What an amazing year!… so frustrating to not be able to do the things we’d like to do, like visit with people, go to shows, eat out at restaurants or browse through stores.

Luckily I was able to visit my Aunt Susie in Victoria, B.C., last March, just before airports were shut down and I would have been out of luck. Brother Jim and I had a wonderful visit with her and her family – she passed away of cancer 2 weeks later, still in her home at 93. Wonderful lady, always had great visits with her, a cribbage game or 2, and lots of chuckles!

My dog Piper passing away crushed me, I must say… just a huge pit in my stomach when I think of our many, many walks and how we bonded during her lifetime. We still have young Rocky, our Jack Russell, here and he is a marvel. But Piper was my pal, irreplaceable, and it hurts a lot.

Yet, I must say it was possibly my best year for sales, ever!… and I need to thank everyone who had any interest in my art or who abetted my journey at one time or another. This shocked me a bit, since my usual repertoire of trade shows were cancelled. My favourite, the One of a Kind Winter Show, will have to wait until next year, and I’ll keep my fingers crossed on that it will go on as planned. As for the rest, I may not participate in any outdoor show at all – I find weather to be a negative, as well as the winds and general hassle of renting a tent, etc. Plus the lighting not optimum.

So COVID-19 has brought clarity to me in many ways… tough, but surviving nicely – and I sincerely hope you are too.

So thank you for the amazing year – hope to see you all in the new year… be sure to follow me on Instagram!…. peter.colbert

Last week I picked up my final paintings from Westmount Gallery in Etobicoke. My first gallery, way back in 2006, Judy Smith has been in the business for over 40 years, and we’ve had an excellent relationship.

I’ll miss the place – it’s been one of my secret weapons for years!

Thanks, Judy!

My sympathies for all as we are struck by the COVID-19 virus… no shows for me this year (since the Wall Space show back in February), just sales through my galleries and directly through Yours Truly.

Nancy and I bought the family cottage, so been an exciting time for us as we have spent more time admiring our view of the Ottawa river, from Quebec.

Sales have been amazing despite everything, and I can only imagine that people have been reacquainting themselves with their walls, and decided to install fine art instead of making travel plans.

Will try to blog more!… (I mean it this time).

Been one of the toughest weeks of my life… saying bye to my old friend, our beloved dog Piper, 2007-2020. She lived an eventful 13.5 years, and I dearly wish it could have been much longer. Turns out the 2 knee operation (1 on each knee) gave her arthritis and she couldn’t move without pain. When she barely had interest in eating we knew it was time.

So glad she had a final visit to her favourite place in the world, our cottage in Quebec, 2 weeks ago. I walked with her down to the beach as she stood on shore looking up at me, waiting. This was our signal for a walk over to Sandy beach next door, as it turned out – for the last time.

She was my dog, really, always there in our home while I worked for so many years. I took her off leash, every day, for some amazing walks in Toronto and then for the past 9 years in Ottawa.

It hurt her when we got another small dog, a puppy we named Rocky… especially when she lost the energy to come for walks with us in the mornings. Or maybe her feelings were hurt, or both. I feel keen regret for that, and hope she had as good a life as possible, despite the intrusion of Rocky. Difference in ages was so great…

Goodbye, old girl. I’ll hold you close to my heart forever.

Just sent off a shipment of 8 paintings to Artplex Gallery in Los Angeles… hope they all arrive unscathed, look forward to a great association with Kenney and the rest of the folks at this great gallery!

Always such a pleasure to drop by my Ottawa gallery, Wall Space. Haven’t been there in a little bit but everyone is in great form – Trish is an amazing owner, really fun to chat with – and Erin and Trish are great support and excellent at what they do.

Left them with about 13 new paintings, many of them figurative… plus several landscapes… check them out if you happen to be in Ottawa!

We’re doing our Toastmasters meetings online, like most things these days. It’s still fun, just not quite as intense (especially with a glass of wine in your hand!). We’re doing them, like most people, through Zoom.

As it was Poetry Night, with Barbara acting as Meeting Chair, I took the liberty of writing up a little poem befitting the times. Here it is… the format came out looking pretty funky, but I’m not going to bother trying to make it look perfect, so please bear with me.

A Virus Called Corona

It was early in the year,

Some trouble could be brewing a long way from here

A virus called corona, named after a beer

But nothing that resembles The brew we hold so dear

Beer drinkers disliked the name more than others

They said that if they had their druthers

Another name they would prefer,

Than their favourite brand of Mexican beer

February brought us some new rumors,

Not that Corona brought on tumors

But fatalities were thought to have started

At an Wuhan, China wet market

From that point Corona doubled,
We started preparing for some troubles
Tales of people getting sick, and even death
Caused by sharing someone’s breath

Not much to fear, it wasn’t quite here yet,

But it was coming, you’d have to bet

At a later time they would explain

That people brought it with them on a plane.

Corona came here with some stealth,

Threatening our populations health

First a nursing home in Vancouver,

We knew it would be here not later, but sooner.

Myself, in March, I was sitting out west,

Visiting friends and family, I can attest

Crowded cafés and restaurants

Grew less busy as the week went on

My flight home to this fair city

Half an empty plane, it wasn’t pretty

A kid at back, he started coughing

Funny thing is no one was laughing

The week after I got back home here,

Domestic flights were getting rarer

We needed valid reasons for going,

besides avoiding all the snowing.

Late in March the NHL had good reason

to call a halt to this whole season

Instead of watching the Sens goaltending

Might find themselves with virus pending

Restaurants were closing, and closing fast

All were hoping this wouldn’t last

Parks were shut and hopes were dashing

We all hoped this wouldn’t be lasting.

And now the weather’s finally changing

The deck chairs we’re all arranging

It’s usually that time of the year

When warm weather comes and we all cheer

Now front line workers – they’re the ones who

We all find we’re looking up to

Guys like the A&W dude – is his name Fred?

He’s my hero for keeping us fed.

Most of us work in our homes,

To do our work, we’re in the Zone

And getting our stuff out on time

Fueled by an extra glass of wine.

Let’s hope things can as normal be

In short order, we need to be free

to shop in peace without our guards up,

and not be stuck in another drive up.

This whole thing has been a bummer,

But I look forward to the summer

To raise my glass, I hope I’m gonna

Forget about this virus called Corona.

Funny thing, I received my acceptance to the Toronto Outdoor Show, at City Hall, today. Like the other shows I had committed to, it’s been cancelled this year, which is a real shame since it’s the biggest and best outdoor show in Canada, and I did really well there last year. It was a fun time and profitable time for me so I do feel some sadness about it.

They are running sort of a virtual show though, so I’ll have to keep the link going on my site and through the electronic media. Keep watching.

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Had the opportunity to drop off some new paintings with the beautiful Butter Gallery in Collingwood yesterday. Great to meet one of the principles, Andrea. She is a certified ball of fire, everything you could want in a gallery owner! So impressed with her and the quality of the art in her gallery, located on the main street in the downtown core.

Hope to have a long and fruitful association with them!

Continuing my string of figurative paintings with this one, my latest.