Peter Quinn ARWS

Peter Quinn is an artist who seeks subject matter both in the everyday of his own locality and in more far-flung locations. He is well known for brightly coloured watercolours of interesting buildings, boats and street scenes. Peter graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1986, and lives in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where he divides his time between painting and teaching Art History.

Born in Dumfries in the South West of Scotland (1960) Peter attended Glasgow School of Art (1982-7). Moving to the North East of England in 1990, he wrote a PhD thesis on the Nineteenth Century local artists. He teaches art history to a wide range of students in Newcastle and Sunderland. A regular visitor to Malta he has exhibited there frequently. Peter’s watercolours are in private collections in Malta, Scotland and England.

Exhibitions

Awards

• Daler Rowney Prize (2nd Prize) awarded at 21st Century Watercolour, the RWS Open Exhibition held at Bankside Gallery, London (2004).
• Daler Rowney Prize (1st Prize) awarded at 21st Century Watercolour, the RWS Open Exhibition held at Bankside Gallery, London (2001)
• Best Architectural Watercolour Painting at the Annual Exhibition of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (1999)
• Armour Award, Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts (1995)
• Carnegie Travelling Scholarship, Royal Scottish Academy Student Competition (1986)

Collections

Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries (formerly part of the Scottish Arts Council collection)

Membership

I am the Honorary Treasurer of the Bewick Society. The aim of the Bewick Society is to promote an interest in the life and work of Thomas Bewick and related subjects, especially with regard to wood-engraving. Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) was Northumberland’s greatest artist, wood-engraver and naturalist. The Society was originally formed to safeguard his birthplace, Cherryburn. For more information go to http://www.bewicksociety.org.

Subject Matter

I seek subject matter both in the everyday of my own locality and in more far-flung locations. My watercolours are frequently brightly coloured and I am intrigued by the possibilities of experimenting with unconventional painting techniques. I am usually drawn to out-of the way places such as the fringes of cities or the edges of marketplaces preferring them to the more-obviously picturesque spots. I like to incorporate the messy detail of modern life (signs, wires) and the erasures and accumulations of history. I have made trips to Italy, France and India in the last few years and I am a regular visitor to Malta.

Peter Quinn ARWS