Peter Allan Rice

Artist Biography

Peter Allan Rice was born in Toronto, but spent most of his childhood years living in rural locations within or around the great Canadian Shield. The early influence of playing and exploring among the rocks, water, and trees were to have a strong influence on his art in later years. Peter's love for artistic interpretation led him to obtain a degree in Visual Arts at Guelph University in 1977. Here, he was able to study and experiment with all varieties of artistic expression in his search for his ideal medium. That search ended with stained glass. Peter began to create his own unique images of the pines and waterways that had been a big part of his life while growing up. Peter's earlier pieces were created on a two-dimensional plane depicting sweeping skies, and wind blown pines. His desire to grow and explore the sculptural possibilities of stained glass, resulted in Peter's angling of sections of glass to create three-dimensional effects. He began to place glass pine trees apart from the flat background, so they became a silhouetted image. Peter's strong desire to create a technique he could truly call his own, led him to the development of his present technique. Peter takes great care in his selection of glass and gives his attention to the smallest detail. As the changing light passes through his glass sculptures, the beauty of a misty Muskoka morning, the pristine freshness of snow covered pines, or an Algonquin landscape ablaze in autumn's glory, can be fully enjoyed and appreciated time and again.