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Happy Saints Day Peter! ...and the Pauls out there too



St Andrew and St Peter as fishers of men, painting from 1971, now in St Andrew's Shared Church, Cippenham

While most people don't particularly mark their Saint's Day or name day as some call it in English, this is still a tradition in Spain, and Peter's mother-in-law would often call and wish "Happy Santo" for people's Saint's Day. Technically Peter is named for St Peter Canisius, but can share today's feast as well!

St Peter pops up in various pictures by Peter, but he is only a major figure in a few, most prominently in this painting of St Peter and St Andrew, that you can see hanging in St Andrew's Church, Cippenham.

Peter is marked as the one on the right, by the keys crossed on his chest, representing the keys to the kingdom that Jesus gave the disciples and that Peter holds as head of the church. and in Catholic tradition and teaching, as the first Pope.

Conversion of St Paul, painting from 1965, in blues and browns and St Paul in orange, artist's own collection

As for St Paul, the editors only recently came across a painting by Peter of St Paul's conversion while going through his home collection in his studio.

This is not a recent painting - having been completed in 1965 when he was just 26, and working as a part time teacher. It's interesting to note the transition in style between this one, his painting above, painted in 1971, and his current style.

Wall hanging of Conversion of St Paul, from St Thomas More, Raunds, muted greens and browns, with St Paul in centre in green trousers, and Jesus central in white

He he also depicted this scene in his design for a wall hanging, made for the church of St Thomas More in Raunds, north of Northampton, a parish where his brother was parish priest at the time. His design was sewn and created by local parishioners.


In both images you can see the vision of Christ surrounded by light at the top, with St Paul in the centre, falling off his horse. Around him the soldiers around him struggle with their horses. (Acts 9:3–9, or Acts 22:6-21). He was on his way to Damascus to arrest the followers of Jesus, and because of this vision, was struck blind and became a follower of Christ.


Peter (the artist!) has been involved in a number of wall hanging projects, and we are aiming at some point in the future to add them to the site, but it's a big project so bear with us!!


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