Peter was born in 1946 in Middlesex, England. On leaving school he went straight into his first job as a studio junior for a card company where his innate artistic talent was recognised. There he spent five years studying lettering and design – his first artistic training – which gave him a solid grounding in colour awareness and formal structure. Wileman then moved on to become art editor on a number of magazines, until finally he tired of the rat-race and set himself up as a freelance illustrator. His years of experience stood him in good stead, covering as they did, all aspects of design and illustration. Working freelance gave Peter the opportunity to concentrate on his painting, and he has produced a substantial body of highly expressive work inspired by Britain’s coves and harbours. His large-scale compositions have a painterly quality derived from the apparent vigour of the brushstrokes and the impression of spontaneous creativity, which make them both dramatic and uplifting.
