artist printmaker
Peter Town is a born storyteller, gifted with an ability to translate both everyday quirks and deeper philosophical musing through his work. Often using strong lines, striking colours and symbolism in his pictures, Town has built a vibrant portfolio.
Born in Bethnal Green, he grew up in Liverpool and was later educated at Bath Academy of Art and the Royal College of Art. Taking advantage of his ability to communicate ideas visually, he went on to enjoy a successful career as a designer while he continued to paint and develop his artistic style through drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking.
While many of Town’s paintings use strong shapes and primary colours, such as the Stairscapes series, others are quieter and more contemplative, representing a more tranquil inner space.
His Abstracts series features works where the narrative is more ambiguous but ever-present. He sees landscapes, interior spaces and natural forms as abstract shapes and colours, transcribing these in his unique style onto paper and canvas.
#capturingalikeness – observation and perception 01
Walking round the National Gallery while thinking about my portrait project, I snapped these close-ups of paintings I liked, selecting them for their range of styles and treatments. Live models would have been used by the artists in all cases, but in some, only as a starting point.
#naturalforms – fluid sculpture 03
I cannot work without wearing gloves, no matter how careful I am I always end up covered in paint, so I wear these vinyl gloves, which in this case have turned themselves into an artwork.
#connectinginterlocking – leading to other places 01
While hiking through woodlands I was delighted to find this perfect example of a natural bridge formed by a tree that had fallen across a steep ditch. Firmly anchored at both ends it provides a stable crossing point.
#structuralcurves – noble grandeur 01
This doorway on Lincoln Cathedral’s north side is a feast of decorative arches and curves that build an illusion of great depth while drawing the eye ever upwards. Only the door openings are structural, while the two outer arches elegantly fill what would otherwise have been a blank wall.
These fake windows are in the boundary wall of what was the Ealing Asylum, intended purely as decoration on an otherwise blank wall. One wonders what was on the reverse.
#naturalforms – fluid sculpture 02
Mixing the basic colours in various combinations to give me an idea of what combinations are available, here I am adding black in various degrees to the base colour.
