biography
Peter first came to Bath for a year in 1986 to study an art foundation course. He went on to graduate from Manchester Polytechnic, returning to the city in 1993. Inspired by the architecture and life of the town, he has become a familiar figure painting the city’s streets and it was here he earned the nick name ‘Pete the Street’. He paints a great deal across the UK – its cities, landscapes and coastline and in particular London. However discovering new places has become more and more important and his painting has taken him further afield to India, Vietnam, Havana, USA and across Europe. He rarely paints in the studio preferring to work directly from the subject on site in sometimes the foulest of weathers. He works in charcoal, oil paint and pastel for which he has received numerous awards at various national exhibitions.
In 2018, he was elected President of the New English Art Club. He is a member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Royal institute of Oil Painters, the Pastel Society, Bath Society of Artists and an honorary member of the Royal Society of British Artists. He paints for one-man exhibitions each year either in London or Bath and has been showing with Messum’s, London since 2004.
Peter, his wife, Lisa and their five children: Ollie, Toby, Hattie, Ella and Ned live in Bath.
“Pete the Street” painting at Prior Park, Bath
‘pete the street’
On 6 January 2010, Bath residents – along with people across the UK – woke up to deep snow. As Peter’s children discovered they had a day off school, he left to paint the winter wonderland. He was filmed by Lee Curran of Molly Films:
Pete the painter shot on a Nikon D3s from Lee Curran on Vimeo.
awards
2018: The Critics’ Choice (New English Art Club)
2017: The Critics’ Choice (New English Art Club)
2017: The Winsor & Newton Award (New English Art Club)
2013: The Critics’ Choice (New English Art Club)
2013: The Le Clerc Fowle Medal, Royal Institute of Oil Painters
2012: The Critics’ Choice, NEAC
2012: Runner up, Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize
2011: The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers Prize
2011: The Critics’ Choice (New English Art Club)
2011: Pall Mall Centenary Show, RAC, Pall Mall: 2nd prize
2009: The Critics’ Choice (New English Art Club)
2008: Arts Club Award (Royal Institute of Oil Painters)
2008: The Prince of Wales Award for Portrait Drawing
2006: First Artist in Residence at the Savoy Hotel, London
2005: Hunting Art Prizes: The Drawing Prize
2005: The Cross Gate Gallery Purchase Prize
2002: The Arts Club Award (New English Art Club)
2001: The Arts Club Award (Pastel Society)
2001: Selected to be hung at the National Gallery from the 2001 RP Show
2000: W. H. Patterson Memorial Award (New English Art Club)
1998: The Bristol Fine Art Oil Painting Prize (Royal West of England Academy)
1998: The Tom Rice Gallery Award (Pastel Society)
1997: The Saint Cuthberts Mill Award (Royal Society of British Artists)
1996: The Pastel Society Non-Members Award
collections
- The RAC Club
- The Holburne Museum, Bath
- The Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
- The National Library of Wales
- Howard de Walden Estate
- House of Fraser
- Hottinger Group
- The Bowerman Collection
- The Savoy Art Collection
- The Target Corporation
- The Drapers’ Company
memberships
- President of the New English Art Club
- Royal Society of British Artists (Honorary)
- Royal Society of Portrait Painters
- Royal Institute of Oil Painters
- The Pastel Society
- Bath Society of Artists
publications
books
- London: Paintings by Peter Brown
Published: Sansom & Co 2015, ISBN 978 1 908326 80 5 - My Indian Travels, by Peter Brown
Published: Studio Publications 2013, ISBN978 1 908486 41 7 - Brown’s Bath: The Work of Peter Brown
Published: Browns Fine Art 2008, ISBN978 0 9559727 0 6 - Exhibition catalogues (x18) 2002–2017
dvds
- Peter Brown: Painting Arles – APV Films 2016
- Painting Varanasi – Neale Worley 2016
- Peter Brown: Oil Sketches – APV Films 2013
art education
- 1987-90: BA(Hons) Fine Art 2:1, Manchester Polytechnic
- 1986-7: Diploma in Art Foundation Studies (commendation in painting) BCHE, Bath
one man exhibitions
2017: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2016: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2014: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2014: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2013: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2013: Messum’s (‘My Indian Travels’)
2012: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2011: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2010: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2009: Alexander Meddowes, Edinburgh
2009: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2008: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2008: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2007: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2006: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2006: Albany Gallery, Cardiff
2005: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2005: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2004: Messum’s, Cork Street, London
2003: W.H.Patterson Fine Arts, London
2003: “West Sussex”, Champs Hill, Pulborough
2002: W.H.Patterson Fine Arts, London
2002: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
2000: Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
group exhibitions
2015: ‘Varanasi – 4 Painters’, Indar Pasricha Fine Arts, London
2013: ‘Howard, Cullen, Horton, Devlin and Brown in India’, The Tryon Gallery, London
2011: Discerning Eye (invited artist)
2010: 2-man, Albany Gallery, Cardiff
2005: Arts Club Award Winners Exhibition, Dover Street, London
2004: ‘Richard Pikesley and Peter Brown’ 2-man, Chome Fine Art, Bath
2003: Autumn Exhibition, 3-man, W.H.Patterson Fine Arts, London
2003: ‘The View’ Waterstones Piccadilly and Orleans House Gallery, Richmond
2002: ‘Peter Brown and David Gordon Hughes’, W. H .Patterson Fine Arts, London
2002: ‘Urban Myths’ 5-man, Beaux Arts, Bath
2000: ‘Peter Brown and Lionel Aggett’, W.H.Patterson Fine Arts, London
2000: ‘A Select Seven’, W. H. Patterson Fine Arts, London
1997-99: Mixed shows: The Albany Gallery, Cardiff the Alresford Gallery, Alresford, Beaux Arts, Bath and Island Fine Art, Isle of Wight.
open exhibitions
Royal Society of Portrait Painters 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 to date
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011
Lynn Painter- Stainers Prize 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012
The Hunting Art Prizes finalist: 1998 , 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005
The First RWA Open Painting Exhibition 2001
The Discerning Eye: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2011
The Laing Art Competition: 2001
The New English Art Club: 1997 to date
Royal West of England Academy: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
Royal Institute of Oil Painters: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000 to date
Pastel Society: 1996 to date
Cheltenham Open Drawing: 1998
Bath Society of Artists: 1995 to date