We Won & It's All Thanks To You!

We have been named Best Wine Country Art Gallery by the San Francisco Chronicle. Our thanks to everyone who voted for us.

I can hardly believe that we have been in Napa for two years already. We celebrated our two year anniversary with an amazing fireworks display at Louis Martini Vineyards. No, the fireworks weren't just for us, our Napa anniversary happens to fall on July 4th. And yes, that was completely intentional. It is so much fun to commemorate the birth of our country each year with our decision to relocate to Wine Country.

Now that we have 3600 square feet to display the art in, we are hosting even more events in the gallery. Among them is our Summer Nights Wine Tastings. Every Friday & Saturday night from 6-9pm we have a different winery pouring complimentary tastes of their pride and joy. We have also become one of the places downtown for Social Media events. Each month we host a TweetUp that celebrates a different kind of wine. This month we are celebrating sparkling wine with a BubbleUp Tweetup. Of course, we still make the gallery available for private events and by private appointment.

So, what are you waiting for? Get out here and celebrate life with us. You'll be surrounded with some of the finest art, wonderful people and great wine. That's about as good as it gets!

Let me know if you need any assistance with your travel arrangements. We have lots of friends in the valley who would love to meet you.

Don't forget to vote for us; there are only a few days left!

We're still in first place but another gallery is hot on our tail. You can guarantee that our gallery gets the recognition that it deserves by casting you vote today! http://baylist.sfgate.com/quent-cordair-fine-art/biz/413758/contest


And, there will be a great big "Thank You" in it for you too!

Art, Wine & Fun

One of the many things that they know how to do well in the Napa Valley is celebrate life! That's why living and relocating the gallery here was such a good idea. It is truly a perfect fit.

Last summer a friend convinced me to try Twitter. With my hands already full, I argued that I really did not need anything else in my life that was going to take precious time away from what was already a very full plate. "Just try it" was but the beginning. I tried it and I liked it; very much! What a wonderful way to "reach out and touch someone." Many of you are too young (I can't believe I said that) to remember the old telephone jingle "Reach out, reach out and touch someone." One tweet led to another and then to another and now I have "Tweeted" over 4000 times! Often it is about the gallery but sometimes it is just a random comment about what I am up to, where I am going or a reply to another user's tweet. Every day I tweet at least one work of art as the "Art Du Jour" QCFA style, an uplifting new arrival in the gallery and sometimes an old favorite.

Tweeting eventually led to TweetUps which are social media events where those who tweet can get together, meet, socialize & promote their businesses. What do most people in the Napa Valley tweet about? Wine of course! What goes great with wine? Art! I noticed these TweetUps being held around the valley and thought it would be fun to have one in the gallery. I did and it was! So much so, that we have now had four of these social media events in the gallery, with each one bringing in around 100 guests. Each month we feature a particular kind of wine at the event. Our last TweetUp was held on May 6 and was all about Chardonnay. Everyone brought with them at least one bottle of Chardonnay to share and tweet about while surrounded by the largest and best art collection in the Napa Valley. Can you say fun? Next month's event is Jun 9 and the theme is Celebrate Rose'.

If you think you might enjoy following my posts, follow me @CordairGallery. And if you are tweeting in our area, here is an invitation to our next TweetUp. http://twtvite.com/CelebrateRose Cheers!

Best Wine Country Art Gallery - Vote For Us, Our Artists and Our Beautiful Gallery

Moving to Napa was one of the smartest things we've ever done. What a wonderful place. We have made some wonderful friends, created an amazing gallery space and feel more and more at home every day.

Our efforts to be the best and most beautiful art gallery in Napa have not gone unnoticed. The San Francisco Chronicle has an annual "Best of" contest and we have been nominated for Best Wine Country Art Gallery. We are currently in first place and would really love to stay there. You can vote for us too at http://baylist.sfgate.com/quent-cordair-fine-art/biz/413758.

There is a great comment section under the ballot too. Feel free to sing our praises there and copy and paste them as comments here on the blog if you're so inclined. We'll just love you even more for it. ;-)

Cheers!

Our Artists Continue To Make Us Proud

We have wonderful news! Two of our artists have been recognized by the Art Renewal Center for their beautiful work. Karl Jensen for his sculpture Unbound and Bryan Larsen for his painting Contrast.

