As Pete got older and too big for his dad’s lap, he continued his love of art, now drawing his own ideas. In school he started being recognized for his talent by his teachers and peers. This drove him to draw even more. Bringing smiles to people’s faces was thrilling and very flattering. At the same time it was a big release. Having a dream or idea and being able to project that into reality on a canvas or paper was enlightening.
Pete’s life went on, and married life as well as raising a family hampered his time to draw and paint. It wasn’t until he reached his mid thirties that he started to find time again for art and an old but new love for oil painting, which remains his primary medium. He discovered new inspirations as well, in the likes of Norman Rockwell and Boris Vallejo. Pete realized this was what he wanted to do.
Once again he was putting his dreams on canvas, leaning more and more towards fantasy worlds. Friends and strangers alike found his work exciting and soon were requesting portraits of themselves in their own fantasies and dreams. Often Pete would find someone he imagined would be an interesting subject, so he would then create another new and exciting depiction from his imagination.
One afternoon after meeting Gene Simmons from the rock band KISS, Pete displayed several pieces of art he had done of the extremely visual group. Soon after he dound one of his paintings in the 1996 KISS/Marvel publication KISSNATION. It was a thrill that fired up Pete’s passion for his craft even more.
Pete participated in his first art show and contest at ConnCon, a convention held annually in Connecticut for gamers and role players. Pete took ‘best in show’ honors three years in a row, and to this day he still attends the convention to meet other artists and display new pieces that continue to delve into the fantasy realm.
He continues to paint commissioned pieces of fantasy for private collections or has an occasional idea or dream that he simply needs to put down on canvas for his own peace of mind. Now and then he will receive requests for public appearances in schools and from book stores to show his artwork and tell the stories behind them.
“Most of my paintings start with some small story and I try to make that somewhat obvious when you see the image. I just thank God for the talent he gave me and the opportunity to share it with others… Cuz, when I paint my dreams, my paintings set me free!” -Pete
