Peter Smith

Born: Mansfield (1967)
Lives and works: Lincolnshire
Exhibitions: Sex, Drugs 'n Sausage Rolls (2020), Eccentricus Britannicus (2019), Screwballed (2017)
“Complex, comforting, humorous, puzzling, perplexing and entertaining, each creation has its own story to tell. Somewhere, someplace there’s an Impossimal creation waiting just for you.”

Peter Smith | Peep Show | 2022

Tiddlydrinks

Peter Smith

Jolly Wonkers

Peter Smith

Peter’s delectable artworks have whetted the appetites of collectors around the world. Alongside his wife Jayne, he has created the Lost Impossimals™, Lost Alice™ and Impossimals® series, which feature his beloved characters in a range of humorous scenes and situations. The mischievous duo has a range of original and limited edition artworks and sculptures available, including their brand-new Peep Show collection. 

Inspiration

Following in the footsteps of artists like Claes Oldenburg, Salvador Dalí and the French satirist Marcel Duchamp, Peter uses humour in his work to create a sense of absurdity and childlike innocence. With light-hearted art now considered a serious art form - featuring at the Museum of Modern Art and in the Turner Prize shortlist - his fusion of classical oil painting techniques and irreverent humour gives his work a decidedly contemporary twist. 

Full of ingenious riddles, wordplay and visual jokes, his surreal yet adorable artworks make an incredible gift or finishing touch to a home. Adult themes of love, debauchery and gluttony are underpinned by a desire to make his collectors smile and remember "the imaginative wonderment and limitless creativity" we experienced as children, which Peter believes is "something we lost as we got a little older." 

His vast collection is like flicking through a book of fairy tales: along with his own imaginary worlds, viewers are transported to scenes inspired by The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. A curious mixture of real and fictitious events - from the sinking of the Titanic to tableaus from Victorian 'penny dreadful' literature and even Dr Who - ensures that Peter remains a masterful storyteller. 

With bright neon lights pulling us in to enjoy our favourite alcoholic beverages and a dose of ingenious wordplay, his collectible new Peep Show release offers a glimpse inside the Impossimal underworld. Don't miss these seven scenes of dubious debauchery! 

Peter says: “Complex, comforting, humorous, puzzling, perplexing and entertaining, each creation has its own story to tell. It doesn't matter if you are young or old, which path through life you take, if you like art or not, or how and where you hang your art: somewhere, someplace there’s an Impossimal creation waiting just for you.”

Shop Peter and Jayne's latest limited edition and original artworks here

Other Artists you may like

Couldn't find what you're looking for? We've hand picked some suggestions for you.

Inside the Impossimal world of Peter Smith

From baking hundreds of jammy cakes and scones to guzzling wine and installing a miniature working railway station, life at Impossimal HQ is never dull. The pair’s home is the perfect studio for their eccentric art, with quirks including a Victorian dining room and a two-foot teapot. Peter and Jayne are fond of creating a set to bring their characters to life, with Jayne using clay to form the shapes and metals and mixed media for the background. Peter in turn works mainly in oils on board for his paintings, and clay and cloth for the sculptures. 

Inside the studio is a wonderland of curiosities: along with a Victorian apothecary cabinet with real medicines, Peter and Jayne share their art space with a skeleton. Used for their Lost Impossimals™ and Lost Alice™ character work, this ghoulish figure is clad in a Victorian temperance sash, which was used during the social movement to prohibit alcohol. Atop its shoulder is a 1930s doll, and on its skull is a headmaster's mortar board hat, with a red wooden apple for its heart. 

Hanging on the walls are construction sketches for the Impossimal characters, along with a frame filled with an assortment of childhood memories, games and vintage artefacts. These include an old Secret Agent ID, a set of false teeth, a flintlock pistol, a belt buckle from Peter's teenage years and a box of working matches from 1903. Another quirky feature is a horse saddle, which Peter sits on to paint!

If you like reading about our artists' studios, don't miss our regular Studio Sessions feature in Fine Art Collector magazine. Catch up on previous issues here

From the blog

Sip, sip, hooray! Peter & Jayne Smith's Impossimals are back on the bottle in the new collection!

From Peter and Jayne Smith’s witty imaginations comes the latest in their collection featuring their loveable Impossimals getting saucy with the addition of a little glass of something boozy – Sip!

A Sweet Feast for the Eyes: Peter & Jayne Smith | 'Ticklish Allsorts' | 2022

A brand new and exciting collection by two of our most popular artists sees Peter and Jayne Smith draw inspiration from the colourful and chaotic world of sugary treats to create a series of beautifully bonkers masterpieces.

Magazines and brochures

Peter & Jayne Smith | Pick 'N' Mix | 2021

Pick up your nails and hammer because it's time to get creative with the art of Impossimal wallscaping! As the biggest release from Peter and Jayne Smith to date, the new Pick 'N' Mix collection celebrates 15 years of the mischievous duo's best-loved creations, with one limited edition artwork per year they've been wreaking havoc. 

Fine Art Collector | 2020

Showcasing the very best of our artworks, along with behind-the-scenes updates and interviews, the new issue of our Fine Art Collector magazine is a must-read!

Thank you for signing up to our newsletter.

Be Inspired

Join our mailing list for all the latest art news, lifestyle features & artist updates. We'll help kick-start your collection with £25 off your first purchase.*
*Terms and conditions apply.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

© Copyright Washington Green Retail Limited trading as Castle Fine Art. First published 2012, last updated 2023. Washington Green Retail Limited acts as a credit broker and offers credit products from Secure Trust Bank PLC trading as V12 Retail Finance.

Washington Green Retail Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Our registration number is 726395. Credit provided subject to age and status. Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies V12 Finance