Peter Rainsford was born in Tavistock, Devon in 1921 and lives in Bath. He studied at Chelsea School of Art, 1950-4, under Robert Medley and Raymond Coxon. From 1967 he became an antiquarian bookseller, but continued to paint and draw.

Peter was a member of Penwith Society in St Ives, showing at Newlyn Art Gallery, John Whibley and Comedy Galleries and with Cornish Painters at Plymouth in 1960. He had solo shows at Newlyn Art Gallery in 1960, at St Martin’s Gallery in 1962, and at Penwith Galleries, St Ives, 1979. He is currently showing at the Katharine House Gallery in Marlborough.