I hadn’t planned on painting the Coronation. It clashed with a murder mystery dinner party for Lisa’s birthday. But after being repeatedly asked by people if I was going to be there, I figured I could squeeze both events into one day . . . What could possibly go wrong? ‘Rain, Northumberland Avenue’  oil on canvas, 35 x 30 inches At the end of April, I was doing a large painting of a wet Northumberland Avenue. Walking back to the van, I saw a young man at his easel on the Trafalgar Square roundabout at the top of Whitehall where the Equestrian Statue of Charles I is situated. It was Rob ..read more

Here’s a short film of me in my studio. After my intro, you’ll get to see a couple of examples of how my #paintings progress from start to finish. Hope you enjoy! The post Painting in my Studio (short video) appeared first on Peter Brown ..read more

It was forecast snow for Friday morning all last week. I told the kids it’d be a snow day. It started falling Thursday evening – Ella’s birthday. It fell and it fell. I was up predictably in the dark. The hairdresser’s lights were on at the end of St James’s Street. So, I set up a 16 x 20 canvas in the falling snow and wind returning to the van to dry the canvas every twenty minutes. (I left the engine running all day – sorry environment!) There’s a weird effect when you are trying to move ice around the canvas to make the paint stick. It’s very soft. I then painted on board under the tailgat ..read more

It’s become something of a tradition in the Brown household for me to paint an interior and family portrait entitled ‘Christmas, Combe Park’. I’ve done one most years since 2015 at our home in Bath. The collection of images has become a chronicle of our five children growing up, and look out for cameo appearances from our decorative wicker penguin . . . Christmas, Combe Park, 2015   Christmas, Combe Park, 2016   Christmas, Combe Park, 2017   Christmas, Combe Park, 2018   Christmas, Combe Park, 2019   Christmas, Combe Park, 2021 You may have noticed that 202 ..read more

In the ten days following the death of the Queen, I completed five paintings of the public’s reaction to the proceedings. You can see them all in my online exhibition and here’s the story behind the paintings: Friday 9th September 2022 I was walking the dog in Bath in the early morning of 9th September, the day after the Queen died, and it suddenly occurred to me I should be at Buckingham Palace, so I headed quickly home and jumped into the van. I arrived in London mid-morning to find The Mall and the roads surrounding the palace closed to traffic. Walking from Admiralty Arch, The Mall was fil ..read more

It was not until after Christmas that I realised while flicking through a Messums brochure that my spring show in Harrogate was due to open on 5 February. This meant I had two weeks to see what I could produce, and I’d need to order frames ahead. “What time are you leaving in the morning, Dad?” “I dunno, four or something ridiculous.” “If you are staying up all week, an hour here or there won’t matter, will it?” From the mouths of 14-year-old girls . . . When my wife Lisa asked the same question later that Sunday evening I said “Shortly after I get up, whenever that is.” I am slowing a bit ..read more

I’m often contacted by students who want to pick my brains for advice, tips and pointers. Recently, I answered a series of great questions from Collette Connell, an illustration student at UWE Bristol, and I thought I’d share my answers here too. Do you have any advice on self-promotion? The world has changed since I started flogging charcoal drawings and prints on street corners in Bath. Back then, this was a great way to start – getting under everyone’s noses day-in, day-out in a small city. So I made ground locally. And even now, being seen ‘doing it’ is hugely valuable. Being in the same p ..read more

I always paint for exhibitions. My show at Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery finished in February and Johnny Messum had just offered me a show in London in November. I was panicking a bit. This was a short lead time to come up with fifty top-drawer works. I had also just finished my artist’s residency at Stonyhurst College and was gearing up for an exhibition there. I’d had the work photographed, the catalogue was being put together and the paintings (30 oil sketches of college life) were on their way to the framer. Then COVID-19 arrived, and our lives began to change dramatically. Firstly, eve ..read more

Fancy painting alongside me in Istanbul?  I’m very-much looking forward to my next trip with Spencer Scott Travel, in association with The Artist magazine to experience ‘East Meets West’ in this magical city. Dates: 26th April – 6th May 2019 Here’s info from Spencer Scott Travel: Istanbul is intoxicating. The early dawn light heralds the magic of East meeting West as the mist lingers over the Bosphorus. The defined lines of minarets and beautiful colours of domed mosques glow by day and then as the sun sets and dusk approaches this spectacular silhouette softens. Istanbul is a busy ..read more