May 24 - June 17, 2024
Esquisse Gallery, Nyon, Switzerland
This will be my second time exhibiting oil paintings at Esquisse, a lovely small gallery, ideally located just a few steps away from Lake Léman, in the charming old town of Nyon.
 Inspired by the natural beauty of the Léman area throughout the seasons, I longed to revisit the subjects that are dear to my heart. The result is a new series of luminous depictions of snow-capped mountains, the energy of nature in spring and the warmth of sun-flooded streets in summer.
​If you live overseas or can't visit the gallery in person, you can view the exhibition on-line here
Practical info:
Dates: May 24 - June 17, 2024

Opening hours: Thursdays through Sunday 1-6pm or by appointment by calling. +41 79 403 5633

Galerie Esquisse
Rue de Rive 33
1260 Nyon
​Switzerland
www.esquissegalerie.ch
Map:
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"The mountains are calling, and I must go" (John Muir)
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My name is Peter Stalder and I'm a figurative artist who is immensely inspired by the great outdoors. Some of my art is based on my imagination or photos but I find it more challenging and fruitful to go out and paint from direct observation. That's why for ART CHAMPÉRY, I decided to show 4 paintings that are derived entirely from “plein-air” work:

LAC DE TANAY

​My first painting of the series was done at Lac de Tanay, which has all the magic of the most beautiful Alpine lakes: crystal-clear water full of trout, surrounded by pristine forests and steep mountains. 
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I felt particularly inspired by the emerald green water and the large rocks above it.
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Work in progress. This artwork was painted almost entirely in one session (“Alla’Prima”).
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An unknown hiker shot this panoramic photo of the lake, in which I appear painting in the bottom-right hand side. We later met by chance on Facebook.
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Another small painting I completed earlier that day.

​LAC DE BRETAYE GELÉ

This painting was also completed entirely on location, standing in the snow in Bretaye near Villars-sur-Ollon. In all my art, I strive to “capture” the light. I also enjoy working with shadows, because it is the antithesis of light and it enhances the luminosity in the painting. 

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“There is no shadow without light and there is no light without shadow”
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I felt particularly inspired by how the blue shadow of the Grand Chamossaire kept moving slowly on the frozen lake. You have to work fast because after a few hours the light is gone!
"“The artist's mission is to give shape to what is eternal in nature, to reveal its inherent beauty; he sublimates the shapes of the human body. He shows an enlarged and simplified nature, liberated from all the details, which do not tell us anything. He shows us a work according to the size of his own experience, of his heart and his spirit.” (Ferdinand Hodler)

​EGLISE DE CROIX-BLANCHE

Croix-Blanche has been one of my favorite painting spots ever since I lived in Epalinges (Vaud) for a few years. I love how the small church sits on top of a hill and how the Alps can be seen in the distance.
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I felt profoundly moved by this scene, and all the tension created by the contrast between the warm evening sky and the ice-cold foreground.
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Doing another painting of the church in the snow a few years back.
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Croix-Blanche in summer
LE MONT-BLANC VU DE PLAINE JOUX

This is the most recent of the 4 artworks. I felt deeply inspired by the vivid autumn colors, the cold blue/purple nuances and the warm light on the snow.
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The final painting.
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Some of my past pencil sketches of the Mont-Blanc, Dents-du-Midi and other mountains.
"Art will never be able to exist without nature" (Pierre Bonnard)
When you paint in oils, you start with the darker colours and then you apply gradually the lighter tones. Painting a mountain therefore feels a bit like ascending the mountain as an Alpinist, starting at the bottom with the pastures and the trees, then moving up the rocky slopes before reaching the glacier and the snow-capped peak at the top.
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Getting started. The beauty of the place is overwhelming
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2 hours later: time to wrap up the study as the light has shifted completely
A family photo of my "Art Champéry" paintings. I fell in love with the rustique Alpine frames that I found in an antique store in a mountain village.

​All 4 paintings are all 19.5 x 25.0 cm (25.0 x 19.5 cm for the vertical paintings). The external dimensions of the frames are 31.5 x 36.6 cm (36.6 x 31.5 vertical).
Thank you for reading about my work for Art Champéry. If you’d like to learn more about my art, click here.

If you’d like to know more about Art Champéry, including the practical information on the exhibition and the auction taking place on the December 30, click here.
I'm thrilled to be taking part in the group exhibition “As memories flow” (“Au fil des souvenirs”) at Fondation Estrée near Lausanne, Switzerland. I will be showing ca. 15 oil paintings alongside the work of the talented Suzy Balkert, Marc Jurt, Marie-Claire Meier, Monique Monod, Gilbert Reinhardt, Anne Pantillon and Kurt von Ballmoos.
 Practical info:

Dates: November 11 2023 - January 14 2024,
Opening (vernissage): Saturday November 11 starting at 4pm
Opening days/hours: Wednesdays through Sundays from 2pm to 6pm
Address: Bourg-Dessous 5, 1088 Ropraz, Switzerland
Free entry.

For more details, click https://www.estree.ch/

The Restaurant-Café de La Poste - right next to Fondation l'Estrée - is a cosy venue for a nice dining experience, before or after your visit to the exhibition. For more information: https://laposte-ropraz.ch/

​Map:
I'm excited to be taking part in the next Biennale ARPADI in Divonne-les-Bains, France on March 21-24, 2024.
More details will be posted here soon.
 Practical info:

Dates: March 21-24 2024,
Address: Esplanade du Lac, 181 Avenue de la Plage, 01220 Divonne-les-Bains, France

​Map: