To me, Gordon Harrison’s works are like love songs to the Canadian landscape. And I learn that art lovers – from Iceland to South Africa, Argentina and Australia – are listening. In fact one, Julie Jacobson – wife of the former U.S. ambassador to Canada – made headlines a few years ago when she bent […]
Michael Clifton says that from the moment he first saw the Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show in ’64 it burned onto his brain like a laser beam. But for Clifton – who was then just a kid in Cornwall, Ontario, and who, with brother Dave would eventually form a rock band called The […]
Abstract painter, Chelsea Jodoin, says that before she pursued a BA in fine arts she was the quiet type; the main reason why her first solo exhibition – at Centre culturel de Cornwall – is titled Extroversions. Chelsea explains the transformation was due, in part, to discovering painting. But enriched by educators who encouraged […]
Cornwall Ontario – This news-story photo of a coyote, cozily curled up on the seat of a commuter train, is both compelling and concerning. On one hand, it hints at the remarkable intelligence and adaptability that has ensured the species’ survival over evolutionary time. But it should also make us stop in our tracks […]
CFN – Jacqueline Milner is a well-known artist photographer. She has studied art all through out school and she has been selling and exhibiting her work since 2002. In 2003, Jacqueline began expanding her artistic talents from just photography, to painting professionally as well. She explains her painting grew out of her photography. When asked where […]
CFN – I was delighted to be asked to review W. Brett Wilson’s book “Redefining Success: Still Making Mistakes”. For those of you who have watched “Dragon’s Den” you may be familiar with him. A highly successful business man and philanthropist, his principles for business should be taught to every MBA student. If all Corporate […]
CFN – Sitting in what was once the principal’s office at a school in Martintown, Ontario – the one Shannon Spooner bought and transformed into a multi-service, pet-centered mecca for clients who come from as far away as upstate New York, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal – I learn that the hundreds of families who turn […]
From cave painters to Picasso, man’s best friend has always captured artists’ imaginations. There are many reasons why. Among them, dogs – all descendants of Grey Wolves – have for tens of thousands of years given humans so much: Protection, warmth, hunting and herding assistance, as well as comfort, companionship and affection. And all these […]
Their story is captivating, complex and creatively inspiring. But it’s also a story about their soon-to-be-opened glassblowing studio so has an additional layer of excitement. Because as the artists have helped me understand: You can’t open a studio if you’re looking through rose-coloured glasses. To begin, operating costs run high. The glass-melting furnace alone must […]
CFN – December – with its somber march to winter solstice – seems the perfect month to probe a poet’s perspective. April could prove too cruel with its seductive and expanding light, sometimes gaudy-vividness and abundant post winter distractions. And I hope Doug Hill will forgive me for using a painting to help illustrate his […]
You know the expression: Apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze. While it may not wax as poetic as the alleged Van Gogh quote: “A picture without a frame is like a soul without a body,” when combined with Dawn Dempster’s insights, both may offer useful ways to frame the essence […]
Friday, Nov. 8, 9:20 a.m.: I’m on my way to the Mystic Meadow B & B on Pilon Point Road to interview owner and artist Virginia Lake, who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting before. For starters, she’s one of our own Apples & Art champions and I personally enjoy owning […]
CFN – On Thanksgiving weekend, at our grandkid’s cottage near Kinmount, Ontario, I got up in the burgeoning pre-dawn orange light to prepare the big bird. But that was my secondary goal for the day. I had something far richer in mind. So after slipping the 20-pounder into the oven, I quickly showered, […]
I’m asking ceramic artist Cathy Reeves – who was originally a documentary filmmaker – what she thinks it is about her whales and turtles that capture and hold our attention. She says she can’t speak for others but that for her, it’s the fact they’re prehistoric, “at risk” and in some sense, magical. […]
Cornwall Ontario – As most regular CFN viewers know I’m a huge fan of the arts and artist myself. While I may never be able to paint like Mary Anne Pankhurst or some of the talented folks we will be covering; it’s something that I cherish in life and am proud to share with the […]