Unbound was awarded first place in the Art Renewal Center's 6th International Salon competition. This wonderful 45" bronze sculpture is a limited-edition of only 50 castings. Order yours before they "break the mold."

Contrast was named as a finalist in the oil painting category . The painting is a 18" x 30" oil on linen that has been custom framed by the artist. It would be a lovely addition to a home or office.
Since this is an original, we will be happy to reserve "her" for the first person who places a deposit on the painting.

The Art Renewal Center strives to provide impetus for the reestablishment of high standards of performance in the visual arts of painting, drawing, and sculpture, and to promote the concept of recognizable quality as a primary criterion for the judgment of Fine Art. The ARC also works to promote a return of training, standards and excellence in the visual arts and to advance the understanding that great art begins with great themes and expresses them poetically through mastery of all aspects of technique.

Congratulations gentlemen! Quent Cordair Fine Art is proud to represent you.

Finishing Touches!

It took a while, but it was worth the wait. Our new logos have been installed on the exterior of the gallery. Created by the one and only Quent Cordair, our beautiful friend anchors the gallery name and adds a touch of elegance to our downtown Napa location.

With her face up-stretched, she warms herself in the Napa sun and sets a tone for the lovely art to be found inside. Nothing abstract, nothing impressionistic, just uplifting & inspirational, life-affirming art. Romantic Realism at its very best!

The signs were created by one of our new Napa friends and gallery enthusiasts, Toby Gewertz. Toby owns MetalFormz, www.metalformz.com, in Napa and specializes in metal design & fabrication for both commercial & residential use.

Our gallery is located on a busy corner in downtown Napa. Having the signage complete on both sides of the building should help us attract the attention of passers by, both on foot and by car. I think it looks great and I am very happy to have made another positive step towards becoming a landmark in our new Napa Valley home.

Next step, better lighting for our exterior signage! :) Stay tuned.

Springing Forth with New Ideas

The rains have ceased for the most part and the Napa Valley is bright with the color of mustard blossoms. Bud breaks are beginning to appear on what were dormant vines and the tourists are returning to help us drink the many barrels of wine that have been patiently aging in cool dark places. Someone pinch me; I live in Napa!

See what I mean? This beautiful picture was taken by one of my new Napa friends, Bob McClenahan. He is a very talented photographer and fellow wine enthusiast. Check out some of his favorite shots on his web site.

Yes it's true. As you can tell by a lack of recent posts, I have been cheating on my blog by experimenting with some other forms of social media these days. (blush) As you know, we are always looking for more ways to tell the world about our amazing gallery and the wonderfully talented artists that we represent. In an effort to find those who share our passion, I spend a considerable amount of time on line researching various forms of marketing and advertising possibilities. In spite of being encouraged by several web savvy friends, I swore off Twitter for the longest time. I finally succumbed to the peer pressure and now I find myself completely immersed in this, the most recent phenomenon in social media. Armed with my laptop or my iPhone, I am now in near constant touch with people near and far, sharing thoughts, ideas and marketing strategies.

Follow & be followed is the primary premise. Read 140 character or less quips by people you find interesting, follow news, see what your friends are up to etc. On the flip side you can post comments, share thoughts, keep track of your friends, promote your business and so on. So far I have posted nearly 2300 times. Who knew I had so much to say? lol

We have hosted some very successful Twitter events (Tweetups) in the gallery, with plans for more. The next one is scheduled for April 1. We expect around 100 people from all over the Napa Valley to attend. They will be here to meet their fellow Tweeps, network, drink wine and of course, enjoy the art. If you're close by, a Tweeter and would like to attend, here is the invitation. The event promises to be a lot of fun.

You can follow me on Twitter via CordairGallery. If you're already a friend and/or interesting, chances are that I will follow you back. I have made a lot of wonderful new friends since venturing into Twitter land and have found some new art customers too.

Here's to social media and to spreading the word about our sunlit world. Cheers! >clink<

Celebrating an "Art-Full" Holiday

The holidays are nearly here. We've decked the halls both here in the gallery and at home and have enjoyed sharing our holiday spirit with friends, family and gallery guests. Last year's Christmas windows at the gallery were a big hit and I could not resist the temptation to out do them this year. With a little help from Home Depot, The Loose Caboose and the Napa Valley Historical Model Railroad Museum, I think we did it.













