Important notice to all members!!!!

Focus Art will be having an exhibition of our Art in the Cornwall Square in mid April (details will follow). This show is to choose the paintings or sculpture that will be featured in the Calendar. We will have the format used in previous years (not last year) to create a calendar that we will all be proud of, so start dusting off or finishing up that perfect painting to be hung in the show.
One detail to consider we will only accept “Landscape Format” paintings (wider than high). Last year it was too difficult to fit the images into the space allowed to best show off the image.

Within a week you will have all the details of when, where and so forth so stay tuned!!

Don’t forget that the next meeting of Focus Art is on April 1st, and that is the Annual General Meeting, we will be saying thank-you to our current president and appointing a new president to lead us on so please try to attend.

Easter Panels at The Cornwall Library

PRESS RELEASE

Come share the vision of 12 Regional Artists who have united and ventured forward with a theme, courage and creativity to create Art for the community.

Join us for the unveiling of the Easter Panels at The Cornwall Library in the upstairs meeting room, April 5, 1-3:30 p.m. Come share the stories with the Artists ( Jocelyn Nicholson, Rachel Bourgon, Rose Desnoyers, Tracy-Lynn Chisholm, Adele Constantineau, Mi-Sun Hunter-Kim, Denise Desjardins, Pat Campbell, Jacqueline Milner, Sandra Taylor, Derek Hunter & Micheline Tanguay) who participated in creating this original work of sacred art for the community. The panels (three pieces 17" x 48") will be on display in the front display cases of the Library from April 6-29 following the opening.

Each artist had the panels for a predetermined amount of time in order to add their creative inspiration to the panels keeping in mind the theme, the contributions already added to the panels and those artists yet to contribute. The resulting panels will be donated to Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School after their time at the Library.

We invite the community to meet with the Artists at the vernisage. The Artists welcome the opportunity to discuss their experience with those in attendance. This is a family friendly event.

For further information about this project,
kindly contact Jacqueline Milner 613-931-9090 or Rose Desnoyers 613-931-1194

Quilt of Belonging on Display in Cornwall

Esther Bryan's Quilt of Belonging will be on display this spring at the Cornwall Civic Complex from May 10th to 18th.

Where: Cornwall Civic Complex, 100 Water Street East, Cornwall, Ontario
When: May 10th-18th, 2009.
Hours: May 10th-Opening on Mother's Day 2:00-6:00
May 11 through May 18, 10:00- 6:00,
Wednesday and Thursday closing extended until 9:00 pm
Friday closing 8:00 pm
Cost: Admission free

(A Mother’s Day event may be organized during the exhibit. Details will be posted on the website of the Quilt as they become available.)

For more info on the Quilt of Belonging and the story behind the quilt, please click here.

For Members Living Outside of Cornwall ...

... in Glengarry, Prescott or Russell only.

http://www.artseo.ca/

The Network of Eastern Ontario Artists and Artisans represents musicians, painters, dancers, photographers and actors as well as skilled artisans. Any artist residing in Glengarry, Prescott or Russell may register free of charge! This includes a bio page featuring samples of the artist's work and a search function by area and medium. Visit the site for further details. To be included, you must register by the end of April 2009.

Please note: This site is for Glengarry, Prescott and Russell artists only. This does not include Cornwall. Cornwall artists cannot register on this site.

Thanks for the info, Jacqueline and ps - that's a great shot of you on your own page there.

Deb

Rose Desnoyers and Sandra Taylor Exhibition

Rose Desnoyers and Sandra Taylor have a few of their current works on display for the next four weeks and Cafe Connectionz. You can see their work throughout the main area and various conference rooms. As of yet, there is no opening planned.

Best of luck to these two awesome artists!

Deb

Following, is one of Sandra's latest pieces that will be on display. Titled The Gathering.

Following, is one of Rose's latest pieces that will be on display.

Art Centre Meeting Coverage on Cogeco

Cogeco covered the meeting last week with Syd Gardiner regarding Cornwall's much needed Art Centre and it will be playing Tuesday to Friday on the program, "The Source". It covers the purpose of the meeting and Adele's interview afterwards. It also shows the proposed space in the basement of the library.

If you get your television through Cogeco, be sure to check it out!

Deb

Anne Barkley exhibiting at Toronto Art Expo!

Anne will be exhibiting at the Toronto Art Expo from March 19 to 22. Her booth number is S412. This is Anne's sixth year participating in this show, which seems to get better every year. She is always glad to see a familiar face when she's there, so if anyone is at the show, which is at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, (near the train station), please stop to say hello.

