Pete Ross is an artist with four decades of Art & Design experience who transitioned from full-time commercial work to personal creative projects in 2016. This career shift proved successful when his portrait “Yvonne and a Cup of Tea” was nominated as a finalist for the Black Swan Portrait Prize 2016 at the Art Gallery of Western Australia, followed by “Maria from Next Door” being selected as a semi-finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize 2016.

His cup artwork interprets the Australian landscape using bright, vibrant colours inspired by sunsets and native flora. Pete finds inspiration through environmental observation, studying micro-details in flowers and trees during drives. He frequently references native arrangements from Fremantle’s The Flower Hound florist for colour palettes.

Pete advocates strongly for arts support, noting that only 1% of Australian artists make a living from their work. He emphasizes that art sales typically fund supplies rather than profits, and artists create from necessity rather than financial motivation. His last exhibition was in March 2021 before COVID restrictions impacted the arts community.

Web: peterossart.com
Instagram: @peterossart