We managed to feature a lot of art in the windows. Several of Karl Jensen's beautiful sculptures, Quent's "Henry's Night Out," "Elegance" in natural sand by Bill Mack, "New Year's Eve" by Bryan Larsen, "A Paige in My Book" by Perrin Sparks, "Vow" by Michael Wilkinson, "There's Opportunity Here" by Bryan Larsen, "Holiday" by Jerald Rough' , "Les Filles D'Avignon" by Danielle Anjou and "Something Worth Celebrating" by Thomas Arvid. You can click on the photos to enjoy larger versions.

If you are still hunting for that special something? Remember that our gift certificates are a popular way to give that someone special a present that will last a lifetime.



Happy Holidays from all of us at QCFA. We hope that your celebrations are joyful and that 2010
brings with it health, happiness & success.

Bryan Larsen Appreciation Week

Earlier this week I proclaimed this"Bryan Larsen Appreciation Week." I'm part owner of the gallery and representative extraordinaire, so I'm allowed to do that! :)

In honor of this auspicious event, we are offering a selection of Bryan Larsen originals via silent auction. Or if you prefer, "esthetic adoption." You are invited to contact the gallery, on or before 3pm Pacific time, Wednesday, November 18, 2009 with your bid on any of the artwork posted here. Be fair. If you are the highest bidder over the private reserve price, you win! If you bid retail or higher, we will also include a personal dedication on the art to you from Bryan. How sweet is that?

All of these originals are very affordable to begin with and may make the perfect holiday gift for your favorite Bryan Larsen fan. Unless of course, you want one all for yourself! ;)

Here are the items up for adoption: (including the one above)

Each of the images links to its corresponding page on our site which includes the dimensions and retail price. These pieces are unframed. We do have a terrific framer available if you would like us to have your art framed for you before we ship it.

Bids must be received by e-mail (linda@cordair.com) on or before 3:00pm (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, November 18, 2009. Bids will be acknowledged via e-mail and winners will be notified by e-mail or telephone. Please feel free to call or e-mail me at linda@cordair.com with any questions. Winning bids do not include nominal shipping charges.

Have fun, bid well and good luck! This is a great opportunity to own a Bryan Larsen original and provide the artist with some well deserved capital.

As always, we appreciate and look forward to earning your business!

Harvest in Napa, And We Helped!

This year's grape harvest in Napa is drawing to a close. Most of the vintners are now busy processing their grapes with hopes that this year's bounty will yield award winning wines.


It has not taken us long to make ourselves at home in this beautiful valley. Quent and I, along with one of our dearest friends, Jody, recently lent our unskilled grape-picking hands to some of our wine-making friends. The results? Well let's just say that we still have all of our digits, even though I proudly bear a small scar on my left hand from my first attempt.

Working shoulder to shoulder with the hard working people who do this for a living, you gain a far greater appreciation for the amount of back-breaking labor that goes into making these amazing elixirs. My first picking experience was thanks to our good friends who own Ceja Vineyards. Jody was visiting us from Michigan and together we learned how to properly wield a harvest knife. Its short, curved blade and lightweight handle are typical of knives used during the annual harvest of wine grapes in the area. Although grape-picking machines are used in the large vineyards of California's Central Valley, hand tools like this are preferred on the estate vineyards in Napa.

Jody and I helped the Cejas pick Pinot grapes that were being sold to Mumm Napa to make sparkling wine. After about an hour and a half, Jody and I had picked about 400 pounds of grapes. And there is no telling how many we ate in the process.

A ton of grapes yields about 143 gallons of wine. There are 2.38 gallons of wine in a case (12 bottles), so a ton of wine will produce about 60 cases. Since there are 12 bottles in a case, a ton of grapes makes roughly 720 bottles of wine. The average wine bottle holds .750 ml, and one gram = 0.0044092 pounds, so for each bottle of wine, one needs about 2.78 pounds of grapes. It takes about 630 grapes to produce one bottle of wine. Jody and I picked enough grapes to make approximately 144 bottles and I think we each ate a bottle's worth of the tasty little jewels. Soon after we were rewarded with a delicious lunch prepared by Mamma Juanita, the Ceja family's matriarch. She prepared lunch for all of the pickers. It was the most wonderful chicken mole that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying!

