Although the titles of her pictures always refer to geographic conditions of landscapes and specific mountain ranges, Petra Thalmeier's mountain paintings bear no resemblance to the highly stylised traditional ones. In fact, any general expectations of the genre will remain unfulfilled. The painter's main concern lies not in the exact reproduction of the environment as it presents itself to the eye. On the contrary, her job seems to be to transform reality by uniting it with her own inner world of sensation, imagination and faith. Although remaining recognisable, the contours and shapes of mountains and mountain ranges serve as inspiration to very personal configurations. Petra Thalmeier articulates the visualization of shadows, depths and contrasts by means of strong expressive colours that are not found in nature itself. Still, her creative artifacts never betray the impressive majesty of the landscape.
In a way her mountain paintings can be compared to musical compositions. The abstract formations of the mountains - substance, colours, depths, graphics, and distances. The constant dynamism and fluctuation of light and shadows, of clouds and sky, changing with the time of the day and seasons, make up for the emotional expressiveness of the picture that moves the spirit of people.
Ingrid Ostheeren