he did and wow what a collection! They are quite spectacular and we at Beckstones are very, very excited to be able to share them with you.

Exhibiting at Beckstones now for over 20 years, Peter continues to be regarded as one of the finest landscape artists in the country. His style of painting is so suited to this beautiful area – it is the perfect match. Painting exclusively in oils, Peter conjures up the most irresistible combination of muted colour, mellow light, inspired subject matter and subtle detail. Full of mood and atmosphere, the resulting work is quite magnificent and always worth the wait.

Visiting when he can, Peter’s favourite seasons are early Spring and Autumn when the beautiful hazy Lakeland light is at its softest and the colours so delicately subdued. Exploring the area on foot, bagging a few Wainwrights as he goes, Peter visits areas both old and new, striving to find the most perfect scene to paint and he loves nothing more than being completely off the beaten track discovering somewhere new. More than mere representation, the resulting paintings are quite magical and always highly sought after.

Inspired by some of the great British landscape artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Peter continues to excel at his craft. We are delighted and proud to host this wonderful exhibition and look forward to welcoming you back to the gallery in person or online.

A word from Peter

What is it exactly that makes the Lake District such an irresistible magnet, not just for artists, but for all who come to share in the beauty of this magnificent place? Wordsworth and many poets and writers have borne witness to its allure, but what are the individual factors that make this most stunning corner of our country so appealing to the visual artist?

The immediate and most obvious answer would be the majestic fells and sublime lakes that give the region its name. I personally think there is an unmatched charm and character to these hills and lakes and the way they combine to present some of the most sublime scenery on earth.

But, if one narrows the focus in somewhat, it soon becomes clear that there are many other factors at play too. This could easily become a lengthy list, but I will name just a few of the elements that I personally love: mainly shapely specimen trees of all varieties; enchanting groves and woodlands; numerous becks crashing and tumbling down the fellsides; the beautiful rivers that flow more slowly (normally) through the lowlands; the jewel like tarns of all shapes and sizes that cover the landscape at all altitudes; the dry stone walls that criss cross the fields and fells; the whitewashed farms and the stone buildings that meld so harmoniously into their surroundings. I will stop!

These are some of the things I spend so much of my life absorbed in portraying and that constantly serve as a reminder of what I am missing when away from this most beautiful place in our country.