Peter's blog

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*   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. 1.What is your art journey in a capsule? I started my first painting 36 years ...

English Version - *version française dessous*   HANGING OUT WITH MONET  Monet inspired me to paint.  In the early 1990s, I travelled to Boston to see an exhibit of Monet’s “series paintings”.  These were motifs Monet painted multiple times during different times of the day, under differing weather conditions and times of the year.  These motifs included haystacks, poplar trees, the Cathedral at Rouen and of course, the bridges and ponds of his garden in Giverny.  Since that trip I have done my best to “hang out with Monet”!  Here are a few of my very hang outs: Giverny… Monet’s Home & Garden Giverny is about 50 miles from Paris and can be easily accessed by car or train.  I have visited there several times, once during the off season.  You can visit Monet’s home and his gardens which include the famous Japanese Bridge.  Be sure to visit the souvenir shop… not to buy souvenir but to stand in what was his last studio.  Monet is bu...

  English Version - *version française dessous* EVERYDAY I WAKE UP TO MONET!   Monet’s paintings have always moved me. He, along with Degas, Jackson Pollock, Jean-Paul Riopelle and of course, Vincent Van Gogh really influenced my art.     I used to copy Monet when I started painting 35 years ago in 1989 and visited many museums with Francine just to see his art.  Our very first trip was to see the Monet series paintings at the Boston Museum of Fine Art in 1990.  His paintings took my breath away and I could have stayed there for hours.   Many years ago, I was given a Monet placemat setting for my birthday.  It consisted of six placemats and coasters featuring famous Monet paintings.  By that time, I had seen most of the paintings in person.  We never really used the set and for years, it sat in a drawer.  About six months ago I was looking for something and stumbled upon them.  The paintings brought back h...