With no response regarding my inquiry about joining this artists tour (I live here now) I think I might do my own studio tour, maybe next spring.  It’d be great to have neighbours and other interested parties in to check out my paintings, and I could name it, oh, I don’t know, the Peter Colbert Studio Tour.  What a great concept.  The weather has been excellent lately and this might be the perfect time of year to launch something like this.

There’s something exciting about meeting lots of artists and art lovers.  I think all concerned were happy with The Artist Project, 2012 version, which had some great variety as well as quality.  I always bond with my fellow artists and this year was no different.

I also had the pleasure of meeting great customers who liked my art, like Arthur, Sam, Ray & Cheryl, David among others…. just super people who, I hope will enjoy there art for years and years to come.  I value them like crazy, they enjoy life and art to the fullest.  I had my ears burning from some of the flattering stuff I was hearing, but I just like to keep moving forward with my art, like a hungry shark.  I find it hard to replicate what I’ve already done, although I don’t mind revisiting a series.

I’m having a great time at the show this year and look forward to Sunday. I must say the quality of work is outstanding and visitors seem to be impressed. I’ve sold my 2 largest paintings and hope to keep it going.

Had a great opening at the Harrison Gallery in Ottawa last week.  Friday night had many people out ( I delivered a short speech) and I was in attendance for much of the weekend.  Always enjoy being up close with Gordon’s work, and chatted with lots of people in attendance, including sculptor Angela Verlaeckt Clark. Sold some pieces and had some fun.

Always so much fun, getting out with some paint and a pad of paper or canvas and just drawing with paint.  Went to the drop-in over in Nepean today and got an interesting study or 2 in.  Male nude, not my favourite, but good model.

Here’s one of my sketches:

I love the quote by Steve Jobs regarding his assault on television and positioning Apple to become a player with a new version of the TV.   He told his biographer that he had “Cracked the code”..  I miss that guy already.

In relating my abstracts a bit more towards reality, especially regarding abstracts, I’ve been working on a series of paintings for my show at the Gordon Harrison Gallery which are based on Ottawa and local areas.  It’s been fun, and ultimately each painting has to work in terms of colour, style and feel.  The whole Landscape thing, regarding an real relationship with true reality, comes a distant last.  I want interesting paintings first and foremost, but a system of combining reality with truly abstract painting.

Here’s one of my latest, “First Snow”, 24 x 24″

All best to all who arrive at this page.. with hopes that I can find time to update this baby a couple of times a week in 2012.

Went with my wife Nancy, and kids Hanna and Jack up to Wawa, Ontario, for Christmas.  Beautiful as always, and a white Christmas as per what you’d expect in the Great White North.  Went out walking one day and found a great frozen pond, at the bottom of a frozen field of water.  Took some shots of that day..

Christmas is almost upon us, and for 2012 I promise to be more economical with my Paintings of the Month, as many people couldn’t read the jpegs I sent out due to their size.  I thought it was just large enough, at about 10″ across and 140 pixels per inch, but I guess not.  And I was experiencing many problems with my server which finally resulted in me making an error with some of the mail, which I apologize for profusely.

Anyway, hope all are holding up ok and I’m tremendously excited about the subtle new direction my painting is taking me.  I have a show at the Gordon Harrison Gallery in February and I’m back, baby, at the Artist Project in early March (at the CNE in Toronto).

Here again is the Painting of the Month:

Intrusion, 36 x 48"

Getting back into a life drawing class is exciting and fun.  I’m getting out to the Nepean Sport Complex once a week (these days, every Sunday morning) for a couple of hours or so, bringing a small range of paints, papers and canvas.  If I can’t quite complete a painting in the allotted time I may bring it back to the studio to finish it off.  My challenge is to make the paintings an interesting combination of drawing, composition, colour and technique.  Luckily, the other artists make room for me and my network of materials… I’m going to post some of these as they come along.

In between trips to Toronto (about every 3 weeks) I’ve been enjoying Ottawa quite a bit.  Especially the lack of traffic, which seems to barely exist in Ottawa.  At least, so far.

I’ve moved into the main floor office, just off the front door, as far as the studio goes, and so far it’s working great.  The floor to ceiling windows with southern exposure help, and with just a bit of finessing I can get 2 easels in there amongst my copious containers of paint.

Paid a quick visit to my gallery in downtown Ottawa, the Gordon Harrison Gallery, yesterday with my buddy Dan Ryan.  Had a nice visit with Gordon and Phil, dropped off some new work  and then headed down to a soiree at the gallery where he shows his work, Wall Space.  Lots of fun, and a nice little break from painting new art.

Here’s my latest which is now at the Gordon Harrison Gallery, called Serenity:

Hope to keep much more up to date and on top of things with the posts, showing new works and other tidbits.