Otways Clearing

Peter Smales was born in London in 1958 and arrived in Australia in 1966. He started painting in his early teens, receiving early encouragement from the watercolourist C. Dudley Wood and Sir William Dargie. He attended the classes of Alan Martin and Ron Crawford, both students of Max Meldrum, who gave him tuition in the tonal realism style of painting. In 1983 Peter completed a Bachelor of Education at Melbourne State College, majoring in Painting. He subsequently taught painting and drawing there for three years. He returned to Europe in 1982 for a tour of the major art galleries. Peter is an eminent Melbourne based artist who has been associated with VAS for many years. His association to this society includes solo exhibitions and as a teacher. He is also a judge and a current member of the esteemed Twenty Melbourne Painters Society (since 1996).