Sadly, long-time Raglan artist and teacher, Peggy Lee, died last year during lockdown. To celebrate her creativity and talent, a retrospective exhibition of her works opened at the Old School Arts Centre this morning. A large number of Peggy’s friends and lovers of her art attended the opening and viewing, staying for morning tea.
Peggy’s twin sister Wendy spoke at the opening together with Peggy’s sons Matthew and Jamie. Matthew, who lives in Western Australia, had been prevented from visiting up to now due to the Covid-19 border closure. He was able to come now with the opening of Tasman bubble. Susan Flight, a longtime friend of Peggy and fellow artist also spoke. Susan said that Peggy often said that she felt alive when painting.
The exhibition, which has been organised and hosted by her sisters and sons, is open daily 10am to 2pm at the Raglan Old School Arts Centre, 5 Stewart St, Raglan from 8th to 29th May 2021.
Peggy loved Raglan and saw it as her spiritual home. She inherited a passion for nature from her father and specialised in landscapes and seascapes that captured the essence of Raglan, painting every nook and crannie of the harbour and surrounding farmland. Most of her paintings are watercolours or acrylic, and have been described as playing with impressionism, and with colour and abstract elements. Some of the more recent works are for sale at the exhibition.
