Peter Hagerty

Peter Hagerty is a Chicago-born artist and citizen of Ireland through ancestry. He has lived in Chicago area his entire life.  Completing portraits of both celebrities and common folk alike – especially Chicagoans – has become his passion for the past 35 years.

As a self taught artist, Hagerty turned to portraiture as a way to build his skill level. He learned perspective and color mixing through frustrating trial and error.  Completing a portrait of a commonly known person forced him into a disciplined process of painting and capturing an image.

He began his artistic endeavors using oil sticks and colored pencils on paper; eventually moving to his current medium of oil paint on board or plywood, with added 3-D objects to create a collage, mixed-media effect.  His best remembered early achievement was having his first solo exhibition at Guild Books on Clark Street in Chicago.

His advice to other artists: If a piece does not turn out well, do not throw it away. An artwork is a reflection of a period in your life, and it takes on a larger meaning – becoming a memento you will want to keep. You will love these less than perfect works, regardless of the quality, the way you love old family photos. Also, do not pressure yourself to create a masterpiece each time you pick up a brush!  It is necessary to “practice scales” to build your technique for the Grander piece.

Keep working, stay dedicated, don’t give up and don’t compare yourself to others.

Thank You!