About
Dan Peterson studied art at the Cardiff School of Print and Cardiff School of Art and Design. He has worked as illustrator and designer for over thirty years. In 2011 he accompanied the British Army to Helmand Province as an Official War Artist and is the artist behind the first pack of Welsh Political Figures collectible playing cards. In 2015 he accompanied Royal Navy personnel, as a reportage illustrator, on board HMS Bulwark during Operation Weald, saving the lives of Refugees and Migrants off the coast of Libya in the Mediterranean. He is an Associate Lecturer in Illustration at the Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University
A brief career breakdown [in chronological order from 1986–present]: sign writer – trainee | illustrator – part time | cardiff school of print – ND design and reprographics | in-house – graphic designer / studio manager | territorial army – recruit > staff sergeant| graphic designer – freelance | design agency – studio manager / art director | graphic designer – freelance | design, advertising and marketing agency – art / design director > creative director | design agency – managing director / creative director | cardiff school of art and design – BA Hons illustration 1:First Class Honours | mountain leader | war artist – afghanistan | freelance illustrator | associate tutor, cardiff school of art and design | reportage illustrator – HMS Bulwark, Royal Navy – Mediterranean
Exhibitions and Publications and Commissions: 1991: Y Belen Iorwerth – book | 1995: Introduction to Medical Electronics – book | 2011: Welsh Political Figures playing cards – publication | Western Mail – editorial feature | 2012: BBC Wales – web feature | Senedd, National Assembly for Wales – exhibition | Senedd, National Assembly for Wales – exhibition | BBC Radio Wales – interview | Western Mail – news article | South Wales Echo – news article | Cardiff School of Art and Design, Cardiff Metropolitan University – visiting speaker | Wales Millennium Centre – art workshops | Cardiff and the Vale College – visiting speaker | Firing Line Museum, Cardiff Castle – Exhibition | ITV Wales, Fishlock’s Wales – interview | Soldiers’ Flowers, Artists in Afghanistan – book | National Army Museum – exhibition | Western Mail – editorial feature | St. Donats Art Centre – Exhibition | Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival – sketch artist coordinator | BBC One Show – appearance and interview | Howard Gardens Gallery – Exhibition | Cardiff Metropolitan University (Llandaff Campus) – Exhibition | Cowbridge Music Festival – Exhibition | Milkwood Gallery, Cardiff – Exhibition | Firing Line Museum, Cardiff Castle – Exhibition | Firing Line Museum, Cardiff Castle – Big Draw | Best of Welsh Design Award 2012 – Illustration | Army Arts Society Exhibition 2012 – Edwin Young Gallery, Salisbury – Exhibition | 2013: Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay – Lloyd George exhibition | Army Arts Society Exhibition 2013 – Edwin Young Gallery, Salisbury – Exhibition | Portrait – William Powell AM, David Melding AM (ink on paper) | Portrait – David Lloyd George – Lloyd George Society (ink on paper) | “Giants in their field” storyboard – Zipline Creative | Portraits – Sam Warburton, Rhys Patchell (ink on paper) | Portrait – Capt. John Clements RA | Portrait – T Llew Jones (ink on paper) | Camelot the Build – Wotan Games – board game illustrations | ADLIB Magazine Cover – Liberal Democrats | 2014: Portraits – various literary figures – Protest & Survive | Portraits – various – The Bombay Café, Cardiff Bay | CEO Sleepout, Cardiff Castle – Reportage illustration | Firing Line Museum, Cardiff Castle, Guide Illustrations | Portrait – Henry Campbell Bannerman | Museum der Stadt Bad Ischl, Austria – Exhibition | Camelot the Court – Wotan Games – Board Game illustrations | Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival, St. Donats – sketch artist director, exhibition curator, print editor | 2015: Alun Lewis Centenary – portrait | Alun Lewis exhibition, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | War Art exhibition – Brecon Regimental Museum | War Art exhibition – Cardiff and County Club, Cardiff | The Lan – film production concept and character portraits | Royal Navy, HMS Bulwark – reportage illustration | UrbanSketchers.org – ‘Rescuing Migrants at Sea on board HMS Bulwark’ | UrbanSketchers.org – ‘On Board HMS Bulwark with The Royal Navy | UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) – Drawing Focus to Refugee Lives’ | Alun Lewis mural – Lewis School Pengham | 2016: UrbanSketchers.org – Various articles | Save Our Souls Magazine, Issue No. 2 – Saving Lives at Sea, A graphic report from the Mediterranean | Beyond the Border International Storytelling Festival, St. Donats – sketch artist director, exhibition curator, print editor | Portrait Commissions: various | War of the Nine Realms – Wotan Games – Illustrations | BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Three composer portraits | BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Composition Wales Workshop illustration | BBC National Orchestra of Wales: Live sketching – 5 drawings of orchestra rehearsal | The Conversation: “Paul Nash painted in the Trenches and I did the same in Afghanistan” article published | The Independent: “Paul Nash painted in the Trenches and I did the same in Afghanistan” article published | Scroll magazine, India: “War Artist Paul Nash painted in the trenches – and so did I in Afghanistan
Awards Lord Mayors Award for Design, Swansea 2004 | Cardiff Design Festival 2012, Best of Welsh Design Award – Winner Illustration | Linda Kitson Prize 2013 | AAS 2013 Highly Commended
Associations Association of Illustrators – Professional | Army Arts Society – member | Armed Forces Arts Society – Associate