A week or two later, Quent and I were invited by our friend Chuck Custodio, a.k.a Trahan Winery, to an after-dark harvest party at Carneros Della Notte. There, we were treated to a lovely outdoor-dinner adjacent to their vineyards. After wards, a live band played, while, armed with our harvest knives, we picked grapes under a beautiful harvest moon. Extra lights illuminated the many rows of juicy clusters that would soon fall victim to our blades. The grapes at this stage are so ripe, that often, when you take them in your hand to separate them from the vine, the plump orbs burst, spilling their juices before you can place the cluster in the bin. I was having so much fun that I even forgot about some of the eight legged creatures that like to hang out amongst the vines. Upon filing several bins, and bidding our new friends a good evening, we left for home, covered with dust from the vineyards and sticky with the juice that got away.For weeks the air was sweet with the smells of harvest. The rains have come now and soon it will be time to prune the vines in preparation for their winter slumber. While we wait for signs of Spring next year, we will enjoy the fruits of those who labored years before us. We now enjoy each sip with a new appreciation for the efforts of so many that go into making incredible wines.

Inside the Gallery

I am often asked what it is like to work in such beautiful surroundings. Frankly, I can't imagine doing anything else. At least not now. Sure, some day I'll squeeze in some of those culinary classes I talked about, but for now, I am definitely in my happy place.




It occurred to me today that those of you who are unable to make the journey to Napa to see what I'm talking about, might like to enjoy a peek inside our sunlit world and see the art as we have it displayed in the gallery.

We rotate the art in the gallery often. With so many wonderful paintings and sculpture on display, it can be an all day project. But what a fun and rewarding project it is. More than one guest in the gallery has caught us in the process of rearranging the art when they have come to visit and they are amazed at how many different displays we can create in our 3600 square feet of space.

Have I tempted you yet? You know you want to be here too. Keep us in mind when you start talking about your next vacation. Ten months out of the year, Napa is incredibly beautiful. The other two months, December and January, are pretty wet, but the gallery and the wine-tasting rooms are all indoors! :)

Let us know if you'll be heading in our direction and we'll help you find places to quench you thirst, satisfy your hunger and rest your head when you are not enjoying the gallery. Come explore our valley and experience our art in person! Don't worry, if you don't make it to Napa, I'll continue to post the occasional sneak peek.

Celebrating Art Napa Style!

We spent Friday evening enjoying wonderful wine and great food among friends and art lovers. Thomas Arvid was in town for a reception that we put together for him at the new AVIA Napa Hotel. Wine for the event was poured by Grgich, Ceja and St Supery, three wonderful Napa Valley wineries.

Mr. Arvid worked on his latest original, graciously answered questions and posed for pictures with his adoring fans and collectors. In this picture from left to right: Robert and Celia Stewart, Linda Cordair, Thomas Arvid, Dr Dae Hyun Chung and Quent Cordair.

Thanks to everyone who came out for the event. We'll be offering a copy of Thomas Arvid's wine journal and a bottle fabulous Ceja wine to anyone who purchases any of Thomas Arvid's work this month.

You can view Thomas Arvid's paintings in our beautiful downtown gallery, on our web site and in the AVIA Napa Hotel.

We look forward to seeing and posting (with your permission of course) pictures of your favorite Thomas Arvid painting hanging in your home or office. Celebrate the wonders of Thomas Arvid's work with us. Each is a very limited-edition and something you will treasure for many years to come.

"A New Height" by Bryan Larsen, Remembering the WTC

Like most of us, I remember exactly where I was on 9/11. Living in Florida at the time, I was busy at work when someone came in into the office from the break room with the news. The rest of the day was spent watching in horror as the day's events unfolded.

Shortly before that tragic day, a wonderful artist named Bryan Larsen, completed a painting that featured a dashing young architect taking pride in his greatest masterpiece. In "A New Height" the World Trade Center is featured prominently in the painting. (follow the link to see the entire painting) The original oil on linen was purchased very quickly, after which Bryan Larsen made a limited number of signed and numbered prints on canvas available. In an effort to make this image available to almost anyone, Bryan even offered a poster of the painting. It was obvious that people would need and want something positive to remember these beautiful buildings and those who lost their lives in the attack. A limited number of these prints are still available.

