Geri Peterson
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Geri Peterson and her husband moved to Vashon Island in Washington State in 1978, a little over 10 years before she discovered a love of painting while taking a watercolor class just for fun. All of Geri’s earlier experience with art was as a free-lance photographer. After retirement from the Boeing Company, where Geri was an instructor for more than 20 years, she returned to school and added to her repertoire an Art Education degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma. Because of that she has studied in many different mediums. She says watercolor is still her favorite. “Watercolor moves, it does it’s own thing and yet it is also controllable. Working constantly somewhere between control and complete lack of control, while creating a painting, brings excitement to the process.”
Even though she loves working with watercolor, Geri also works in charcoal, ceramics, acrylics, color pencil, and ink. Much of what she paints is inspired by everyday life on Vashon Island. Her paintings often contain mountains, water, trees, ferries, animals, flowers, island people and occasionally a tractor or two. Geri’s paintings also contain memories from her childhood years in Japan. Her father was stationed in Tokyo in 1946 and his family went with him. As a child she was deeply imprinted with the wonders she saw there.
Some of Geri’s paintings are fairly accurate renditions of photographs she has taken. She strives to create art that is cheerful and light. About using the watercolor medium Geri explains, “Watercolor is inherently about light. Even black can be full of light when using watercolors.”
Besides being a member of a painter’s group on the island, called Barnworks, Geri is active in set creation for the local theater group and is a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society. She also curates for Vashon Community Care Center, shows at several locations and donates charcoal animal portraits yearly to Vashon Island Pet Protectors.
In her spare time Geri teaches watercolor classes. Her main goal is to help anyone who has struggled with or never used watercolor find ways to paint with no fears and to truly enjoy the fun medium of watercolor. She understands that fear. Until she was age 49 she knew she had no artistic ability. Then a friend asked her to go to a class with her. Geri said, "Sure." And her friend said, "A watercolor class." Geri's response was, "You're kidding! Me paint!" She thought for a second and then added, "Oh, why not." Two weeks into the class Geri was hooked. She's been painting ever since.
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