Glass artist Robert Held may have closed up his gallery after 10 years in Parksville, but his artistic endeavours will continue on.

Held has blown glass for more than 50 years, and estimated he made approximately 1.5 million of his famous glass hearts, which have been spotted everywhere from Hawaii to the Himalayas.

At 81 years old, he decided it was time to enter semi-retirement. Held experienced a stroke in recent years and for a time suffered from a bad knee, which made the physical work of glass blowing extra challenging.

鈥淚t was so bad that I couldn鈥檛 blow glass much anymore,鈥� Held said. 鈥淚t was hurting all the time, like so many people with bad knees.鈥�

Held was able to have knee replacement surgery completed while on a trip to South Africa last November with his wife to celebrate his mother-in-law鈥檚 birthday.

Between his age, health challenges and the possibility the building could be sold to a new owner, with a likely rent increase, Held figured it was time for a new chapter. The gallery鈥檚 last day open was Sept. 30 of last year.

鈥淏eing in Parksville I felt very welcomed and it was a destination spot for a lot of people that came with their families and friends,鈥� said Held, who currently lives in Nanoose Bay. 鈥淭hey would come from out of town and say 鈥榦h, here let鈥檚 go to the glass shop and see what鈥檚 going on鈥�. So we had a nice run there.鈥�

Held relocated to Parksville in 2013 from Vancouver, where had a successful glass art gallery. Before that he had a glass studio in Calgary.

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鈥淚 started blowing glass in 1968,鈥� he said.

Before finding a passion for glass art, Held was head of the ceramics department at Sheridan College in Ontario. He took a two week summer course on glass blowing in North Carolina and was hooked, and added it as a new course at the college.

Passion is important for an artist to be successful, Held said.

鈥淭here were times when I would teach class all day long, go home, help feed the kids, go back and work until midnight every day,鈥� he said.

One aspect Held said he loved about glass work is the physicality of it.

鈥淥nce you鈥檝e started, you can鈥檛 stop,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to finish it.鈥�

Held enjoyed a career that spanned decades, allowed him to meet the Queen, several premiers and send a piece to the Beijing Olympics.

鈥淭he things I made are still there. They鈥檙e going to be there for hundreds of years,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got my name on it, so they鈥檙e out there and they鈥檒l be passed down from one generation to their kids. Hopefully the kids will like them.鈥�

He keeps busy these days painting almost every day with alcohol ink, a new challenge for him.

Held has an exhibition planned for next year at the McMillan Arts Centre (MAC) in Parksville which will feature these paintings.

鈥淚鈥檓 painting with something I鈥檝e never done before,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e harder than I thought, so I鈥檓 working on that.鈥