This artist comes from 5 generations of artists 

Artwork Archive's Featured Artist Peter Gynd is a fifth-generation artist and independent curator who grew up amongst the coastal rainforests of western Canada. 

He is known for his paintings that pull influence from his experiences in nature and for his natural ability to understand and arrange spaces with a unique sense of balance. As a plein air painter, Peter's creative process entails evolving his paintings quickly and naturally to account for the constantly changing light. This causes him to embrace the universality of abstraction and the gestural mark. 

Peter's studio practice has been primarily focused on landscape, exploring themes like connection and migration—especially as they relate to his own family. Instead of reproducing scenes in a "life-like" way, Peter Gynd offers his interpretation and celebration of the places he connects with. Nature serves as his source material and muse, but most importantly, it is his meditation. 

Artwork Archive had the chance to chat with Peter Gynd about his creative process, the advice he has for other artists, and how Artwork Archive helps him manage his studio and art career! 

You can see more of his work on Discovery and learn more about his art practice below.

Peter Gynd, Markers of Space and Time Install View, 2024. Photo courtesy of the artist

Can you walk us through your creative process? 

My work is fundamentally rooted in 10x8” observational paintings and plein air paintings. These pieces go on to form the basis of larger studio or easel works. 

My plein air paintings evolve quite quickly and naturally. There is a nice time pressure with plein air painting because the light is constantly changing. This forces me to stop overthinking about what I'm doing and simply respond to where I am and what I’m experiencing. 

I try not to overwork my paintings or add too much detail. I believe there is a universality in abstraction and the gestural mark, which I embrace. 

Having taken things too far in the past, I've learned when to stop and appreciate what can be captured within a moment in time.

 

Can you elaborate on the significance of the landscape in your work and its exploration of themes like connection and migration?

My studio practice has been focused on landscape for 16 years.

There is a connection between ourselves and all things of the natural world—a connection that keeps me constantly asking questions of belonging, impact, and where I fit within it. 

There is also a personal mythology of migration at play. My maternal grandfather had escaped Germany in 1935 and ended up as a refugee in Paraguay before settling in Colombia, where he started a family. However, he had to leave during the La Violencia in 1950 and begin a new life in Canada. 

My father was an American drafted to Vietnam in the 1960s. After finding many legal ways to avoid going, he finally moved to Canada in the 1970s. 

When I began painting landscapes in 2008, I started questioning my own personal history and connection to the places I was representing.

I am also deeply interested in the historical role that the representation of landscapes has served as a tool for power. Examples include Thomas Gainsborough’s 1750 portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, which shows the pair pushed to the side of the scene to highlight the land they reign over, and paintings by the Group of Seven, which were funded by Canadian corporations to advertise westward expansion and settlement.

My grandfather was also a well-known mountaineer and social/environmental activist. There is now a mountain named after him near Whistler BC: called Mt. Binkert. so a connection to nature and its stewardship was something instilled from a young age. 

While my primary inspiration is nature, I’m not concerned with reproducing scenes in a ‘life-like’ way. I’m interested in offering my interpretation and celebration of the places I connect with. Nature is my source material and it is my muse, but most importantly it is my meditation. 

Peter Gynd, Swan House Golden Green, 8 x 10 in, 2023

 

What do you hope viewers take away from your work?

A connection and emotional reaction to my work is what I hope to achieve.

I hope there is a feeling of meditation being communicated, one that can transport those engaging with my paintings into their own meditative and contemplative state.

 

In hindsight, what’s something you wish you knew before becoming a professional artist? 

As a fifth-generation artist, I knew there would be struggles to overcome.

However, if I could go back in time with the knowledge I have now, I would tell a younger version of myself to trust my voice and vision—they won’t lead you astray.
 

Peter Gynd plein air painting. Photo courtesy of the artist

Do you have any rituals or routines to get you in the creative headspace? 

Absolutely. Meditation is key to my creative process. 

This can take many forms—yoga, exercise, cleaning, preparing new boards or supports, etc.—but what’s important is that it clears the mind.

I also smudge my studio quite a bit when I’m about to start a big painting and do so again several times throughout the process. I use a combination of copal, cedar, sage, and frankincense. 

My phone also has to be turned off or put into ‘do not disturb’ mode so there aren’t any distractions to disturb a clear mind. 

 

Why did you decide to use Artwork Archive to inventory your artwork and manage your art career? 

I signed up for Artwork Archive back in 2017. I had been working in the gallery industry in New York for a few years and was using professional art management databases such as ArtBinder, ArtLogic, and ArtSystems.

Using these types of programs really showed me the benefits of implementing such software for my own studio practice and long-term career management. 

When I began researching a program to use personally, though, I quickly struck most of these off the list due to their extremely high cost. After some research and asking around, I came up with a list of twelve different options to choose from. 

I spent the next month testing each of those twelve programs and created a spreadsheet detailing how they performed in the areas I needed. Artwork Archive just kept winning out in all the categories, so I signed up for a plan in November of that year.

 

Peter Gynd, Markers of Space and Time Install View, 2024. Photo courtesy of the artist

How do you use Artwork Archive on a daily basis? 

I use the web embed tool with Artwork Archive all the time. It’s nice not having to update two different places.

I also use it to keep track of work out at exhibitions and on consignment. It’s great for managing sales, generating PDF previews quickly to respond to clients and collectors, and making checklists or price lists. 
 

What advice would you give an artist who’s just starting out in their professional career?

Build your community and support the other artists around you.

What you put in will come back exponentially down the line. 

Peter Gynd, Helluva Time to Go For an Exit, 8 x 10 in, 2023

Peter uses Artwork Archive to keep track of his inventory, send his available artwork to potential clients, generate PDFs of artwork, and a lot more.

You can make an online portfolio, catalog your artwork, and generate reports like inventory reports, tear sheets, and invoices in seconds with Artwork Archive. Take a look at Artwork Archive's free trial and start growing your art business.