Peter's blog

      English Version - *version française dessous* A HAPPY CAUSE… TOIT D'UNION TOIT D'UNION is a non-profit organization which was created in 2020.   The founders were committed to creating safe and supportive living environments for young adults living with intellectual disabilities.   The organization’s mission is to create supportive living environments for adults living with intellectual disabilities so that they can autonomously thrive and development of their full potential.   This is a cause that is very close to Francine and me.   Over the years, we have done numerous workshops for those with intellectual handicaps.   Each participant does their own painting and then works on a larger collective painting which are sometimes auctioned off or placed in the organization’s facilities.   A few weeks ago, we hosted seven young adults from TOIT D’UNION.   It was a fun session.   We closed the gallery and played some musi...

     English Version - *version française dessous* IT TOOK ME 35 YEARS I am often asked how long it takes to create a painting.   Usually, I reply it depends on the size, the texture and media used.   But the reality is it has taken me 35 years to learn how to paint prolifically.   A lot of this comes from experimentation, the materials used and working in an organized fashion.     Every time I work on a painting, I hope to learn something new by experimenting and innovating.   It could be in the sequencing process.   For instance, when using heavy white modelling paste to create texture, I learned it is easier to prime my white canvas with a coat of black paint.   This allows me to ensure the entire canvas is evenly covered with modelling paste.   A small thing, but very useful.      Materials play a huge part in my paintings.   When using pastels, I found the grit in automotive sandpaper grabbed ...

    English Version - *version française dessous* COLOUR OUTSIDE THE BOX I first expressed an interest in painting during the 1988 Christmas holidays.   I was leafing through a book on the Courtaulds Impressionist collection.   I had gone through this book before, but this time, when I saw paintings by Degas and Monet, something moved within me.   It was a particularly stressful time in my life, and said perhaps I’d like to try and paint.   So that was my Christmas gift!   A small oil painting set with a cardboard canvas along with instructions on how to start painting.   A few months later, I opened my gift and started to paint. I followed the detailed instructions in the booklet.   To be frank, it was almost like painting by numbers!   But I was hooked!   I had no sense of time and got lost in the painting.   In the following years, I copied (or try to copy LOL!) many of the most famous paintings the impressionists ...