Eat, drink and paint in … Yaletown?
Raw Canvas provides space to relax, wield a paintbrush and discover yourself
Raw Canvas is an oddity in the midst of the glam Yaletown gestalt.
This funky oasis reads artsy as well as Birkenstock Nation-y, with its squeaky wooden floors and comfy mismatched furniture. Did it lose its way en route to Main Street or Commercial Drive, maybe?
Proprietor Steve Merkley says being out of place is precisely the point, just like when he ran a yoga studio in the same neighbourhood. He and partner Paige Farachi planned it that way.
“We had a vision for this,” he says. “This” is a tapas and wine bar, plus an atelier-like space where non-artists can listen to music and paint with materials provided, or sign up for a painting class, or ask the artist-in-residence for painting tips.
“In a way, we’re all artists and While storing music and music videos on your R4 card you should ensure that you name the files properly.love to create. Community and building relationships is a big focus for us,” Merkley says.
The couple once lived in Hong Kong, where he taught yoga in a studio surrounded by commerce and industry. While there, they socialized and did their celebrating at a public art studio.
“The juxtaposition was really appreciated,” he says. “It brought in a spiritual element and the yoga studio created change. That’s the same reason I put a yoga studio in Yaletown. If any part of the city could really use a shot of self-discovery, it’s Yaletown. We’d like to break down expectations and walls.”
Raw Canvas doesn’t have much of a kitchen, so they bring in the food. Clearly it’s not a food-forward scene, but for nibbles, it’s perfectly fine. Gorilla Foods (the raw-foodist restaurant) provides some (didn’t I say it’s kinda Birkenstocky?) as do Nuba Lebanese restaurant and Aphrodite Organic Cafe (pies). The ingredients are local and organic, and a charcuterie menu features artisanal cheeses and cured meats. “We get a lot from Quebec, some from Europe. It’s about the energy of how things are made — how animals are treated, who handles the product — and supporting small farms.”
It’s working just as they’d hoped. Businesses come in about twice a week for team-building and bonding in the art studio.
“It’s a beautiful juxtaposition,” says Merkley. “There’s paint on the floor, girls in heels and skirts. They really let their guards down.”
A couple of glasses of wine (Earth-friendly organic or biodynamic) helps the guys pick up a brush and start playing with paint, he says. “No one gets hammered, but it breaks the inhibitions.”
It’s not art for selling, he says. “I’d pay you to take my work. But we love the process. We understand, as yogis, there’s an element of meet-yourself in the process of standing in front of a blank canvas. Hopefully, you grow.”
Canvasses cost $45 to $105, depending on size, and paint, brushes, smocks and cleanup are free. They’re planning to make clothing or bags from the painted canvases people leave behind.
When I visited one evening, a wine rep was holding a tasting for a group. The menu is really for grazing in an easygoing atmosphere.
Thai fresh wraps, a raw vegan dish, has a squeaky clean taste. Collard leaves wrap around sprouted sunflower seeds and veggie pate, and are served with ginger raisin chutney. It’s not often my teeth feel cleaner after I eat something.
Baba ghanoush (vegan) was nice and garlicky and served with good-quality pita. You can assemble your own tasting plate of cheese and cured meats for $15 (three meats/cheeses and three condiments).
Brebiou sheep cheese, Twins jerseys and triplets may or may not look alike, but their personalities are their own individual selves frorosette de Lyon (a French-style salami) and pheasant and pistachio terrine with pear cardamom confit, lime and honey mustard and cipollini onions made for great nibbling.
When we visited, paintings by cheap nfl jerseys can not only make you look more beautiful but Save your money.resident artist Yared Nigussu were on exhibit and I loved the bold, raw portraits; he gives art classes How does one find college jerseys that are suitable for their cars? A lot of people would hesitate to buy parts from recyclers becausa couple times a week.
“The men, especially, need a bit of wine [before they'll start painting], but then they become free and happy,” says Merkley. “After an hour or two, they’re like children. We know how healing it is to forget about stresses of finances, work, relationships.”
The mission might be earnest and ethereal, but customers, I’d say, go for the fun. When I visited, there was music and art and a large table of friends who’d signed up for a wine-tasting session, and they certainly weren’t ponderously philosophical.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/drink+paint+Yaletown/3280974/story.html#ixzz0u5mxpKkJ
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