Peter was born in the Wimmera area of central Victoria in 1964. 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 where he built his own house and studio.
Since 1981 Peter has accumulated a total of 62 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’, Finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize’ AGNW 2001-2005-2009, finalist in the Adelaide Perry Drawing Prize’ 2006-2007-2010 and finalist/Highly Commended in the ‘ Mortimore Art Awards’ 2007-2009-2010.
Peter has received multiple commissions, has been exhibited in 45 group shows in Regional and Commercial Galleries, held 8 solo exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney and is represented in many private and some corporate collections in Australia and around the world.
Hi Peter, We would love to commission a small pencil drawing of Val, my mother in law, for her 80th birthday. I think your work is beautiful and wonder if you would be interested? The bad news is, we’ve left things a bit late and her birthday is at the end of the month. Would you be able to consider doing it in this time frame? I don’t think Val would be too comfortable sitting still for a few hours so I imagine working mostly from photos would be best. Let me know your thoughts.
Kind regards,
Niki Swift