I’ve fallen in love with Pete Cromer art. I have butterflies in my stomach, I don’t want to eat in front of it and I get giddy when it sends me a text message. It’s definitely love. Today on the blog I’m showcasing some stunning pieces from this Melbourne artist – and trust me when I say they’re nothing short of extraordinary!
I know that a picture speaks a thousand words – so the ones in this post should have already won you over, but let me tell you a bit about Pete and his work.
Having spent his early years working for Hallmark and brands like Penny Scallan – designing a tonne of greeting cards in the process (my dream job), Pete tells me that his fascination with making things was present at an early age.
“I had no interest in anything else,” he tells me about his formative years. “Sport was downright hideous and maths, well, thank the stars for Google! I just like to make stuff and play with colour and shape”.
A graphic design graduate, Pete decided to fly solo only recently and begin working for himself, resulting in a website of amazing art that has to be seen to be believed.
“Something clicked – and I said to myself ‘do this or you’ll regret it’,” he explains. “So I did. Regret is something I don’t want hanging over my shoulders”.
I’m always fascinated by how artists come up with their ideas and how they translate that concept into something real and tangible. For Pete, the ideas often come to him out of nowhere.
“I find they mostly pop up on random occasions, like driving or showering or talking to someone. It happens like a lightening bolt. BAM! There it is”.
The bird prints you see above are by far my fave pieces. There’s a variety available on Pete’s website, but these four are my top picks. The colours, the shapes, the fact that they’re birds (I do have an obsession with bird decor); it all comes together to result in some very amazing art that feels modern and eye-catching.
“I did the Galah and Cockatoo first,” Pete tells me when I ask him how he creates them. “It starts with a sketch that generally doesn’t look like anything amazing (well, to me it does). Then from there it’s all about building the shapes. I do this with stencils and my favourite tool – the sponge – so it’s kind of like screen printing. The birds were all created with a pile of random painted shapes that I compiled digitally, like a puzzle”.
Pete tells me that there are always new art pieces coming to mind. His most recent work is a collaboration with Laura Blythman, which they plan to expand on and develop further in the coming months. He is always up for collaborating with others, too, and is planning on touring with his work shortly to expose it to a wider audience.
CLICK HERE to hit Pete’s website and explore his work.
CLICK HERE if you’d like to see his collaboration with Laura Blythman.
