Pete Marshall
Australia
"I have learned to look on nature ....... and have felt a presence which disturbs me with elevated thoughts ...... of something more deeply interfused." William Wordsworth.
Born in UK, and qualifying at Liverpool University, Pete has owned successful veterinary practices in both UK and Australia. After retiring from practice, Pete developed her new passion and career in art specializing in wildlife and environmental works which has evolved from just painting wildife to something deeper - a bigger picture!
Pete has travelled the world visiting wilderness areas and conservation projects to gather research material for her diverse art works. Her passion is for wildlife and environmental subjects, and her paintings hang in international, national and private collections. On visiting these projects such as the Jane Goodall Centre, Polar Bears International, Loro Parque Parrot Foundation, India's Tiger Project and Africat in Namibia among many, Pete donates art work to them to promote their causes, raising awareness and funds. Closer to home, Dingo Discovery, the Australian Branch of Orangutan International, Zonta Cairns fund for cancer research and Eyes For Africa - a group who perform cataract surgery in Ethiopia - have all benefitted with funds and art works.
As invited Guest Artist to Singinawa Jungle Lodge Tiger Project Magyar Pradesh, and then to the Inaugural Bird Festival, in India, she proudly presented a major work to the Chief Minister of Uttah Pradesh for his collection.
Along the journey she has been invited as a Signatory Member of Australian Guild of Realist Artists, The Society of Animal Artists USA, The Colored Pencil Society of America and Artists For Conservation, Canada, and she has had many works juried into their exhibitions.
Other major international exhibitions which have selected her works include Birds in Art USA , The Holmes Award for Realist Bird Art Australia, The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize, The Richeson 75 Wildlife Exhibition USA, and Artists Info UK.
Major Awards include Best in Show for Wildlife Artists Society of Australia, Cairns Art Society, Innisfail Art Society and Mission Beach Arts Society. Award of Excellence, Holmes Exhibition for Australian Realist Bird Art, Peoples Choice Victoria Royal Agricultural Show. She was also honoured with an Australia Day award for services to art.
Major commissions include stamps for Australia Post, murals for Royal Agricultural Society, Victoria, road signage for Cassowary Coast.
Publications including her works are Strokes of Genius and Richeson Animal and Bird Art USA, Australian Artist and Australian Veterinary Journal, Aus Geo Art Calendar and RSPCA Calendar, Feather and Brush: a History of Australian Bird Art and Inspiration Wild: An Artistic Celebration of Nature and Environment,
Pete is Senior Art Advisor to the developing Wildlife Art Museum of Australia Foundation and Global Ambassador and Chair of the Artists For Conservation Advisory Committee for Strategic Cooperation, Canada. In this latter position, she opened the 2nd International AFC Exhibition at Qingdao, China in 2019. Currently she is on the Board of The Atherton Tablelands Foundation, Queensland, where she is leading an exciting art project to put together a national exhibition of art works to celebrate, draw attention to, and promote the environment and ecology of the region, with its subsequent flora and fauna, the origin of much in Australia.
Let us celebrate the joy of elevated thoughts while realising the we have a duty of care for future generations to preserve the biodiversity of this planet on which we all live. Can I encourage these feelings through my art?
Let us love what we have to care for, and care for what we have learned to love.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
