Biography Biography Peter was born in Western Victoria in 1964 and was raised on a property at Kanya until the age of seven. This environment ignited his life long interest in drawing, particularly the trees growing on and around the property. Peter was encouraged by artists and his parents from a young age to paint, first in watercolours age four and oils at age nine. After attending the Ronald Crawford School of Painting’ (Meldrum School of Tonal Impressionism) in Melbourne for one year, age seventeen, Peter moved to Sydney in 1989 to study drawing and etching full time at the Julian Ashton Art School, where he won the Inaugural Sir William Dobell Scholarship for Drawing in 1990. In the same year he became an assistant Tutor at the school, was awarded the Robert LeGay Brereton Prize for drawing at the Art Gallery of NSW and selected as a finalist in the Victorian Young Achiever Awards. In 1991, he was awarded the prestigious A.M.E Bale Travelling and Educational Scholarship in Melbourne ($40,000), enabling him to embark on an extensive study tour throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. During this period Peter studied the work and techniques of the European, American and Japanese Masters. He lived and worked in private studios for six months in Amsterdam and Paris and visited eleven countries during 1992-93. During a three month stint in London, Peter attended lectures on the old masters techniques at the National Gallery of London. On his return to Australia, the artists’ interest and ability in painting portraits developed to a high degree and was advised by the Australian artist Sir William Dargie to pursue this aspect of his work. In 1995 the artist was employed as a teacher of Painting, Drawing and Etching at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney and worked on his paintings in a private studio in York Street in the city. The following year he moved to the Central Tablelands of NSW where he taught drawing at the Western Institute of Tafe. After purchasing some land in a small village in the Central West of New South Wales in 2004, Peter built his own house over a period of years and worked on his art and commissions in a studio on the edge of the village. During this period his interest in trees was re-kindled and he embarked on several series of works relating to the theme. In 2010 the artist began visiting the Blue Mountains of NSW regularly where he has now established a studio in idyllic surroundings. Peter has continued to paint and draw his favorite subjects and is known as a painter of people and trees. Since 1981 Peter has accumulated a total of sixty two awards and honors for his work, including, three Gold medallions for most outstanding artist at the Dandenong Festival of Music and Art for Youth 1988 -1989 and 1990, The Norwich Industries Award – Camberwell 1989, The Bicentenary and H.B.A Award’ – Dandenong 1988 and 1990, The Alice Bale Travelling and Educational Scholarship 1991, The Calleen Acquisition Award – Cowra 1998, and Finalist in the Mosman Art Prize – Sydney, the Dobell Drawing Prize AGNW 2001-2005 and 2009, the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize 2006-2007-2010 and the Mortimore Art Prize/Awards 2007-2009-2010-2011 and 2012. Peter has received multiple portrait and tree themed commissions, has been exhibited in fifty five group shows in Regional and Commercial Galleries in Victoria and NSW, held nine solo exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney and Western Victoria and his work is represented in many private and some corporate collections in Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, USA, UK, Japan, Hong Kong and New Zealand.
