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Chico News & Review
Nature calls
Local photographer John Peters follows the bliss of ‘yes’
By Tom Blodget
This article was published on 10.02.08.
Preview
John Peters’ photographs of Bidwell Park run through January 2009, at Chico Creek Nature Center, and will show Oct. 11-12, at Chico Art Center as part of the 2008 Open Studios Tour.
More info: www.jtpphotography.com
A few years ago John Peters and his wife and stepson were living in Durham near where Burdick Road turns a sharp ninety-degrees. A car traveling at high velocity that missed the left turn in front of his house would surely fly right into the middle of it.
Turns out that’s exactly what happened one bizarre night in 2000. The family had just finished watching a movie, and had retired to other rooms, when a teenager who had been drag-racing slammed into their humble abode, engine roaring, and landed smack-dab in the middle of their living room, where they had all been gathered moments before.
“It sounded like a bomb went off,” recalled Peters, who had just gotten into the shower.
No one was killed, or even seriously injured.
Around the same time, Peters’ best childhood and lifelong friend ("closer than blood brothers,” he notes), Brian Murphy died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Moreover, Peters had been dealing with his father’s Alzheimer’s, as well as being evicted from his house.
For the next year or so Peters retreated to Bidwell Park, to contemplate, to grieve; perchance to heal.
Fortunately for the Chico native, the one-two punches of catastrophes in a short span led him through a dark night and into a new dawn of beauty and healing, which are evidenced by his photographs of Bidwell Park as well as his more “surreal” photographic art.
Suffering from insomnia, Peters stayed up at night working with his photos in Photoshop, making them surreal or abstract without knowing why at the time he tended to choose black, or dark and gloomy colors. He would later progress to brighter colors, which he considers now “a little beacon in that darkness,” symbolic of his recovery.
“I showed my work to my wife and son, and they thought it was ‘kind of interesting,’ “ Peters said.
He posted his portfolio for sale on a Web site but found few takers. He was feeling so low that he stopped writing songs and playing the guitar, something he had been doing for 25 years.
But then, fortune would have it that his wife, Lorie, bought him a digital camera. “I started taking pictures in the park to deal with the grief,” he recounted.
Mostly he took pictures of his dog during their long forays through Lindo Channel, where he and his friend Brian had spent so many happy days as children, exploring and playing, and of all the familiar trails and swimming holes in Bidwell Park.
He printed both the surreal and the park photos on 16-by-20 matte paper. He was initially disappointed that his surreal photos weren’t selling, and surprised that people were more interested in buying his nature pictures of the park. “I thought, ‘Why not do a project on Bidwell Park?’ “
For the next year Peters went to all the places he used to go with his friends. The result is now on display at the Chico Creek Nature Center.
“John’s photos are beautiful,” gushed the executive director of the Center, Tom Haithcock. “John shares a philosophy with us at the nature center about increasing awareness for the beauty of Bidwell Park.”
In addition to the prints on display, Peters set up a computer slideshow display of more than 100 pictures taken in the park. All of them show a keen aesthetic for composition, color and lighting. Many shots of the swimming holes, the oaks and the canyon views will be familiar to natives, but there are many surprisingly serendipitous and unique photos that only someone who has spent a lot of time traipsing the creeks and dales would find.
Although his visits to the park were indispensable to his recovery from grief and trauma, Peters’ main goal for the Upper Bidwell Park Project has been to expose locals to the geological wonder.
“Many longtime residents, as well others newer to our community, don’t really have any idea what this local treasure offers us all, and why it’s so important to maintain and protect it for everyone’s sake,” Peters said. “The reason I keep doing it is because I’m finally doing something where so many people keep saying, ‘Yes!’ So I decided to follow the “ ‘yeses.’ “
Chico News & Review
Special to Chico News and Review
July 22, 2007
By Debra Moon
HOW TO KEEP A TREASURE LIKE BIDWELL PARK
Chico is a relatively small town. Part of the charm of the small town is one of the largest city parks in the nation
BidwellPark. Long-time residents of Chico will sadly attest to the fact that Bidwell Park is showing increasing signs of
wear. Some residents feel we are “using it up.” However, residents and visitors, in growing numbers, continue to enjoy
what the park has to offer and to revel in nature there. Many are concerned with the pollution of the creek waters, the
disappearing frogs and other wildlife, and the sad state of the trees and bushes in some areas. Many Chico citizens
have voiced a willingness to try to take better care of the park.
One citizen, a life-time resident of Chico, photographer, John Peters, has a unique approach to this challenge. Talking
with him at my office, I realized that his overriding motivation in exhibiting his photography of Upper Bidwell Park has
been to inform and inspire the public regarding the precious and unique aspects of the park. He also hopes to help
raise money to preserve it through sale of the photographs. Currently, he has 36 framed photographs of Upper Bidwell
Park on display in an exhibit at City Hall which will last through January 11, 2008.
