Early on, Andy Peters lived in Santa Fe and painted throughout northern New Mexico for 10 years. He was following the lead of the Taos Society of Artists whose work rang truest. Creating hundreds of paintings done while on the move, he learned to capture the fleeting effects of light and how it determines form. And most importantly, he spent his days in beautiful, pristine places.

He sought new vistas and landscapes throughout the West, often on mountain horse packing trips with artist friends from Prix de West. “We see new country on horseback like the Native Americans, early mountaineers and Carl Rungius. It’s a 19th century experience with freedom from modern distractions. Each day we ride and paint, sharing artistic conundrums, joys and dramatic scenery. We wear the weather like a second skin and sleep on the ground. Coming out of the backcountry, our mules file down the trail, packing slotted boxes of wet paintings with the camp gear.”

Recently, Peters returned to painting birds; his original genre and lifelong passion. He was awarded the Major General and Mrs. Don D. Pittman Wildlife Award at Prix de West in 2020 for Pleistocene Messengers. In 2015, he received the Prix de West Purchase Award for his oil painting The Lake of Glass. He regards that award as the highest of his career.

His home, Hazel Dell, is surrounded by restored Bluestem prairie and native Burr oak forest in the Loess Hills of Council Bluffs, Iowa. His studio overlooks wetlands he created for wildlife diversity and scenic beauty. Public school classes and artist groups visit him to paint and learn. His favorite pastimes include fly fishing and upland hunting with his beloved bird dog, Robin.