DeCosmos member, Sylvie Peltier, was one of the six local artists whose work, “Unexpected Visitor” was chosen for one of the banners.
Unexpected Visitor
Unexpected Visitor was inspired by the sudden appearance of deer running along the beach, a moment that felt both rare and unforgettable. The composition is designed with a clear visual hierarchy: the beach umbrella as the primary focal point, followed by the deer and then the beach towel, creating a narrative of an unexpected visitor passing through while a mother and child are momentarily away on a walk. Playful in tone, the banner highlights Qualicum Beach as a welcoming summer destination where moments of surprise and connection are part of everyday life.
In concert with a forty-year career in real estate development, design and project management, and having painted from a young age, I returned to university and earned a BFA degree in 2004. Influenced by the campaigns of JMW Turner, Tom Thomson, Ansel Adams and Gerhard Richter, all of whom challenged the prevailing aesthetics of their times, my practice embraces concept innovation and method refinement with the goal of creating unique nature-based contemporary mixed-media artwork – drawing upon my experience in world travel, photography, design, sculpture and oil painting.
My mixed-media images strive to reveal the tactile effects of oil paint layered, dragged and rubbed on anodized aluminum or over personal photographs applied to aluminum di-bond panels. LuminalArt starts in nature, juxtaposes oil and ink, catches changeable light in luminous aluminum, and resides within the realm of realism, impression and abstraction.
Whitiangi
While much of my artwork was produced in Calgary, we were also privileged to live for several years in Richmond and White Rock and sailed frequently amongst the Gulf Islands. We were fortunate as well to travel internationally and throughout most of Canada – thus I have found artistic inspiration from a wealth of sources. My wife Jackie and I are excited to now make Parksville our active retirement home along with our Labrador Retriever Ozzie Bear, and I look forward to continuing my art practice in conjunction with a vibrant, inspirational art community.
Solo Show at TOSH in Qualicum Beach “What Would Hockney Do”
Come and Enjoy the View!
This summer I took a deep dive into the work and world of David Hockney to find inspiration and further my artistic journey.
I’ve created paintings that were direct responses to Hockney’s work and also took side trips to paint things that moved me at the time, always asking myself “What would Hockney do?”.
The show is now up at The Old School House in Qualicum Beach from January 13 to March 7, 2026.
If you’d like to visit the exhibit with me, just reply to this email. Or come to the opening reception Friday February 6th, 4-6pm.
