Peter's blog

  English Version - *version française dessous*   HOT YOGA… HOT ART! When I first started painting, I experimented with oils, watercolors, and pastels. Eventually, I settled on acrylic paint for three key reasons.    First, my old studio at Rideau, the company I owned, was adjacent to the company cafeteria. A wall separated the two, but it was only 12 feet high, leaving a six-foot gap to the 18-foot ceiling. Because of this, I couldn’t use anything toxic or with strong fumes, so oil paint was out.   Secondly, I found that acrylic paint allowed me to work with a much broader range of mixed media.   However, the third and most important reason was drying time. Since I was running Rideau, which employed almost 300 people, I didn’t have much time to paint. Fortunately, my studio was right beside my office, so I could go in early in the morning, stay after work, or paint on weekends. Acrylic’s quick drying time allowed me to apply multiple coats in...

English Version - *version française dessous*   MY FAVOURITE MUSEUM IN THE WORLD   Francine and I have visited many museums during our travels but, without a doubt, our favourite is Musée D’Orsay in Paris.   Situated on the Left Bank of the Seine, it was originally a train station.  In 1970 the plan was to demolish the structure and build a hotel but the then Cultural Minister killed the plan, and the building ended up on the list of Historic Monuments.  In the late 70’s it was decided to convert it into a museum that would bridge the gap between the Louvre and more modern Georges Pompidou Centre which housed contemporary and modern art.     The first time I visited the museum was in 1996, ten years after it opened. I was with my dad and eldest son Jonathan.  We were together on a “boys” trip and had a brief layover in Paris.  I will never forget walking into the main hall of the Museum, it was so beautiful and different...

      English Version - *version française dessous*   MY FIRST PAINTING(S) SOLD   When I started painting in 1989, it was never my intention to sell art. I painted to relieve the stress of running my company, which employed about 300 people. Painting was a great outlet—it took my mind off day-to-day problems and made me happy.   Initially, I gave away paintings to family and friends. Occasionally, those close to me would ask for a special commission, and I would do it if I felt comfortable with the motif.   Then, in 2005, someone quite literally turned up at my door and asked me to paint a scene from a photo he had taken in Ireland near his ancestral home. I didn’t know this man, but a neighbor had told him I was an amateur painter. He gave me several different photos and said he would be happy with any one of them. The images really resonated with me because I had lived in Ireland for four years in my twenties. It was a place close to my h...

    English Version - *version française dessous*   3/3 : OOPS…. IT’S ALWAYS BETTER TO READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST!!! In January 2025, I was named Artists In Montreal’s (AIM) “Artist of the Month”.  Part of the process was to submit some paintings that reflected my work and to answer some questions.  Cathy Keays, the President of AIM provided me with a list of 15 questions which I dutifully answered.   After responding, I read Cathy’s instructions to make sure that my submission was complete… not the smartest thing to do AFTER I answered ALL the questions when Cathy only wanted me to respond to 4 or 5 with a one page 300-500 word limit!!!  Francine (aka the Boss) always say I talk too much and now she’s saying I write too much!  LOL!     In any event, all of Cathy’s questions were great and it was fun to answer them so I’m going to share them with you. 10. How has your relationship with art evolved over the years? My relationship wi...

  English Version - *version française dessous*     ARTIST OF THE MONTH!    Artists in Montreal (AIM) is a wonderful organization which was founded in 2021 by Cathy Keays.  Her vision was to create a platform to provide a community of support for local artists where members could connect, share and showcase their work.  Today there are over 200 members.    Every month AIM selects an “Artist of the Month” and I’m very proud to kick off 2025 as January’s Artist of the Month!  You can read my interview and see some of my paintings by following this link : https://www.artistsinmontreal.com/copy-of-artist-of-the-month   For those of you who would like to learn more about AIM or join Cathy’s wonderful organization please visit artistsinmontreal.com   Version française   ARTISTE DU MOIS !   Artistes à Montréal (AIM) est une merveilleuse organisation fondée en 2021 par Cathy Keays. Sa vision était de cr...

      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* J.M. W. TURNER MAKES ME WONDER Samuel Courtauld was a British industrialist who started collecting Impressionist art in the early 1900s.  The Courtauld Collection resides at Somerset House in London and I encourage you to visit if you ever pass through that great city ( https://courtauld.ac.uk/gallery ).   The paintings from the Courtauld Collection inspired me to start painting in 1989. More specifically, Degas and Monet were the first two artists that moved me to start painting. Later, I learned about Renoir, Manet, Pissarro, Cassatt and other wonderful Impressionists.  It was fun to learn about their lives and the dynamic relationships they had with each other.   A few years later I discovered the British artist J.M.W. Turner.  His seascapes really moved me.  He passed away in 1851 well before Impressionism became a movement and after studying his work, I have long wondered whether Turner was...