Time spent in nature is an integral component of my artistic practice - I am fuelled by a deep passion to share my life full of experiences in the Canadian wilderness.
Peter Potapoff is a contemporary realist painter who lives and works in Calgary, Alberta. Throughout a decades-spanning career, Peter has created emotive scenes which often feature unique aspects of the Canadian wilderness and the stories of its inhabitants.
Peter has won both provincial and national competitions for his highly esteemed wildlife paintings. In recent works he has been exploring Alberta’s diverse and beautiful landscape.
An avid outdoorsperson, Peter has spent hundreds of hours hiking and backpacking into remote areas in Canada to gather reference material. Over the years Peter has honed his observation skills, taking great care to observe the intricacies within the natural environment. This might be an interesting clump of bushes, details of a shoreline, or his personal favourite - watching the rhythmic movement of water. Along with observations he also completes sketches of what he sees, Peter says, “Taking even a few minutes to stop and observe something, possibly a quick sketch, imbeds this image into my memory - which ultimately enriches my paintings”. Working from a collection of photographs, sketches, and personal experiences Peter develops these into compositions for his acrylic paintings on panel.
Sharing his love of painting with those who wish to learn themselves is something that Peter is incredibly passionate about. He feels that it is his responsibility to share his knowledge and expertise with others in a joyous environment with a good dose of laughter. Peter always reminds his students that, “My greatest wish is for you not to paint as well as I do, if your skills surpass mine, I’ll be even happier”, he has taught many workshops throughout Western Canada.
As part of Peter's commission practice, he works closely with his clients to envision new works, many of which hang in private collections around the world.