Peter was born in the Wimmera area of central Victoria. After attending the Ronald Crawford School of Painting’ (Meldrum School of Tonal Impessionism) in Melbourne, age seventeen, Peter moved to Sydney in 1989 to study 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’ 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, enabling him to embark on an extensive study tour throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. During this period Peter studied the work of the European and Japanese Masters, he lived and worked in studios in Amsterdam and Paris and visited eleven countries during 1992-93.
In 1995 the artist was employed as a teacher of Painting, Drawing and Etching at the Julian Ashton Art School. The following year he moved to the Central Tablelands of NSW to teach drawing at the Western Institute of TAFE.
Since 1981 Peter has accumulated a total of 59 awards and honours for his work, including Finalist in the Travel Study Grant’ – Camberwell 1986, three Gold medallions for most outstanding artist – Dandenong Festival of Music and Art for Youth’ 1988 -1989 -1990, The Norwich Industries Award’ – Camberwell 1989, The Bicentenary’ and H.B.A Award’ – Dandenong 1988 -1990, The ‘Calleen Acquisition Award’ – Cowra 1998, , Finalist in the Mosman Art Prize’ 1997, Finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize’ AGNW 2001- 2005, finalist in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize’ 2006 – 2007 and finalist/Highly Commended in the ‘Lexus Mortimore Award’ 2007.
Peter has received multiple commissions, has been exhibited in over 40 group shows in Regional and Commercial Galleries, held 8 solo exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney and is represented in many private and corporate collections around the world.