Lizards and leopards at Lion Sands inspire artist Peter Eastman

Artist Peter Eastman further explored his love for nature within his art whilst on the Artist Residency at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge. As a painter based in Cape Town for the last few years, most of Peter’s focus has been on a small tract of indigenous old growth forest, located in the eastern cape of South Africa. Here the likeness of this forest he painted over and over, a study of light and illusion, documenting the process of decay and vegetating over time. The study of this forest has seen these paintings journey through abstraction and realism.

Mostly working in oil paint on large aluminium panels where typically the forest paintings are done in two contrasting colours in a matte and dry brush technique that reference the impermanence of chalk on chalkboard. Peter was at Lion Sands to explore the mood, shapes, and light of the subtropical woodland and grasslands of the lowveld and share his artistic process with guests. Peter’s time at Lion Sands was arranged by curator Amy Ellenbogen.

Antiquities to art

Peter grew up in South Africa and started his work career as an antiquity restorer in London. He also attended the University of Cape Town's Michaelis School of fine art. It was in 2014 that he began to focus on paintings of atmospheric forest-scapes,

Peter is known for his distinctive monochromatic style and uses a technique of images held in shallow relief depictions that remain nearly invisible until the viewer is positioned correctly for light to throw the images into relief, reflecting changing tone and colour. This technique was probably most successfully used in his monumental “Horse”, 2005.

In 2007, Peter exhibited at Cape Town Gallery. 'Supernature' was a naturalistic large-scale series of enamel and acrylic paintings on aluminium sheets, depicting the portraits of various owl species relating to themes of superstition and luck. In 2010, he exhibited a series of black portraits at Primo Marella gallery in Milan, Italy, curated by Yacouba Konaté.

Peter worked together with 17 International artists to produce a poster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The work was later auctioned at Phillips de Pury in New York City.

Inspired by the African bush

Peter has delighted in his time at Lion Sands and had this to say, "The experience of a month in the bush veld has crept into my paintings in surprising ways, with inspiration coming from the electric blue lizards to getting to know the personalities of the leopards and the atmosphere of the still summer night drives. It’s such a privilege to be able to spend time in this vast nature reserve, that feels almost prehistoric in the way that you can observe the rhythms of nature."

Follow Peter on his Instagram @petereastman

Contact morgan@lionsands.com should you be interested in purchasing any artwork from our featured artists at Lion Sands Ivory Lodge