About the Artist, Randall J. Peterson

Artist profile of Randall J. Peterson

Many people around the world have lighthouses sitting in their living rooms or dens and they are the original creations of Randall Peterson, Forest Lake, who has been an artist for the past 35 years.

Peterson was born in Park Falls, Wisconsin, grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and now resides in the Forest Lake, Minnesota community of 15,000 just north of St. Paul, with his wife Kathleen and his daughter Kristine.

He graduated from North Hennepin Community College with an Associate in Applied Science Degree in commercial art. He has been working in the graphic arts and printing field over the past 24 years.

Peterson started drawing at the age of nine, working with charcoal and pencil. In the mid 1980s, he did product drawings for Sears Roebuck and Company on a freelance bases. He worked for a graphic arts company from 1977 to 1995 and currently works for a publishing company, ECM Publishers, Inc. Along with his graphics career, Peterson continued his passion for his artwork.

In 1989, he started working with pen and ink as his medium and the style of pointillism. This process or style was first used by French Artist Georges Pierre Seurat in the late 1800s. Most of his originals are 8x10 and take about 35 hours to complete one original drawing. The style of pointillism is created by a series of dots to create the image. The closer the dots, the darker the area. The further apart the dots, the lighter the area. When you work on a drawing, you will want to work from light to dark. You can always add dots, but can't take them away. He has completed over 85 original drawings.

Peterson has always been fascinated with lighthouses and the stories that surround them -- tales of shipwrecks, rescues, romance and hauntings. Architecturally, he has found that lighthouses are amazingly diverse, each with its own unique design and setting. And, although American lighthouses have been around since the 1700s, many have fallen into disrepair in recent years, and are thus subjected to vandalism and storm damage.

His hope is that the series will raise public awareness about lighthouses and prevent them from becoming extinct. Lighthouses convey a powerful sense of place, some located in stunningly, beautiful remote areas and others anchored securely in the hearts of the communities they serve. "I think my straightforward, black and white style compliments the lighthouse structures, rendering images of simplicity, security and steadfastness," says Peterson. His collection of lighthouse drawings now number 22 with many more to come.

In addition to Peterson's lighthouse collection, He has also done a number of commissioned drawings of the most notable and beloved inns found in the United States. He has discovered that these lovely structures lend themselves wonderfully to my style of artwork, evoking images that are at once lavish and refined.

The nostalgia and romance associated with favorite inns and Bed and Breakfasts have captivated his imagination, much like his lighthouse artwork. These are places where we can explore the past, get away from the day-to-day, and make our own memories. "I try to convey both the beauty and steadfastness of historic structures in my black and white renderings," says Peterson.