John Peters was born in Chico and had many experiences with the park as a boy. More recently, he has had
experiences in capturing the unique scenes, colors, wildlife and lighting of the drama of nature viewed in Upper Bidwell
Park. A successful songwriter for 25 years, John Peters, worked with many vocalists and bands including Jazz musician
Charlie Robinson, and the popular band Mother Hips. His photography work grew out of his love for Bidwell Park. For
the past several years, John has wandered in Upper Bidwell Park, sometimes with one or both of his dogs. He collected
images on trips to various favorite spots to archive them for his own memory, but then realized that he had gathered a
body of inspiring work that might help to preserve the parkland he loves. His favorite is a shot of a blue-bellied lizard,
because of the connection he had to the lizards as a boy.
His photography studio is called “Stone Circle Arts”, a derivation of Stonehenge, the ‘circle of stones,’ an image John
likes. John prides himself in his ability to use nature’s lighting effects in creating visual masterpieces in his
photographs. The love that John Peters has for Bidwell Park shows in the scenes he has captured through the
photography and the special lighting effects in processing the shots. He has been showing his work at downtown
Gallery, ART ETC, on 3rd Street, between Main and Broadway.
It is a challenge to know how to best fulfill the responsibility given to Chico residents, through the generations, by
Annie Bidwell, when she deeded the park to the City. John and Annie Bidwell jointly gave the park to the City of Chico
“as a token of their love and affection and that the grand work of God may be preserved to his glory and the
happiness and pleasure of the people of said city of Chico.” (July 10, 1905, Deed of Bidwell Park from Annie K. Bidwell
to City of Chico) There were conditions stipulated in the deed. One condition was to preserve, “…the waters of Chico
Creek, all of the trees, shrubs and vines therein, and…sacredly guard the same…”
Annie Bidwell charged the residents of Chico in 1905, and those to come throughout time, to be faithful to the
stewardship of the 1900 acres of land she originally gave. Now the park has grown, with acquisition of more land, and
with it the stewardship has also grown. She was inspired to give the park as a gift, and she explained that the public
would have to do its part to preserve it. Perhaps the photos that John Peters has taken will be instrumental in
preserving the treasure of the park. The selected, framed photos that are on display there at this time, may be viewed
during City Hall hours, Monday through Friday 8 am until 5 pm. To purchase a photograph, it is best to contact John
Peters, or go to ART ETC. .
The Chico Arts Commission is proud both of the beauty of Bidwell Park, particularly the wild Upper Park area, on
display at City Hall, and the talent of John Peters. He has chosen colorful photos of the area, which are works of art,
for the show. The show is entirely worth seeing, and it is certainly worth thinking about how we can each do our part in
preserving the beautiful treasure and wild nature of the parklands.
Contact information for John Peters:
Phone: 530-961-3855 or 530-342-9495
Email: jtpeters53@hotmail.com
Type of art: Photography of nature, primarily of Bidwell Park
Galleries: Currently at Art Etc
Current show: July 16th, 2007 till January 11th, 2008 at the City of Chico
Arts Commission exhibition, Municipal Building.
10 Spot Magazine
COLORS OF NATURE
Profile: John Peters
By Arjun Buxi
The power of nature has always fascinated man, but few capture it as well as Chico’s resident art photographer, John
Peters. “I was born in Chico,” says the artist, “and I have a lot of experiences and love (for it)”. The name of Peters’
studio is “Stone Circle Arts”, a derivation of Stonehenge, the ‘circle of stones’, which is an image that the artist
particularly liked. Peters possesses a knowledge of and love for Bidwell Park as good as anyone else’s, if not better.
Where he sets himself apart from other artists is his ability to use nature’s lighting effects to the limit in creating visual
masterpieces.
Peters never considered photography as a career option, (he just “never thought about it”), this despite the fact that
his best friend was a filmmaker. At the most, he tried a few overlays on certain images his friend provided him, but no
more. Songwriting occupied him for 25 years of his life, and all he wanted was to create good music. Peters later
became a recording engineer, and worked with artists like Jazz musician Charlie Robinson, and the popular band
Mother Hips. A sequence of events would however change his life dramatically, and bring him to his true calling.
While he was a resident of Durham, a car crashed into Peters’ home at eighty miles and hour, breaking down the wall,
destroying the fireplace and furniture. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the artist confesses to being traumatized for a
while after. Soon after though, his best friend became terminally ill and soon passed away. With such a lot of grief,
Peters lost his flair for music, and grew more somber. He also lost a lot of sleep, and became a chronic insomniac.
At night, he would putter around with his stepson’s computer, trying his best to calm his mind, and came across the
software called ‘Photoshop’. Having a natural talent and good aesthetic sense, Peters tweaked around images,
experimenting a lot, and found the results to be rather interesting. He used this as a tool for curing his sadness, and
says “the colors grew lighter and bolder”. His wife encouraged him to buy a camera, and at this stage in his life he
finally considered switching careers.
“I had a flair for color and composition,” says Peters, “and I try to get my stuff out there the best I can.” His fond
memories of Bidwell Park as a young boy drew him back there, and within his first year as a photographer, he sold 300
prints. Clearly, he was in business. It makes sense why he couldn’t try this career previously; the prohibitive costs of
equipment and the limited number of shots one could make a few decades ago are in sharp contrast to today’s micro-
sized digital camera cameras and unlimited shots. As he says, “the beauty of digital (technology) is that I can just try”.
