Artist Bio

Peter Smyth is an artist/photographer living and working in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. Drawn by an interest in figurative painting, he received his art training at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. While working as a train mechanic by night, he attended classes during the day, and was awarded consecutive Erhman and half-tuition scholarships and the Bucciarelli Prize for Drawing, among others, and is represented in the permanent collection of the PAFA Fellowship.

Inspired by his experience with the night-shift, Peter worked for decades solely in monochrome, attempting to capture on site the train yard's eerie disquieting mood and sense of place. His mediums include charcoal, oils, graphite, and photography. An award-winning photographer, his more recent photo images have taken a new direction: a reawakening interest both in color and abstraction.

In addition to visual art he loves music and is a self-taught singer/songwriter. A published writer, he is currently working on a collection of narrative essays on art.