Painting With Peter

With his father’s encouragement, Peter Lantos started painting as a young man and, though he enjoyed it, life eventually got in the way, forcing him to put his paintbrushes down. As a chemical engineer, he instead dedicated most of his time to his career—first in research and development, and then as a consultant.

“In my 40s I decided to pick up painting again, but couldn’t pursue it beyond just a few hours here and there,” said Peter. “But once my wife and I moved to The Hill, I was finally able to focus on painting in a deeper way.”

In the decade that Peter and his wife, Sandy, have spent as residents at The Hill, he has spent much of his time in the Art Studio. Peter mostly paints landscapes, pulling inspiration from photographs and using the original image as a point of departure. While he has sold some of his paintings over the years, he doesn’t paint to make a living, but rather to have an outlet to express himself.

“Painting makes me feel like I’m doing something both relaxing and productive. I actually started teaching a class here at The Hill in October 2024, because I was encouraged by other residents who saw me painting and wanted to join in.” – Peter Lantos

On Fridays, small groups of residents come to The Hill’s Art Studio for “Painting with Peter,” where they can explore the fundamentals of painting with the class’s 102-year-old namesake. While it started out as one class each week, it has since grown so much in popularity that Peter now teaches three classes on Fridays, each with a maximum of five students.

“I like to keep the classes smaller so that I can give everyone the attention they deserve,” said Peter.

The weekly class not only examines the various elements that make up a good painting—like colors, brushstrokes, and perspective—but also provides space for people who want to paint but don’t know how to begin.

“On average, we have about 10 or 11 people total attending class each week,” said Peter. “The class consists of many people who have never painted before. All of them have a great deal of talent, but that’s not required for my class. The most important thing is to enjoy learning something new and to have fun while doing it.”

The Hill has been so supportive of this resident-led initiative that they opened a summer exhibit to showcase the artwork from “Painting with Peter.”

“On display now are landscapes, still lifes, interior scenes, and semi-abstract pieces,” said Peter. “The painting class has been a wonderful way to pursue something I love and also meet new people. It’s truly a great community to live in.”