Peter Barker RSMA | Royal Society of Marine Artists

River Derwent, Borrowdale

Oil

18 x 27.5 inches
Mevagissey Dawn

Pastel

19 x 27 inches
Padstow Harbour

Pastel

15 x 23
Moorings at Morston

Oil

14 x 20inches
By the Mussel Sheds

Oil

10 x 12 inches

About Peter Barker RSMA

Artist details wrap

Biography

Artist's Statement

Peter paints what he sees in oils, pastels and watercolours, using all of his faculties, and still gets a great kick out of people buying his work after 32 years painting for a living.

Method of Working

Peter paints both en plein air for smaller panels in oils, and in the studio for larger works. The larger paintings are worked up using his own photos displayed on a large screen - the next best thing to actually being before the subject. For oils Peter doesn't sketch out the composition, but rather goes straight in with a brush, then scrubs in the darks and works up the painting in layers, mostly using fast-drying Alkyd oils. For pastels, he sketches in first with charcoal and for watercolours in pencil before applying the slabs of colour or washes, respectively.

Biographical Details

1954 Born on 3rd January in Banbury, Oxfordshire

1969 Won under 16s Ford National Painting Competition

Became golf professional 1972-1983! Won some notable tournaments.

Started painting for a living Dec 1st 1983, entirely self taught, but received much early encouragement from renowned landscape artist, Caesar Smith.

1994 Filmed by Anglia Television for a short art slot on prime-time news.

2006 Won Frank Herring Award at the annual Pastel Society Exhibition

2009 Won Ranelagh Press Award and the Stanley Grimm Award at the ROI annual exhibition

2015 Opened up new art gallery - Peter Barker Fine Art in Uppingham www.peterbarkerfineart.co.uk

Society Memberships

Royal Society of Marine Artists

Other Society Memberships

Scholarships, Awards, Prizes

2012 Derwent Prize, Leics Pastel Society (LPS)

2009 Stanley Grimm Memorial Award and the Ranelagh Press Award, ROI

2009 Gadsby Prize, LPS

2008 Society Award, LPS

2007 Gadsby Prize, LPS

2007 Public's Favourite Painting, LPS

2006 Public's Favourite Painting, LPS

2006 Frank Herring Award, The Pastel Society

2003 Top-Ten Finalist, International Artist

1969 Outright Winner, Ford Under-18 National Painting Competition

Exhibitions

Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2016

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2015

Royal Society of Marine Artists Annual Exhibition 2015

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition 2014

Other exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Marine House Gallery

John Noott Gallery

Iona House Gallery

Ringstead Gallery

Spencer Coleman Fine Art

Stamford Artists Gallery

Group Exhibitions

Royal Institute of Oil Painters

Royal Society of Marine Artists

Pastel Society

Leicestershire Pastel Society

Publications

Featured in International Artist magazine and in Master Painters of the World, UK

Commissions

Approach to Commissions:

Peter is particularly drawn to boats and the English landscape and occasionally takes commissions for animal studies. He tends to work on location for smaller pieces and in the studio for larger works, using a combination of photographs and sketches. This artist is especially keen to retain some flexibility when working on commissions, which can take from a few days up to several weeks, depending on the size and complexity of the piece.

Notable Commissions:

Numerous private commissions.