Peter's blog

LAKESHORE ARTISTS ASSOCIATION… A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION A couple of weeks ago, I had the honor of presenting myself and my work to the Lakeshore Artists Association (LAA). This association of about 50 professional artists, spanning from Lachine to Hudson, holds regular meetings, shares creative ideas, sketches together, and exhibits their work. Every fall, they host an outdoor exhibition at Stewart Hall in Pointe-Claire, where members sell their artwork, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting West Island charities.  My presentation lasted about 45 minutes and covered a bit about me, my artistic journey, and my process, followed by a brief Q&A session. . You can click here to access a copy of my presentation if you’re interested.   Francine and I have long admired the LAA from afar. We live in Valois Village, Pointe-Claire, and often take long walks along Lakeshore Boulevard, passing by the Stewart Hall Community Centre. We look forward to their fall show every y...

  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 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*   2/3 : 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. 6. How would you de fi ne your artistic style? I work in three distinct style...

    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 ...