AN outstanding educator and talented artist, the death of Peter Blizzard has saddened the Ballarat arts community.The sculptor died on Wednesday at the age of 69 following a long battle with cancer.A retrospective of his work is currently on display at the Art Gallery of Ballarat, where hundreds of people have stopped to enjoy the Brunswick-born artist's work.Blizzard was associated with the Arts Academy and its predecessors from 1972 to 1995.He was one of a few Australian sculptors to enjoy a reputation overseas.He recently spoke proudly of creating the Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens.Since it was finished in February 2004, the memorial has been a source of healing and comfort for many ex-PoWs and their families and may prove to be his most enduring legacy."It was a very special job. These jobs come along once in a lifetime. I was very lucky I think and, hopefully, it will be here for a lifetime," he told The Courier last month.