Biography

Born in 1939 in the mill town of Colne, Lancashire, Peter showed promise as an artist from an early age. At age 14 he would venture out alone into the local environs to paint and draw; the old weaving town of Wycoller, Lancashire being one of his favourite haunts. His passion for creating art continued until his death in 2014 at the age of 74, by which time he had produced over 3500 works, in a myriad of styles and rich ensemble of subjects.

He met his wife Yvonne whilst in teaching college in Ormskirk and they married in 1961, growing to a family of four, with the arrival of 2 daughters by the middle of the decade.  As well as being a prolific artist, he continued as an art educator, sharing his talent in various schools and colleges for over 30 years. Here, he inspired hundreds of students with some featuring his works even now on Facebook demonstrating the length and breadth of his influence.

His great loves in life were art, music and cars.  His musical talent was commensurate with his artistic talent, although only pursued on a personal capacity apart from a short period whilst at college when he founded a jazz band.  He was an accomplished musician, mastering the clarinet, saxophone, piano, penny whistle, harmonica and organ. His own home even housed a Hammond organ which was the source of much revelry by visitors, and consternation by neighbours. 

It could be said that Peter was a man of contradictions. Throughout his life he owned numerous prestige cars yet eschewed the merits of home heating. He created beauty and detail in his works but thought nothing of decorating the family lounge in brown gloss paint bordered by strips of red electrical tape - to display his paintings to best effect.

As the only son of a motor mechanic who also drove a hearse for the local undertaker, Peter’s love of cars was perhaps piqued by this early life experience. Over his lifetime he owned a variety of vintage cars: Rolls Royce’s, Bentleys, Riley’s, Alvis and Jaguar’s. Although Peter admired these vehicles and beautifully depicted them in his later artworks, he was also a man of practicality. He thought nothing of dropping his daughters to school in a Rolls Royce hearse - not the ideal family car perhaps, but indicative of his personal values of quality over practicality.

Peter Miller lived a full and creative life, following his passions which he managed to enmesh into his life as well as his life’s work.