Welsh painter, designer, and illustrator John "Jon" Archibald Peaty was born in Cardiff, Glamorgan, on March 7, 1914, to Archibald Frederick Peaty and Eleanor Mary Peaty (nee Evans). He relocated to Sussex, England in the late 1930s and married Mary J. Fellingham in 1942. He became known for his political cartoons and illustrations at this time and contributed to a variety of wartime publications, including the Eighth Army News, as well as covers and illustrations for books.

During the war he taught art classes to American Airforce officers' wives, and possibly through this work was connected to the Baily Souster group, a association of American and British artists hoping to bring American-style comics to the UK. In the 1950s he became involved with local theater and designed sets for the Southwick Players. Later in his career he maintained a studio on Bow Lane where, in addition to focusing on painting, he would ocassionally contribute illustrations to the Bugle Press. His oil paintings often centered on maritime and landscape themes in an Impressionist style, departing from the caricatures that made up the bulk of his profession. However, he did delve into Abstraction as well.

He died in North Yorkshire, England, on January 26, 1991.

A retrospective of Peaty's work was to be held in Shoreham-by-the-Sea in September of 2020; it was put on hold due to the pandemic.