The artist’s novel approach includes his understanding of natural light, and how to manipulate digital cameras with it to
his advantage. “I intuitively learnt how to trick the camera”, he says, and slowly figured out how to get my shot.” He also
has a unique ability to bring out the raw colors of nature with natural lighting, knowing what shadows are cast where,
and what sort of light he would get at any particular time of day. The crowning glory is his use of matte paper instead of
regular photo paper, which he says “frees the color up” and allows it to flow.
One-and-a-half years into his photography career, Peters is merely beginning to fathom the possibilities of the art
sector in Chico, and has already won much appreciation for his work. His last show was in Tri Counties Bank last
October, and is showing work at Art Etc. He is due to show 30-40 pieces at the City of Chico Arts Commission exhibition
from July 16th, 2007 till January 11th, 2008. Peters hopes that “by showing the diversity and majesty” of Bidwell Park,
he can encourage “better stewardship of it”.
A Quick Look:
Name: John Peters
Address: 34 Lakewood way, Chico.
Email: jtpeters53@hotmail.com
Type of art: Photography of nature, primarily of Bidwell Park
Galleries: Currently at Art Etc., maybe soon at Café Flo.
Next show: July 16th, 2007 till January 11th, 2008
at the City of Chico Arts Commission exhibition, Municipal Building.
Phone: 530-342-9495
The Buzz
Art briefs
The Buzz
Posted: 01/22/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
Photographs, sculpture displayed in BMU galleries
CHICO -- John Peters' "Upper Bidwell Park" photographs are on display Friday through Feb. 27 at Chico State University's Bell Memorial Union second floor gallery.
The exhibit highlights photography from Peters two-year, 15,000 photograph exploration of Upper Bidwell Park. He has photographed the park in every season in various weather conditions.
The Buzz
Art Feature: John Peters
By CONNIE PIKE - The Buzz
Article Launched: 08/16/2007 12:03:40 AM PDT
UPPER BIDWELL PARK'S 'ACCIDENTAL' PHOTOGRAPHER
John Peters became a professional photographer by accident. Literally.
There he was, a singer-songwriter, performing, making demos, publishing songs and working as a recording engineer
at a local sound studio. Then came the accident.
As he sat watching television with his wife Lorie and stepson Michael in their rented Durham home, a sudden "explosion" blew through the front door and the living room and took out the back fireplace wall. The three shocked
residents at first thought a plane had crashed into their house, but soon realized it was a car.
With some trepidation they approached the car, which now extended halfway into the back patio, and managed to
extricate the driver, a 16-year-old boy. He and a friend, racing separate cars along the street, had lost control on a
curve. His car plowed through the house, while the other boy careened into the adjacent almond orchard. Luckily,
nobody was seriously injured.
That is, not physically. The psychological and emotional damage would continue for months, as the Peters family
gradually worked through their post-traumatic stress. Feelings of vulnerability were the worst, Peters noted, "the idea
that no place is safe, not even your own home."
Peters found himself unable to concentrate. He lost interest in his music, and suffered unremitting insomnia. In the
middle of one dark night, he sat down at the computer and began tinkering with a Photoshop program. Using some
existing images, he experimented with colors and forms. The activity calmed him and in the following days he broadened his exploration, creating original images. He showed some to his wife, who has a master's degree in social work and teaches at Chico State University.
"Buy a camera, John," she said, impressed with his flair for light and color. "Take some pictures of your own."
He bought a Canon Powershot S2 camera and headed for Chico's upper Bidwell Park, where he had spent many hours while growing up. He shot pictures in all weathers and all lights, loaded them into his computer, edited and printed
them. People began to buy. The photographer had emerged.
The current exhibit at the Chico Municipal Building, 411 Main St., which runs through Jan. 11, comprises 34 color
photographs depicting a variety of park scenes. His subjects range from Bear Hole Bluffs and grassy woodlands to
close-ups of Salmon Hole boulders and turbulent creek waters. A strutting wild turkey and a haughty bluebelly lizard
provide glimpses of the park's wildlife.
Peters said he prefers late afternoon light because the low sun rays create more depth than the flat white light of
midday. Although he ventures into abstraction and surrealism, the photographs selected for this exhibit are mostly
representational.
Mary Gardner, art projects coordinator for the city of Chico, said she considers all styles and media selects for this
venue. Representational art that makes the cut "has to stand out, to be absolutely top level. These photographs are
quiet and calm, and seem to bring stress levels down," she said.
A reception will be held for Peters in the lobby of the Municipal Building from 5-6 p.m., Oct. 18 during "Artoberfest,"
Chico's annual arts festival, which runs from Sept. 29 through Oct. 31.
In the nearly two years since the accident, Peters has sold more than 300 photographs and has thousands more on
CDs. He is amazed and gratified with his success. His studio is called Stone Circle Arts, an allusion to Stonehenge, and
he offers prints for sale in various sizes, framed or unframed. He may be reached at jtpeters53@hotmail.com.
