Truth and deceit.
Two words that sum up the media landscape for still life artist Peter Kotka. They have also been the inspiration for his latest painting of the same name, which features in his forthcoming exhibition in Stratford, UK.
"The painting is about a bottle and a glass which are plausible, but when you analyse inside all is not what it seems," explains Peter who has been a professional artist for the past 30 years.
"There will be 25 of my paintings on show including the first ever one that I did in 1980; a very poor river scene," he says. "Three of the paintings are from my own private collection. I have been a landscape painter and this exhibition will feature two of my Stratford landscapes."
Peter's largest ever exhibition takes place at Waterside Fine Art in Stratford from October 12.
Peter Kotka was born in 1951. His mother was English and his father Estonian. Peter started his working life as a toolmaker and designer of aluminium extrusion dies but began to paint in 1979. Entirely self-taught, he turned professional in 1983. He has an absolute love of oil painting and especially admires the 17th century masters of Dutch painting, which is reflected in his own work. Since 1995, after seeing the work of Estonian artist Olav Maran, Peter decided to review his paintings and started researching still life painters such as Willem Kalf and De Heem.
He has experimented with priming his own panels and canvases with different colours, then painting with thick and thin paint and glazing on top, in the way of the old masters. This has developed a style with detail and atmosphere essential in his portrayal of fruit and cheeses. "Recently I have changed the view point for some of my paintings, to give them a bold contemporary look," he says. Peter Kotka originals are in private collections all over the world, with some noted collectors. In 2008 Peter won two prizes in Californian exhibitions including the best still life painting. His images have been reproduced on greetings cards, collectors plates and limited edition giclėe prints. Peters work also graces the walls of one of Britain's finest boutique hotel chains. He is listed in the latest edition of Artists in Britain since 1945, a who's who in British art, two volume edition.
