Sunflowers No 2

This painting bursts with energy! It features a lively bouquet of sunflowers in a vase, their golden petals radiating against a dynamic, textured background. The artist has used expressive brushstrokes and splashes of colour to create a sense of spontaneity and movement. The dark centres of the sunflowers contrast beautifully with the bright yellows, while the green stems and leaves add depth. There's a looseness to the composition, with ink splatters and drips enhancing its vibrant and organic feel. It’s full of life—like the sunflowers are reaching toward the light!

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About Me!

I grew up in the small village of Perthville about 12 miles south of Bathurst, NSW, Australia. The first 11 years of my life were spent on a farm where I developed an affinity with the Australian bush.

I didn't start to seriously paint until high school where I studied art as an elective subject. At the completion of High school I entered the field of computing and have had many technical and managerial roles since that time. Needless to say, art took a back seat to life.

At the age of 45 I met a wonderful woman who I ended up marrying. Debbie-Lee revitalized my interest in drawing and painting, and encouraged me at every turn. She is my muse. I begun with some drawing classes where I developed my interest in charcoal as a medium. I also played with watercolor and acrylics, but it wasn't until I discovered oils, that I really found my comfort zone.

I like to think of myself as a bit of an eclectic artist. My day job gave me the luxury of not having to paint for the wider audience of consumers so I could try different subjects, styles, mediums etc. Depending on my mood at the time I alternated between portraiture, the human figure, still life, Birds & Animals and Australian landscapes. Sprinkled here and there are some frivolous works that I do occasionally just to break the monotony.

I am almost completely self-taught. In 1998, I completed a three-month figure drawing class at the Workshop Arts Center at Willoughby, Sydney, under the tutelage of Ros Deveaux. I also started but didn't finish an acrylics class at the same centre with Sarah Aylward. I also started but did not finish a ten-week introduction to oil painting at the Royal Art Society, North Sydney.

Other than that, I have just experimented with different mediums and techniques. I'm still learning (I will always be learning).

I now live at Forster on the NSW Mid North Coast.

I hope you enjoy what you see.

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Pete

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Exhibitions and Shows!​

2000 - Deerbrook Gallery, Humble TX, USA (solo)

2004 - Art House Gallery, Sydney, Australia (solo)

2012 - Beattie Street Gallery, Balmain, NSW, Australia

2013 - Lentil as Anything, Newtown, Australia (solo)

2017 - Carre De Artiste Gallery, Paris, France

2017 - Almost Naked & Nude, Hallidays Point, Australia

2019 - Gallery 109, Manly, NSW, Australia