Lowcountry Light
At The Red Piano Art Gallery, we are proud to feature the evocative work of Peter Batchelder, a celebrated American landscape painter whose oil paintings explore the quiet strength and subtle stories of New England’s barns, cottages, and coastal scenes.
Born in Beverly, Massachusetts, Batchelder’s connection to the region runs deep. He has lived throughout New England—from the shores of Martha’s Vineyard to the hills of Vermont and New Hampshire. These varied rural environments have shaped both his aesthetic and artistic perspective, infusing his landscapes with a deep sense of place and emotional resonance.
A Journey Rooted in Light and Structure
Peter Batchelder received his BFA in Studio Art from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1986. There, he trained under notable artists including Jack Coughlin, Lionel Gongora, John Grillo, and Hanlon Davies. He also studied with Robert Cardinal at the Truro Center for the Arts, where his love for expressive color and simplified form began to take hold.
Although he launched his professional career as a graphic designer and later as Creative Director and co-founder of a successful web design company in New Hampshire, Peter never stopped painting. His commitment to fine art took root in the early 1990s when he lived year-round on Martha’s Vineyard and operated a small gallery in Vineyard Haven. Since then, his paintings have earned him national acclaim and gallery representation in Boston, Vermont, Cape Cod, New Hampshire, Bluffton, Houston, Milwaukee, and beyond.
The Architecture of Memory and Mood
Batchelder’s signature style blends modern composition with timeless subjects. He is particularly drawn to historic barns, seaside homes, and worn structures that exist in harmony with the New England landscape. These subjects, he explains, evoke questions of their origins, purpose, and the passage of time.
“From an artist’s perspective, I am interested in the nature of the architecture, how it sits within its landscape, color and light,” Batchelder says. “From a personal perspective, I find myself often curious about the story of the building—who built it and why; the many people who have lived or worked in the building.”
This blend of curiosity and artistic discipline creates deeply atmospheric works—paintings that feel at once minimalist and profoundly narrative. With deliberate simplicity, he omits superfluous details, inviting viewers to form their own emotional connections and imagined stories.
Influences and Technique
Batchelder cites Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, Edward Hopper, and Winslow Homer among his most important artistic influences, especially for their sensitive treatment of the American landscape. For color and expressive use of light, he admires the bold palettes of Wolf Kahn and Richard Diebenkorn.
Each painting begins with graphite or charcoal sketches to refine the composition, followed by pastel studies to explore mood and color relationships. His oil paintings are built up in layered brushwork, allowing luminous undercolors to emerge and animate the surface with energy and depth.
Peter Batchelder at Red Piano Art Gallery
Batchelder’s work resonates strongly with collectors who are drawn to peaceful, contemplative scenes filled with light, balance, and the richness of rural life. His pieces speak not only to the architecture of place but also to the architecture of memory—offering a quiet space for reflection in today’s fast-moving world.
We invite you to experience Peter Batchelder’s remarkable paintings at The Red Piano Art Gallery, located in the heart of Bluffton, South Carolina. Whether you’re new to his work or a longtime admirer, each piece is an invitation to pause, reflect, and explore the story within the landscape.