The hours this year are:
Thursday, March 19.....4-10:30pm
Friday, March 20...........11am-8pm
Saturday, March 21.......10am-8pm
Sunday, March 22..........10am-7pm

Anne hopes to see you there.

Below is a picture of one of the new paintings that will be on display. (Strata 21205 Reprise 30x30) You can see more of her work at http://www.annebarkley.ca/

Good luck at the show Anne!

Deb

Build Your Own Easel

Do you gaze longingly at those big easels with wheels on the bottom and huge bases, - but kind of cough a bit when you see the prices?Here's a site with free plans to make your own! Benjamin Grosser is the designer and has created a page on his website to provide the free plans and photos of a great looking easel.

http://bengrosser.com/easel/

Deb

Our Facebook Page is up!

You can click here to see it!

It was suggested by Lorne Taillon that a facebook page would be a great online tool for us so we now have one.

Not much there yet, but I'm working on it! If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I"m not that much into Facebook.

Deb

Blogs, Websites and Links

Hi,

I'm taking care of the blog for Sandra and have been setting up a few different things on it.

One of the things you may have noticed is the list of links on the right sidebar. Each member who has a website or webpage listed on the Focus Art website has been listed here. Also, if you have a blog, let me know and I'll post it here also. All sites, pages and blogs will be included for members only. You can send me your info at focusartblog@yahoo.ca

Or, if you want to be deleted, you can let me know that, too.

The blog is interactive so if you have any comments you'd like to appear on it, just use the link below the post.

A question I'm often asked is why have a blog AND a website? A website is like having your own permanent online art gallery. You post finished artwork there like you'd hang the artwork in a gallery, changing it if you like, but it's always there to be seen.

A blog, on the other hand, is not the same thing. It's more like your studio - a place where people can come and watch you work, see unfinished pieces, talk and hear about your thoughts on the painting being worked on.

While a gallery provides a permanent display, a blog's posts keep rolling down.

Blogs are free! Why not create one today? When you do, let me know and I'll post it here!

Deb Leger

Stretching W/C Paper on Wood Stretchers

Another feature of our March meeting was Rose Desnoyers giving us an awesome demonstration of stretching watercolour paper onto wood stretchers and supports. Rose explained that some of her students couldn't afford to frame their watercolours for a student show so she taught them how to stretch their paper onto wood supports and then varnish them, thus eliminating the need for glass and expensive frames.


She showed us how she prepares the wood supports / stretchers to avoid damage to the paper and how she applies the paper.

It was a fun night.

Thanks Rose!!

Oh, and here's a pic of Rose with her "every self-respecting artist should have one" bag of tools. (Which impressed all of us!)

Deb

Lorne Taillon Talks With Focus Art

At our March meeting (held on March 4, 2009), we were fortunate to have Lorne Taillon come and speak with us. Lorne is the Leisure Arts Coordinator for the City. The three topics that were discussed at length were:

1) Arts in the Park. Focus Art artists will be able to set up shop and paint in the park on arranged dates. The goal is to boost family activities in the park during events. Having local artists painting during these events will provide a great opportunity for exposure for the artists involved. It will also provide visitors to the events with the opportunity to watch the artists at work and to see their work that could be on display. More to follow on this topic.

2) Art Fair. The possibility of an Art Fair is getting closer! It was suggested that an Art Fair could coincide with music in the park, providing a really nice background. Lorne was very receptive to the idea of an Art Fair.

3) Art Instructors needed. The city provides summer (and fall, etc.) programs for children and often needs instuctors to teach painting, etc. Lorne will contact Sandra when needed and Sandra will put the call out to Focus Art. Instructors will be paid the City's usual rate. Lorne is also interested in a Call for Papers - workshop or class ideas provided by local artists that may be brought into fruition.

It's really nice to have a City coordinator who wants to work with our group!

Thanks Lorne!

Deb

February Members Meeting

Alan Bain demonstrated his tecnique of applying watercolour and introduced us to a new watercolour paper Curry's 200lb paper a reasonalble priced paper that will hold up to water loading.

Thanks Alan

Members Student Show at Cafe Connections

Our Members Sandra Taylor and Rose Desnoyer had a student show at Cafe Connectionz for the month of February 2009. At least once a year Rose and Sandra combind efforts and put on a show for their students to show off the fruit of their labours!

Golden Workshop

A wonderful time was had by everyone at the Golden Workshop held on January 31st, 2009. 20 participants had a full day of painting and playing with all the wonderfull products (lots of freebies too!)

The best part of it all was the scrumptous lunch that was catered by my good Friend, Fernand, can she cook or can she cook!!!