Meet the Artist
Peter has been in love with art for most of his life.
At school in the 1960's it was his favourite subject until for some unfathomable reason his 'O' Level teacher took against him and tore up every piece of work he produced. It culminated in Peter walking out of the class and never going back.
For twenty years he was the topical cartoonist for "The Law," which was the newspaper for Essex Police. Peter's father had been a topical cartoonist during the second world war so perhaps some of that talent seeped into Peter's bones.
Originally, he preferred painting with pastels but he had always been intrigued by the complexities and challenges of using watercolour, so in 2017, he switched mediums and it seems he's found his niche.
Now in his sixties, his first painting - The Grand Union Canal in Venice - sold within five minutes of being put online and when he reluctantly accepted an animal portrait commission, it spawned a steady flow of pet portrait commissions.
"I was reluctant because portraits have to be perfect. If you don't capture the personality and essence of the subject, its owner's reaction can be one of, 'That's not my pet.' With landscapes, a painting of Venice, for example, is unmistakable, so there is much more latitude and a lot less pressure."
Peter now has many very satisfied customers for his pet portraits, although his first love is still landscapes and cityscapes.