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...