From millworker to artist: A look at Peter Blackmore’s journey to encaustic artist

Peter Blackmore’s small Revelstoke apartment is filled to the brim with his artistic experiments. A self-taught artist, Blackmore’s introduction to art can be called anything but conventional. Now retired, Blackmore began experimenting with the neon-coloured was crayons he would find laying around on the floors of Downie Street Sawmill.

“At the mill there used to be crayons all over the floor for marking lumber. That’s really where it started with wax,” said Blackmore. “The wax stuff was kind of fun. It just blew into where I am now.”

Blackmore’s first exhibition at the Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre played on the florescent glow of the neon crayons by using black lights.

Blackmore retired from the mill in 2016, due to severe chronic pain issues. He now spends his days experimenting with multiple art mediums, but encaustic artwork remains his favourite. Encaustic painting is a spontaneous medium that includes hot wax applied to wood panels. In many ways the layers of wax Blackmore uses to create encaustic artwork emulate the results of an oil painting.

Blackmore experiments with multiple artistic mediums including: wax, acrylics, oils, and carving. What is unique about Blackmore’s style is that he uses his fingers instead of paintbrushes for most of his work. Blackmore says this is due to the chronic pain issues he experiences in his hands. It is easier for him to use his fingers to work rather than try to hold the paintbrush, a method that produces intriguing results.

Despite finding his artistic voice late in life, Blackmore says he has always had a passion for art. He tells a story of his 50th birthday when his girlfriend at the time set up an easel and paints as a gift. She suggested Blackmore try painting with his eyes closed. That experiment resulted in an acrylic splatter piece which still hangs on the wall of Blackmore’s apartment.

Blackmore’s art is currently on display at the ArtFirst Gallery downtown, as well as at the Revelstoke library. He also recently joined Instagram and says he finds daily inspiration looking at the images other artists post.

“Lately I’m kind of on fire,” he said. “For me art is an exploration. If I do this, what is going to happen?”

“Art is a resolution to me. I’m not trained, so if there are mistakes I have to resolve them.”