Peta Boyce

A childhood spent in Papua New Guinea and a lifelong love of wildlife, were the twin catalysts for Peta's commitment to her art. Peta currently lives on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on a small acreage in Mooloolah Valley.

For many years she has acted as a wildlife foster carer; caring for injured, orphaned and sick native marsupials and birds. Peta's love of caring for some of the smaller species of birds is also reflected in her art.

A self-taught artist, working mainly in gouache, her paintings of wrens, finches, robins and the smaller honeyeaters are extremely popular and her work is in private collections both in Australia and overseas. After a successful joint exhibition with fellow wildlife artist, Lyn Ellison, the two collaborated to co-author and illustrate the book "Wild About You - Friends With Feathers." The book is a collection of short stories about some of the wild birds the artists had cared for.

In 2005 Peta was fortunate enough to travel to Namibia with Lyn and her husband horticulturist Don Ellison and cultural artist Judy Scotchford. They hired a car and spent three weeks travelling, amassing an enormous amount of reference material between them. It is from this trip that Peta has started painting African mammals and larger birds, as well as the smaller birds that she still enjoys painting so much.

For many years Peta was a member of WILVOS, a Sunshine Coast Wildlife Rescue Organization. However, due to time constraints she resigned from the group but retained a permit from Queensland Parks & Wildlife. This enabled her to still act a wildlife carer, but in a capacity that allowed her the freedom to paint.

* 2007-1st Prize - Animals in Art Kenilworth Art Festival

* 2006-1st.Prize - Australian Flora & Fauna Queensland Royal National Show

* 2005-Best Bird Painting International Nature in Art Show

* 2005-Best Watercolour/Gouache International Nature in Art

* 2005-Peoples Choice Award Maleny Art Exhibition

* 2005-Australian Native Flora and Fauna Brisbane Royal Show (RNA) * Best in Show Quwasi Int Exhibition 2007