[4][5]: 169 In the mid-1970s, the Pownings began a sojourn in Europe, and in 1976 Peter enrolled at the Croyden College of Design and Technology in London.

There, he expanded his artistic scope through the study of techniques such as mould casting, slip screening and photo silk-screening, and was exposed to new ideas in the pottery field.

He began working with bronze casting, and by the end of the decade had built a foundry and glasswork facility at his home studio.

[8] In addition to an increased focus on public sculpture commissions, Powning's more recent work has included experiments with breaking and reassembling of porcelain—a variation of the Japanese kintsugi technique—and images of altered books (in the ocean, baked, terra-formed).

In 1983, Powning, along with fellow artist John Hooper, approached the developers of the Market Square complex in Saint John to include public art into a large-scale development, leading to Powning being hired as a consultant and the commissioning of numerous works, including his own first such commission, Strata 1.