On September 14, 2001, my husband Quent, wrote a profound letter to our friends, family and associates. The letter is posted on our web site just below the image of the painting. Each year, I read with pride the words that my husband so eloquently wrote. Thank you Bryan and Quent for giving us all something wonderfully positive to share with each other.

My goal is to circulate both the image and the letter around the world this week. The world needs more Rational Art and we aim to provide it. Feel free to blog, Tweet, e-mail or Facebook the link. We appreciate your assistance in getting this image to anyone who will benefit from seeing it.

What a Busy Month

I can hardly believe that today is the last day of July. Where did the time go? We certainly have enjoyed a busy month. Between gallery events, visiting family members, AVIA's opening and gallery guests, we have hardly stopped. What fun! A few days away would be nice, but I do have a hard time tearing myself away from the gallery. Who can blame me? I love my job.

Ok, I know you're jealous that I get to spend every day here. If it will make you feel better, I had to wade through sales tax today all by myself. :( Yuck! Our delightful book keeper broke her foot recently and my trusty business consultant, Tina, was nowhere to be found. Mind you, it took me a lot longer to complete the forms than it would either of them, but it had to be postmarked today. So I hunkered down, held back the tears and dug in. I'm actually quite proud of myself for figuring it out. But don't worry ladies, I do NOT want your job. The sales tax paperwork is all yours next quarter.

After finishing the aforementioned, I was treated to a visit from QCFA artist, Thomas Arvid, his right hand, Rob Preiditsch and a few of his friends. After enjoying the gallery and a little business, I walked them down to the AVIA Hotel, where, courtesy of the hotel's General Manager, Kristine Youngberg, we shared a lovely bottle of Schramsburg's bubbles. Ahh, cold sparkling wine on a warm summer's day, atop Napa's newest hotel with some wonderful people. What a treat! I'm sorry you missed it. Seriously, you should come next time. It's what we do here. :)

Earlier this month we hosted the VIP reception for the Festival del Sole in the gallery and even managed to find time to attend a couple of their wonderful events. The Festival features concerts by some of the world’s most celebrated musical artists, five-star cuisine, art exhibits, and wines from Napa’s top vintners, blended in a unique celebration of the art of life. We thoroughly enjoyed Sarah Chang's performance at the Lincoln Theater. I even stood in line after wards to have her sign a cd for us for the gallery. Later, we enjoyed a very nice winemaker's dinner at Far Niente, where I was fortunate enought to be seated next to Mr. Jan Schrem, the owner of Clos Pegase Winery. What a delightful man. I hope to have the pleasure of getting to know him better and plan to visit his winery very soon.

So yes, Quent and I are a little tired, but Napa's season has just begun and we look forward to sharing it with you. Our beautiful gallery, the art within it, the wine, new friends and so much more. Just let us know when you will be here!

Sarah's Summer Visit

We just enjoyed a month-long visit with our daughter Sarah, who is 22. She took a break from hot and rainy central Florida to hang out with us in beautiful, dry and sunny Napa. The first two weeks she had her boyfriend Eddie with her. It was Eddie's first trip to Napa, so we made sure that he enjoyed a proper tourist experience. The last two weeks, Sarah and I squeezed in as much mother/daughter time as we could manage considering my busy gallery schedule.

One of Sarah's favorite works in the gallery is "How Far We've Come" by Bryan Larsen. She enjoys the uplifting nature of the painting and considers the painting a window to the future. I love watching her enjoy it when she spends time in the gallery. She is also a big fan of "Deliberation." She was flattered when several gallery guests asked her if she modeled for the painting. We should have taken a picture of her with the painting to share with Bryan. We'll have to do that next time.

One of Sarah's favorite summer activities in Napa is our weekly Chef's Market. If Sarah were still here, she would be across the street from the gallery tonight purchasing her favorite Armenian Cucumbers. I would love to send her some, but who knows what they would look like, much less what they would taste like by the time they arrived in Florida.
Here is a picture of this week's crop, just for you Sarah. By the way, Mark (the produce guy), says hi and wants to know when you'll be back for more.

If you have never tasted one of these striped Armenian delights, and you can find one, Sarah and I highly recommend them. They are crunchy, light and very flavorful. Something tells me that Sarah may be back for more before the season is over.