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Ottoman
Tiles displayed on the walls.
Part of the
collection of plaster casts
The
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Alice
in Wonderland
The
Phoenix and the Carpet
 The
Borrowers
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A terraced Georgian house behind the Royal Crescent in Bath, the world heritage city built on classical principles, serves as the perfect setting for Peter Malone to live and work. Shared with his wife Helen, a picture restorer, their two young daughters and a free-range rabbit, the art created and the displayed collections mingle seamlessly. As an informed and inveterate collector, Peter's taste for the classical is evident everywhere in the Grade II listed house. His collection of Ottoman Tiles form a striking counterpoint to his collection of classical casts, that once graced every art school in the country, only to be consigned to the scrap heap in the name of innovation. But Peter's cultured and intelligent approach to his craft is underpinned by a love of the classical.
After studying at Winchester and Coventry Schools of Art, Peter Malone spent three years painting and endeavouring to establish a career as a painter. He supported himself by teaching drawing, painting and design at Bournemouth School of Art. During that time a period of about four years was spent as a studio assistant to Howard Hodgkin. Framing and mounting Howard's extensive collection of Indian Miniature painting contributed to Peter's fascination with the genre, and persists to this day. His admiration of their focus and the concise manner in which they communicate through their drawing and handling of space and colour, can be clearly seen in the way that they have influenced his illustration work.
It was as a way of generating extra income, that Peter initially began to seek illustration work, and he was recommended by a designer to approach The Artworks. The portfolio of work that he first showed, while patently not the finished article, was nevertheless extremely accomplished and over a period of time Peter worked with us to produce a portfolio that demonstrated the calibre ofwork that has delighted publishers worldwide.
The very first commission that we received for Peter was a series of illustrations of Bible Stories from the Old Testament for one of Running Press's Miniature Editions. This series of gem-like paintings at 2.5"x3" distilled all of the richness of Italian Primitive painting into their tiny format and the subsequent success of the books as well as the sale of original artwork was notable.
Bible Stories: Running Press Miniature Editions
From that moment on the commissions flowed as publishers vied to utilise the services of his very considerable talent. The majority of the publishers that commission Peter tend to do so on a repeat basis. Orion Books, for example, his main British publishers, have to date published four books illustrated by Peter.
The Forest Child: Orion Books
The first was Forest Child, written by Richard Edwards a magical tale of a wild child.His subsequent collaboration with Kevin Crossley-Holland has been extremely prolific.
In the US his main publishers have been Chronicle Books, who first published Star Shapes a magical book introducing young children to constellations in the night sky, complete with stars that reflect in the dark.
 Star Shapes: Chronicle Books
This book, conceived by Ian Butterworth and packaged by The Artworks Press was followed very shortly by The Magic Flute, a re-telling for young readers of the story that forms the basis of the Mozart Opera. Stunningly illustrated in a very theatrical fashion and packaged with an audio cd the book is still in print and continues to sell well.
The Magic Flute: Chronicle Books
And not all of his books have been for children. The Chronicle list has proved an ideal vehicle for his illustrated gift books. The Possibility of Angels and Gardens of the Imagination, both collaborations with Sophie Biriotti are a perfect blend of the literary and the visual and provide ample scope for Peter's idiosyncratic take on the classical. Informed in part by his admiration for Poussin and the love of all things classical, the series of paintings that adorn the inspired literary collections show Peter at his witty best. Playful allusions to an eclectic collection of images are given a very individual twist that serves the subject well.
And the success of the treatment has been used to further success in his series of paintings for At the Opera, a collection of the most important operas, retold by Anne Fiery. Scheduled for publication in 2003 the sumptuous collection will be the perfect vehicle to introduce the uninitiated to this wonderful artform as well as informing its already adoring fans.
At the Opera to be published by Chronicle Books
The theatrical vein continues with the creation for Random House of an illustrated version of Peter and the Wolf, with a retelling by Janet Schulman. Like the Magic Flute, it will be packaged with a specially commissioned cd recording of the text together with the orchestration and will even further enhance the reputation of this considerable artist.
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