The Queen and I

He may have had a 'lucky break' when he painted the Queen but it's certainly more than luck that has landed 26-year-old Pete Hawkins exhibitions in Guernsey and London. Zoe Ash met the young artist who is taking inspiration from traditional island life WHEN A-level art student Pete Hawkins was asked to paint a picture of the Queen to commemorate her opening of a new block at Radley College, Oxfordshire, he couldn't have guessed that it would provide a springboard for his career.

'I didn't really want to do it at first, I thought it was a bit naff,' he said. But he took inspiration from a photograph he had seen in a glossy magazine and painted it in the style of American painter Chuck Close.

Pete's 5ft by 6ft painting showed the Queen in a striking magenta outfit. And when she turned up at the school, he had a real shock.

'She was wearing almost exactly the same as in my painting. Same coat, same brooch, same earrings, it was unbelievable.'

Press photographers from across the world took more than a passing interest in the uncanny similarity between subject and painting.

'It was quite funny actually,' said Pete. 'The Duke of Edinburgh walked past and said something like, "Oh no, not another bloody painting".'

Suddenly, Pete found his work on the front pages of newspapers from Hong Kong to Canada, even hitting the society pages of Hello! magazine.

'One of the press took a cracking photo of her walking away with a big smile on her face and the painting in the background.'

After his 15 minutes of fame, he was inundated with commissions. These kept him busy during the summer holidays but he decided to reject his art roots and opted for a degree in business studies at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

In that time his family moved to Guernsey, and Pete became a regular visitor.

'I didn't really know what to do and I wasn't sure about going to art college,' said Pete.

At 23, he moved to London and got a job in advertising sales working for Heart FM, a popular capital radio station. But it wasn't long before Pete was drawn back to his creative roots. A couple of years afterwards he picked up his paintbrushes and started taking the odd commission.

'I did about three or four and thought I could try to make this work. I was at the age when if it didn't work out, it didn't really matter.'

He worked out how much money he would need to get set up and spent the next six months saving every penny.

Then he quit his job in finance and on 29 September jumped into his car with his girlfriend, Emma, and drove to Spain to start a new life as a full-time painter.

The couple headed south-west to Cadiz, eventually settling in the little town of Conil de la Frontera. They rented a flat in an old convent and Pete didn't have to go far for inspiration. He had views stretching beyond the coast of Spain to Africa from his own roof terrace.

'I didn't plan things, I just wanted to see what happened when I got there. I ended up painting a lot of different things, everything from Spanish bulls to old men standing around chatting and dominoes.'

But he didn't like the direction in which his style was heading. It was becoming too smooth and uniform.

'You couldn't see the individual brush strokes any more. Someone said to me: "The reason I'm buying your paintings is because they are different". He wanted to buy into a different style.'

By now Pete's work was evolving with every piece until he had developed a very distinctive style.

He successfully picked up many commissions in Spain, one from a rather unusual source.

'A man rang me the day I was leaving and commissioned me to do a painting.

'He'd been on the front page of the paper the day before because he had been trampled by cows and was literally left for dead. He wanted a reminder,' explained Pete.

Last Christmas he set up his own website and gave the address to as many people as he could and the commissions started trickling in.

Pete is based in Guernsey now and plans to be here for about a year while his girlfriend completes a photographic diploma at the London College of Printmaking.

'I love Spain but missed home and seeing my friends. It's brilliant to be back and this is the business of my job, really.

'The people I'm mainly selling to are young couples who have quite decent jobs and are moving into their own homes, and Guernsey is brilliant for that.'

Returning from Spain earlier this year, he stopped off in Greece for almost two months. If painting the Queen was Pete's first lucky break, he was about to get his second.

'We met a girl there whose dad owns an art gallery in London,' he said.

Pete was offered a week-long exhibition at the Cosa Gallery in Notting Hill, opening on 4 December.

'You have to think more about who you're selling to with the London market. I'm hoping to get lots of commissions from the show and meet people who will help me get to the next stage,' he said.

The Magnolia Tree art gallery at Sausmarez Manor has pipped London to the post, though, and Pete's first exhibition will be on home soil. Just.

'It's very nerve-racking. It's all your work, you've been doing it for a year and you know it more than anyone. Suddenly it's out in the open and you want people to like it. I'm quite positive but you're always a bit doubtful,' he said.

Pete is able to self-impose a strict time schedule on his work, often the downfall of an artist, sticking to an almost nine-to-five routine.

'I'm much more focused here in Guernsey and I'm painting more,' he said.

The exhibition is very much island-based and predominantly features Guernsey cows. It was when he was in London that he first received a commission to paint the animals and instantly he was hooked. So were others.

'I got an unbelievable reaction from everybody with the painting of cows, especially from people who were living in London who wanted a little piece of the countryside,' said Pete.

He spent time photographing the Guernsey beasts and was instantly drawn to their inquisitive nature as they pressed their wet noses into the hood of his camera.

'They're so cool, really pretty and very photogenic, especially the Guernsey ones,' he said.

'I've definitely got my signature style now.

'It was luck really. It's just all turned out rather well.'

* Pete Hawkins' work can be seen at the Magnolia Tree gallery, Sausmarez Manor, from 16 November until 23 December. Opening hours are 10am to 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday. His work is priced from £500.

For more information about Pete and his work, go to www.pete-hawkins.co.uk.