He was born on Boston's Beacon Hill in 1945 and spent his college years taking drawing classes. A self-taught painter, Quidley over the past 25 years of painting has captured a timeless period, one that will remain classic through the ages.

From grinding some of his own pigments and the panels he uses, to the gold leaf water gild frames that are carefully chosen, Quidley's goal is to create a painting of quality, beauty, and permanence. Living on the Massachusetts coast since 1980, Quidley has developed a strong family business that involves his wife who frames, his son who manages the business, and his daughter who models.

In 1994 he had a one-man exhibition at the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit Massachusetts; he is a Copley Master, and a member of many affiliations. The artist does select work on commission and is a renowned portraitist.

According to one critic,

"The first thing you notice about Peter Quidley's oil paintings is the shimmering, lustrous character of the light which seems to radiate from the inside out, as if each picture is infused with its own individual incandescence."

An evolution has occurred in Quidley's work, taking his experiences in life and incorporating those ideals and values into his paintings. One views his paintings and sees his ability to unravel a narrative in his work.

Taking the harsh realities of being a combat photographer in Vietnam and filming news in Boston, Florida, and Saudi Arabia, he has molded his own unique technique of telling a story--some of mystery, some of mischief, some of simple innocence. Whether it is a landscape, a still life, a marine piece, or two women interacting, each painting is permeated with meaning and emotion.