Painter returns to palette to capture farming life

Artist Peter Wallfried was an art teacher for about 35 years but since retirement, has held about nine solo exhibitions depicting Australia's unique farmscapes and the bustling activity of harvest.

In 1973, Peter landed at Geranium Area School, SA, to begin a compulsory three-year stint in the country after teachers college, and later, also taught at Port Augusta.

"I wanted to be an artist but my parents talked me into becoming an art teacher for financial stability," he said.

But, what seemed like nothing short of a culture shock and a potential bad decision for the then 20-year-old Peter from the city, became a defining part of his career.

"I went from living in the city and going to concerts, to suddenly, the Post Office was the only shop in town - it was a shock," he said.

"At the time I did not appreciate it but later in my career, I realised the view of open cropping land from the home I rented had a big impact on me as an artist."

Peter's parents arrived from Germany in the 1950s and settled in Nhill, Vic, to begin their life in Australia and Peter believed this also had a profound impact on his art career.

"I think the landscapes from the farming district had an impression on me at a really young age," he said.

"Once we took the train from Nhill to Perth and I remember seeing all of those different landscapes."

All of this exposure gave Peter an appreciation of farmscape beauty and its ability to record time, even after bushfires.

The Pinery fire was a 'beauty from ashes' moment for Peter, who began capturing the landscape and skeletons of historic buildings and family homes.

"Initially when I was taking photos of burnt-out homes, people were a bit suspicious, but once I started talking to the families, they ended up showing me different buildings on their properties - sharing their story," he said.

These roadside chats with farming families at a difficult time opened up more opportunities for Peter than he expected.

"I think it definitely helped some families grieve. Many wives bought paintings and shared with me how their husbands had to fight the fire. Many bought a painting but put it away, and said one day, in the future, they might be able to look at it," he said.

Mallala farmer John Lush opened the Pinery fire exhibition and gave an emotional account of how the community was affected.

"It really reinforced what I was trying to do for those families," Peter said.

Since then, the Balaklava Courthouse Gallery has become a regular home to Peter's exhibitions.

"I think it is an appropriate place to showcase country life," he said.

The gallery also tied in well with one of his favourite pastimes - watching harvest trucks rumble past at the Mallala intersection.

"I enjoy sitting on the bench out the front of the supermarket at harvest time to watch the never-ending line of trucks carrying grain go past. You can see a cloud of dust which appears ahead of time," Peter said.

Peter also held, Summer on the Plains, after visiting Mid North towns which carried 'Plains' in its name.

"I painted places at Wild Horse Plains and Cooke Plains, and others. I took hundreds of photos and created an exhibition of paintings I created from them," Peter said.

Most of Peter's paintings are often a combination of many scenes which are captured in a particular area.

"The background and foreground of a painting can be from different places in the same area - for composition," he said.

But, whether or not Peter is watching harvest unfold before his eyes or walking through a machinery graveyard, Peter can a find a spark of inspiration to ignite a new painting.

"I might pull over to watch and take a photo of a harvester plough through crops and before I know it, a farmer will pull over for a chat to find out more," he said.

Picking up the paint palette and returning to art was a good decision for Peter and he hoped others felt enjoyment when viewing his paintings.

"My style is fairly realistic and what you see is what you get. I hope people see the same as I do in the painting but with fresh eyes," he said.

"It is like being a tourist in your own country, I might see things a bit different to those that live in these towns."