Peter Lewin is a passionate artist and photographer with a wide range of skills and artistic interests. He has produced photographic work from five continents, and over 20 countries, travelling as far as the southern tip of the Americas (Ushuaia), Europe, Australia, New Zealand and beyond. He has travelled extensively throughout Europe, the Baltic and the Mediterranean, creating a proud body of work and documenting each stage of his travels with limited edition books.
Peter was born in Hereford, England. Growing up in the 1950’s Peter attended Hereford Cathedral Preparatory school where he achieved a scholarship to be a Cathedral Chorister. Life as a chorister was demanding. It involved studying advanced, technical choral arrangements, frequent performances and broadcasting live on the BBC. As head chorister at the age of 13 he performed solo for Queen Elizabeth II during one of her Royal visits in 1957. Later, while teaching in London, he won a choral scholarship to the Royal College of Music to study voice.
He has a broad technical background beginning with his ONC training as an Industrial Chemist in the UK. He emigrated to Canada in 1969 to pursue his Bachelors of Education from the University of Calgary with a major in Art. He has 33 years of teaching experience specializing in Visual communications, Industrial Education, and Fine arts. He was involved in curriculum development for both practical and fine arts with the Calgary Board of Education while teaching in Junior, Senior and Vocational High Schools.
He achieved his Graduate Gemologist Diploma (GIA) with honours and has a Certified Masters with the American Society of Gem Cutters. He developed his company Stone & Gem Creations which provided custom jewellery, design work, appraisals, and repairs for 38 years. He has given numerous workshops and demonstrations at trade shows. He was master of ceremonies for an International Symposium of Gem Cutters held in Calgary and lectured on gemstone identification.
He specialized in gemological appraisal photography and custom gem cutting for clients including Western Trigon, Wong Kens Jewelry, Jewels by Maxime, Maralago Gold & Silver, Wild Rose Jewellers, Calgary Jewellers, The Goldsmiths, Jewels by Design and a host of other top clients and agencies.
Peter has been practising the art of photography for over 50 years. Starting at a very young age he loved working with film and developing prints of his own work. During his teaching years he brought his expertise in the darkroom to his classroom. He now follows his passion into an array of digital formats.
Peter has produced photography for private and corporate clients. His corporate portfolio includes work for Brookfield Property Management, Suncor Energy, 5th Avenue Place, Heritage Pointe Golf & Country Club, and Brian Ogden Insurance.
In 2014, Peter rediscovered his love for painting and its therapeutic value after a major open heart surgery. Peter has turned his passion for art and design to the world of watercolour and acrylic painting specializing in rural landscapes, wildlife, and portraiture. His favourite works incorporate elements of his extensive travel and scenes from countryside near his rural Alberta home. His love of the outdoors, the prairies, foothills and the rivers within, became his constant source of inspiration. Peter is an active and a juried member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and has participated in a number of collaborative showings in Calgary. He is currently teaching and instructing acrylics and watercolours for the Sheep Creek Arts Council Community Centre in Turner Valley, Alberta.