Fine art gallery opens in Cookstown
By Susan Stein

Don't take my picture, but that of the Gallery, I was asked by Ingrid Schienke. But the point is, that there would not be a gallery without her, the founder and owner.

It was her vision to open the gallery for a venue for outstanding Canadian and International Fine Art, to attract visitors to the Village of Cookstown and instill a love and appreciaton for this medium in the arts.

Her success was apparent on Sept. 28, when a large crowd of artists, customers, Cookstown residents, came to the Gallery's annual show, held at the premises.

My main purpose to attend was to look at the exibits, to give me an insight into the newest of the gallery's offerings. Each of the paintings had their own beauty, their own special effect, their own special brush stroke, colours and composition. It was hard for me to decide; which would be my choice. Finally I picked the following:

Artist- Walter Sawka's Eilean Donan Castle using Silver Gelatin Print; Weisbuch's Original Etching - Danseur Kabuka; Joanne Murphys "Reclining Nude" - a Pencil Drawing; Pila Birt's Untitled canvases in mixed media.

But to me the canvasses in vibrant colours, depicting nature's beauty, by artist Michael Foers, stole the show.

Meeting Michael there, he reminded me , that I met him and his wife Elizabeth at their farm , where he has his studio and where at that time Eliabeth made wonderful bouquets of dried flowers and grew herbs.

It was at that studio, that Michael had his first show in 2000 and after realizing, what success he had, he made painting his life's work. His paintings remind me of those in the style of the Impressionists, but some reflect a mixture of the abstract and realism. Still, his overlaying of colours with bold brush strokes, are his very own Michael Foers style. Beside meeting Michael at the Gallery on Queen, I met his son Graeme and daughter Ayla. Graema will graduate this year from Bear Creek SS, has inherited his father's talent, but also has his own talent as a musician. Ayla has her own business in marketing. Michael will have his solo show at the Gallery on Queen Oct. 19.

Beside the painitings, there were Ann Clifford's bronze sculptures , which added to the success of the show.

Thank you Ingrid for the opportunity to enjoy art.