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economist sunsuntribune total home saturday nov 20 2004 light up the holidays tipsfor making your house merry and bright with proper planning and the development of a focal point a profes sionallooking outdoor lighting scheme for the holidays is easier to cre ate man you may think bath kitchen centre 1 bath kitchen showroom your sduree for qiiaiiw design the only registered american standard showroom for markham richmond hill ask about our approved bathroom contractor referral service ms when the holidays approach visions of colorful lights dance in many a homeowners head but when it comes down to it decorating the exterior of a house for the holidays can be overwhelming and sometjmes with hit or miss results there are so many wonderful new holi day lights and accessories available today its like being in a candy store says melissa birdsong a trend and design director turn ing all those options into a cohesive design that complements your home and creates a warm welcome for friends and family requires a bit of planning to help you get started here are some useful tips plan ahead do a rough sketch of your property including the front of your house available posts trees window moldings doors etc that can be easily decorated if other sides of your house are visible and should be decorated do a separate sketch indicate the location of electrical outlets develop a focal point usually the front door is a good focal point work with your family to determine colors and theme for an even more coordinated approach consider what your neighbors are doing and plan complementary designs determine how you want to decorate other areas of the property they should har monize with the focal point for example a huge red santa can look lonely on a front lawn without decorations try adding lights to the house or nearby shrubbery if the front door is the focal point lead your visitors to it with a row of candy canes small illuminated trees or other accessories that fit your theme please see use a sketch page 11 faucets whirlpool tubs air tubs shower stalls beautiful bathroom cabinets high quality kitchen sinks huge selection on sale over 10 years service excellence now theres more h mmqrb i heartsmart wffiggpime stern bonnie stern is back with more heartsmart recipes theyre nutritious and delicious available at your local heart and stroke foundation office invitation oil painting exhibition heart and stroke foundation of ontario this mossago brought to you as a community service of tho economist sun sylvio gagnon 2004 charlevoix oil on canvas 24 x 36 during the next few weeks art amateurs will have the opportunity to see gagnon in action on main street in unionville where he will capture the spir it of the place on canvas its a happy coincidence since unionville is cele brating its 150th anniversary and the tribute to kathleen continues until dec 31 nearby at the kathleen gormley mckay art centre he will be showing his recent oils the exhibition runs from nov 2528 and dec 25 gallery hours are from 10 am to 4 pm sunday opening is at 12 noon extended hours will apply on friday december 3rd to celebrate okie tyme christmas week visits to the gallery are free and everyone is welcome sylvio gagnon lives in ottawa and can be reached at tel 6132356415 studio tel 6132906372 mobile email sgagnoncyberusca web wwwcyberuscasgagnon sylvio gagnon is a plein air painter in the full sense of the word on any given day rain snow or shine hell set up his easel and make a beautiful landscape his subject on a canvas he started painting 30 years ago and for the past 12 he has devoted all his time to painting what drives him to the brush and the canvas i want to record and share the beauty of life the 65 yearold artist from northern ontario says i also like the sense of accomplishment and happiness that painting gives me my artistic mission is to create images that reveal the beauty of life in all its forms particularly those in nature im most comfortable working outdoors even in the winter being outdoors helps inspire me when i combine my passion for painting with my love of the outdoors i become a child again spontaneous creative and happy in the art world he often gets asked if hes related to clarence gagnon 1881- 1942 he is indeed but to find the connection you must climb up the family tree by at least four- generations if instead you look at his painting entitled charlevoix its easy to see that this gagnon is related not only in name but also in talent interestingly gagnon probably looks more like fred varley 17811873 to that end john ryerson director of the varley art gallery vag invited gagnon to impersonate varley and do a public demo at the tribute to kathleen fund raising event held at the vag last april gagnon is featured regularly on television hes appeared on many art related tel evision programs at the cbc rogers television ctv artv tfo ontario and tv rennes france his goal is to demystify art by painting public demos he finds that outdoor or as he puts it plein air painting is helpful in achieving this goal because of the interaction with the public true to his great sensibility towards nature gagnon returns to paint in his child hood region in northern ontario every spring his long time ojibwa friend fred neegan guides him in his canoe to remote places where no painter has ever set an easel to permanently record the location of these pristine places after he paints them he takes a gps reading to identify the precise location