Peter's blog

    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* MY THIRD RULE OF PAINTING…  LET YOURSELF GO! My Christmas gift in 1988 was a small oil painting kit.  I had never painted before and the paint set came with the primary colours, brushes, a couple of small canvas board panels and an instruction booklet that featured several motifs that would be suitable to paint for a beginner like me.   The booklet detailed on a step-by-step basis how to complete your painting. I remember thinking of the time, this is just like paint by numbers, except there are no numbers! In my early painting years, I used to try and copy Monet, Degas, Modigliani and other masters.  Later, I did variations of their works and then started to paint motifs of the people, places and things that I loved.  About fifteen years ago I started to develop my own styles of painting.  As time went on, I began to think less and less as I painted.  I relied on my feelings and emotions. ...

    English Version - *version française dessous* MY SECOND RULE OF PAINTING… THERE ARE NO MISTAKES! Albert Einstein and Bob Ross are both partially responsible for my second rule on painting.   Einstein said, “a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new” and Bob Ross often used the expression “happy accidents” while painting on his TV show. My second rule of painting is “there are no mistakes”!  Every time I do a painting and something doesn’t work out as planned, I look at that as an opportunity to learn and do something new.  Something unique.    It is very liberating knowing every painting I do gives me an opportunity to learn and grow as an artist.  It is also a valuable lesson that I try to apply to my daily life. Albert Einstein quote which is displayed on Peter’s Inspiration Wall in His Studio Version française   MA DEUXIÈME RÈGLE EN PEINTURE… IL N’Y A PAS D’ERREURS ! Albert Einstein et Bob Ross son...

English Version - *version française dessous*   MY THREE RULES FOR PAINTING Over the years I have developed three simple rules for when I paint.  They are as follows: 1.       There are no rules! My first rule of painting is very simple. There are no rules!  Anything goes! That doesn't mean everything always works the way I planned, but I'd love to learn by experimenting and trying new things and materials. If someone says to me, “that won't work”, you better believe I’m going to try and see if I can make it work!  I realize this rule might not work for everyone and I’m respectful of those who teach and take formal courses. But rules don’t work for me!  2. There are no mistakes! When I first started painting, my Mom and I used to watch a 30 minute TV show on PBS that featured Bob Ross painting a nature scene in oil.  He was an amazing painter and he became one of my heroes. He used to have an expression when som...