Peter Howell was born in Caernarvon, North Wales and from the age of eight spent his holidays at the stables of the Hon. George Lambton at Newmarket. He initially pursued a career in racing but eventually decided to focus more fully on his painting. His brother, Major Francis Howell was married to Lady Pidgeon. His first exhibition in Newmarket in 1969 led to his series of one man shows at Ackermann’s and helped to establish him internationally. In the late 1970's, Criswick Associates, New York, began showing his work in North America and he became affiliated with Cross Gate in 1992. He exhibited in London, New York City, Lexington and Saratoga. His work is highly regarded and much sought after and a noted art critic Stella Walker, referring to Peter Howell's first London exhibition, wrote about Howell and an extract from the Horse and Hound article follows below. "It was obvious that his approach was stamped with professional understanding of the subject, though his artistic execution was subtle and original in concept. To the knowledgeable it was at once apparent that here was an artist whose style attractively diverged from the traditional but, nevertheless, captured with authenticity the excitement and fascination of the racing world.Though he recognised the quality of such masters of the British school of sporting art as Marshall, Herring and Ferneley, they made little impact and it was the French Impressionists, especially Toulouse Lautrec, Monet, and Degas, who used the equestrian scene with imaginative colour and fluency, that absorbed him completely and were to prove the dominant influence. Individual portraiture of horses and jockeys was not specifically intended. It was the essence of the sporting scene that breathed conviction and today has become the hallmark of Peter Howell's work. Though Thoroughbreds provide a constant focal point, it is his subtle colouring allied to skillful use of reflected light and appreciation of landscape effects that make his work outstanding."