Article in Larens Journaal, October 1, 2021

Figuratief Now! exposition poster

Article in the Noord Amsterdamse Nieuwsblad, 4 June, 2019

Article in the Amsterdam Event Agenda with a painting by Sharma Peterson, June 2019.

Poster for Rendering Likeness which showcases one of Sharma Peterson's blind contour self portraits.

Newspaper article about the Pieta painting Exposition in conjunction with Zingis choir performances.

This is the painting that was included in the Pieta exposition.

Sacrifice

2017

80 x 130 cm, oil and coloured pencil on linen

Poster for the Wacker's Garden Exposition which showcases Peterson's painting of tomatoes.

Interview in Wackers Newsletter about the school trip to Vienna, March 2017.

English translation:

Interview Study Trip to Vienna

In the end of February the yearly study trip took place, this time to Vienna.  Student Sharma Peterson talks about it:

"We saw spectacular art and architecture.  I am now full of inspiration and really want to paint," according to Sharma.  "Going to museums together with teachers and drawing on location made the experience of the artworks much richer.  I had real 'ah ha' moments where things I learned at Wackers Academie suddenly became visible in the art I saw.  And when standing in front of Egon Schiele's portrait of Eduard Kosmack I could hardly bear to leave.  Going on the next study trip is something I would recommend and is also a super way to get to know each other better.

Postcard image appears in the Wacker's Newsletter.  August, 2016.

Photo and Article in Noordwijks Nieuwsblad and Nieuws van Hier by Tineke Bos, 29 June, 2016

Photo and Article in Nieuws van Hier by Tineke Bos

29-6-2016

http://www.nieuwsvanhier.nl/bericht.php?bericht_id=41287#.V3S3mbr5mPA.email

Schilderen “en plein air” tijdens Schilderfestival

Niet alleen op het strand, maar op meerdere schilderachtige plekjes in Noordwijk-Zee of –Binnen waren deze week schilders te vinden die “en plein air” hun schilderijen maakten. Het jaarlijkse Schilderfestival van 20 t/m 26 juni werd alweer voor de 18e keer georganiseerd. Het thema van 2016 is, hoe kan het anders, Noordwijk 150 jaar Badplaats. In de tent naast strandpaviljoen de Zeester groeide elke dag het aanbod van nieuwe, vaak nog natte schilderijen. Belangstellenden kregen iedere dag weer de gelegenheid om voor een leuke prijs een origineel werk aan te schaffen. Van dinsdag tot en met zaterdag werden de werken geschilderd en vervolgens tentoongesteld in de tent. Medeorganisator Koos Samsom: “dit jaar hebben we vrij veel nieuwe schilders; die komen van de Wackers Academie in Amsterdam. Dat is een particulier opleidingsinstituut voor figuratief tekenen, schilderen en beeldhouwen. Professionele kunstenaars geven daar les aan mensen van elk niveau en leeftijd. Voor hen was het een leuke uitdaging om hieraan mee te doen. Maar er zijn ook schilders die al jaren van de partij zijn, sommigen al vanaf het begin zoals Kees Putman en de Duitse schilder Jürgen Leippert. Zo’n 50 kunstenaars nemen deel dit jaar, waaronder een aantal uit Spanje, Duitsland, Italië en Oost-Europa. We hebben ze allemaal gevraagd om van tevoren een banier of een vlag te schilderen naar aanleiding van het thema.”  Het strand en de zee zijn een eindeloze bron van inspiratie voor de schilders, maar er kon ook elke dag geschilderd worden op locatie. Bij Veldzicht, bij boekhandel van der Meer, op Leeuwenhorst en bij Space Expo. Het model schilderen werd op het strand gedaan, bij de Branding en bij Huis ter Duin. ’s Avonds werd er muziek gespeeld in de festivaltent waar ook de schilderijen bewonderd en gekocht konden worden. Schilder/beeldhouwer Peter Altena was met zijn schildersezel op het strand terwijl hij vertelde dat hij vroeger in Noordwijk heeft gewoond en dat hij al sinds 2003 elk jaar meedoet met het Schilderfestival: “Ik woon nu in Baarn waar ik een galerie heb, maar ik kom er ieder jaar voor naar Noordwijk. Voor mij het hoogtepunt van het jaar! Voor de opdracht die we kregen heb ik een paraplu beschilderd met een aantal taferelen uit de Noordwijkse geschiedenis: een bomschuit, schelpenvissers, een strandkoetsje, bollenvelden, de Tulpenrallye en de juwelendief bij Huis ter Duin.” Op het strand stond ook de van oorsprong Amerikaanse Sharma Peterson te glimmen van geluk: “ Ik doe voor het eerst mee. Wat is het hier mooi, het licht is zo bijzonder en kijk eens naar de kleur van de zee!” Op de slotdag van het festival klonk ze nog steeds enthousiast: “het was geweldig! Ik heb wat beginnersfouten gemaakt: me niet goed ingesmeerd met zonnebrand en mijn schildersezel verdween in zee omdat ik hem te dicht bij de branding had neergezet. Maar ik heb genoten en veel verschillende manieren van werken gezien. Leuke gesprekken met bezoekers, fijne contacten met collega-schilders. Ik kom volgend jaar absoluut weer!” Kunie Blom vertelde namens de jury dat het dit jaar niet moeilijk was om een winnaar uit te kiezen. Genomineerden waren Anna Pavlova, Jascha Cavia, Peter de Rijcke en Petra Tollenaar. Als winnaar was Sonja Brussen gekozen en de Young Talent Award was voor Anna Khodorovich.

