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Llewellyn Petley-Jones discovered and developed a talent for drawing and painting as a youth, taking inspiration from books and magazines. It was, however, only after three years of working as a bank clerk that he finally began to seriously pursue his art. In 1927 he became a member of the Edmonton Art Club, and in 1931 one of the original members of the Alberta Society of Artists. An annual juried show at the National Gallery of Canada accepted some of his paintings later that year. He became well known for his oil and watercolour landscape paintings of Alberta and British Columbia. In 1934, Petley-Jones moved to London, England and later studied art in Paris. He was very successful in Europe, and exhibited paintings with the Royal Society of British Artists and the Société National des Beaux-Arts.
After marrying Nancy Corbet in 1939, the couple relocated to Italy. All of Petley-Jones Italian paintings were lost when they had to flee back to London upon Mussolini's declaration of war. After returning to London, Petley-Jones served in the British Navy for the duration of World War II. In 1955 Petley-Jones was commissioned by the Alberta Government to paint portraits of Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh for the Alberta Legislative Building. These portraits were well received by the Alberta Cabinet. Other notable commissions include the design and painting of murals for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
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