Peter Barker RSMA’s (born in 1954) childhood was spent in the Oxfordshire countryside, where his inherent love of nature saw his conservation interests, bird-watching, fishing and breeding butterflies and moths, flourish. Peter also had an innate ability to draw and paint all he observed.
At 18 he started playing golf professionally, winning some notable tournaments, until his dormant artistic talent finally re-blossomed in 1983. Although self-taught, he did receive much early encouragement from renowned artist Caesar Smith and in 1985 the Stamford Artists Gallery accepted his work then in 1987, the Ringstead Gallery and in 1994, Anglia Television filmed Peter sketching by the River Welland and in the studio.
Peter paints landscape, marine, wildlife, still-life and portraits, both on a large and small scale and in many mediums including oil, pastel, acrylic or watercolour. He enjoys painting both ‘En plein air’ and in the studio at home in Rutland.
With numerous highly acclaimed solo exhibitions behind him, his work is in collections in the US and Australia. His work has also been accepted by the Pastel Society (winning the Frank Herring award), the Royal Institute of Oil Painters (winning the Ranelagh Press Award and the Stanley Grimm Memorial Award) and the Royal Society of Marine Artists at the Mall Galleries in London, of which he is a member.