English translation:

Painting "en plein air" During Painting Festival

Not only on the beach, but also at other painterly locations in Noordwijk Zee and Noordwijk Binnen, painters could be found this week making their paintings "en plein air."  The yearly Painting Festival from June 20-26 was organised again for the 18th time.  The theme for 2016 was, of course, Noordwijk 150 Years Bathing Location.  In the tent next to beach cafe De Zeester, the selection of new, often still wet paintings grew every day.  Every day interested public got the chance to to purchase an original work for a nice price.  From Tuesday through Saturday the works were painted and then exhibited in the tent.  Co-organizer Koos Samsom, "This year we have quite a few new painters;  they come from Wackers Academie in Amsterdam.  That is a private training institution for figurative drawing, painting and sculpting.  Professional artists give lessons there to people of all levels and ages.  For them is was a fun challenge to participate.  But there are also painters that have been part of this group for years, some from of the beginning, like Kees Putman and the German painter Jurgen Leippert.  Around 50 artists participated this year, out of which a few from Spain, Germany, Italy and Eastern Europe.  We have asked them all beforehand to paint a banner or flag inspired by the theme."  The beach and the sea are an endless source of inspiration for the painters, but it is also possible to paint on location every day.  At Veldzicht, at the bookstore Van der Meer, at Leeuwnehorst, and by Space Expo.  Model painting also took place on the beach, at De Branding, and Huis ter Duin.  In the evening music was played in the festival tent where the paintings could also be seen and purchased.  Painter/sculptor Peter Altena was at his easel on the beach when he told that he used to live in Noordwijk and that he has participated in the Painting Festival every year since 2003.  "I now live in Baarn where I have a gallery, but I show up every year in Noordwijk.  For me it's the high point of the year!  For the assignment we were given I painted an umbrella with various scenes from Noordwijks' history:  a bomschuit (a type of flat-bottomed boat that can be taken close to shore), mussel fishers, a bathing carriage, flower bulb fields, the Tulip Ralley, and the jewel thief at Huis ter Duin."  Also standing on the beach was, originally from America, Sharma Peterson, gleaming with happiness, "I am participating for the first time.  It is beautiful here, the light is incredible, take a look at the color of the sea!"  On the last day of the festival she still sounded enthusiastic, "It was wonderful.  I made some beginner's mistakes:  I didn't use enough sunscreen, and my easel dissappeared into the sea because I left it too close to the waves.  But I enjoyed myself and saw many different ways of working.  I had lovely talks with visitors and made great contacts with other painters.  I definitely want to come again next year!"  China Blom said that according to the jury it wasn't difficult to pick the winner this year.  Nominees were Anna Pavlova, Jascha Cavia de Rijke and Petera Tollenar.  Sonja Brussen was chosen as the winner and the Young Talent Award was given to Anna Khodorovich.

Article from the Leidsch Dagblad, 25 June, 2016

English Translation:

Photo caption:  Alberto Valentini working on the beach in Noordwijk.

The Sea as Endless Subject

by Peter van Der Hulst

Noordwijk-- Alberto Valentini comes alive at the sight of the grey, misty sky.  While the beach visitor longs for a bit of sun, the participant in Painting Festival Noordwijk seems happy with the apparently colorless view.  Valentini, "This is calming."  Boring?  Absolutely not, according to Kees Putman,  "The sea is an endless subject."

Misty weather, that should be easy for an artist.  Little bit of white, little bit of grey.  Long brushstrokes, home in time for dinner.  But the world of Valentini and his colleagues is not constructed so simply.  "It looks easy, but it is difficult to create an image that is calming.  Life is already busy enough.  In the evening when people are sitting on the couch after working at the bank all day, their spirits shouldn't stay busy.  In the presence of a painting you can dream, meditate.  Paintings have that power."  Also for his own spirit, the murmur of the sea is purifying.  "The sea creates a natural positive energy.  The sea is not negative."

Valentini finds a kindred spirit in Kees Putman.  A resident of Noordwijk, Kees has set his easel up next to the tent where all the completed artworks will be presented.  He introduces himself as 'the local seascape painter.'  "Together with a German colleague I have been here from the very beginning.  This is vacation for me.  My wife always says, 'You don't have to do any housework this week.  Go enjoy painting.'  for a week long we form a group of friends here and that creates a bond."  Putman even opens the doors of his house to Valentini.  Though his residence in Den Haag is not far away, Valentini wants to maximise the 'experience of the atmosphere.'  The previous evening the two had the company of four more painters.  Putman: "They were rained out at the campground."  

While Valentini and Putman are old-timers at their sixteenth festival, Philine Van der Vegte and Sharma Peterson are there taking in fresh impressions.  "We are participating for the first time and it is great.  People walk along to look at what we are doing and that instigates good conversations," says Van der Vegte.  She tries to translate the misty view onto a postcard.  "Sharma and I study at the Wackers Academie and one of the assignments is to send a postcard once a week."

Peterson is returning to the arts.  She was a professional artist but found it hard to make ends meet.  "I now have the chance to go to Wackers, a life dream come true."  Van der Vegte had a career as engineer in the car industry and also a company that makes covers for mobile phones, but seems to now have really found her path as an artist.  That the two students are allowed to make a debut at the festival is a great ego boost.  Still, this life also has it's hardships.  "For painting outside you have to be tough.  Yesterday evening there were beautiful skies but before that it rained the whole day.  Luckily we could paint in the shop at Klein Leeuwenhorst.  That was wonderful."

Today from 11:00 am - 10:00 pm and tomorrow from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm the paintings made at the festival can still be seen and bought at the beach cafe De Zeester.