Words: Gill Cooper
TEN years ago Pete Cromer left the corporate jungle and his career as a graphic designer with a greeting card giant behind.
It was a calculated risk the Surf Coast artist doesn’t regret at all.
Pete’s mission was to escape the rat race and fully explore his creative talents. Now an established artist, his colourful work featuring Australian wildlife is earning recognition and commercial success.
Pete’s fun abstract paper collages and quirky ceramic and resin artworks are both edging onto the world stage via a growing export trade, yet he is keen to return to abstract painting as a medium.
It’s almost full circle for the 37-year-old who grew up in Grovedale. After 10 years in Melbourne, Pete has settled on acreage at Mt Duneed, near Torquay, with his partner of 17 years.
Pete admits to “no ounce of sporting ability” yet still likes the ocean and going for walks on the beach and in the bush. Being surrounded by trees, birdlife and other wildlife inspires his art.
“I like the chilled vibes and peace of quiet of Torquay. This is our home, our community.”
Pete’s characteristic use of budgies first started when he was preparing for an exhibition two years ago at Outre Gallery in Elizabeth St, Melbourne. Now his wildlife art of all sorts is in high demand.
“Where we live we have lots of birdlife visiting – galahs and cockatoos and even gang gangs. I’m always drawn to birds – they just crack me up with their personalities,” Pete says.
He also uses other Australian animals such as koalas and kangaroos and platypus in his work.
“I’ve always been into art and studied graphic design. I gained a lot of experience working with Hallmark and taking freelance jobs. When we first left the city I did a design job in Geelong for two years whilst I worked on my art at home.
“Then I quit to try and make a career of my art at 32. It had been niggling at me for a while and I wanted to try it. I didn’t want to regret not giving it a real go.”
It was a brave leap that’s paying off.
“Things are going better than I dreamed,” he says.
“Overall it’s so busy now that Mark works full-time in the business producing the concrete druids and resin budgerigars to keep up with orders.”
Currently Pete’s range of prints, greeting cards, pins, keychains and resin budgies are also stocked at Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane airports in domestic and international terminal stores.
So far his biggest online export markets for his quirky collection are the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. His collage artwork has also been sold to buyers in the Netherlands and Oman.
Pete considers his new collaboration with homewares brand Maxwell & Williams “a really big deal for me”.
“The response when my collection of mugs and coasters was launched was amazing. Retailers and buyers have been so warm and positive about putting colour back into product.”
His cups and coasters are still rolling out with Maxwell & Williams nationally and internationally. Their products sell online and are stocked in Myer, Matchbox, House and independent stores.
Pete said he’s encountered “a huge learning curve” running a business enterprise at the same time as developing his art and now deliberately separates his creative studio from office admin duties.
He recently moved across to a larger studio space at Ashmore Arts in Torquay. It’s a great hub for other designers, painters, ceramic artists, sculptors, furniture makers, and even a blacksmith.
“There’s lots of inspiring art going on here – it’s an inspiring place to work with all sorts of people which is great,” Pete says.
“My earlier work was very abstract painting. I’ve been working a lot in paper and collage recently and really want to go back to my painting.”
His fresh focus for spring is pulling a body of work together for his next exhibition – a group show at the Outre Gallery during the AFL Grand Final weekend.
“I’m not afraid of failure,” Pete says.
“If it doesn’t work, it can always go on the bonfire!
