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Blessed Additions
This time last year, my husband Jean-Paul and I were counting the days until our baby daughter, Sophia, was to arrive. She was due on December 11and every minute until she was finally born on the December 14 was fraught with nervous joy and expectation.

Now, one year later, the “birth” of canvas is much the same. As the weeks passed and we built this new magazine it has been much like forming a brand new person. Slowly and steadily our child of words and images began to take form, and seeing the logo for the first time or the feature stories come together reminded me of those early glimpses of a hand or foot or eyes on Sophia’s early sonograms.

Ultimately, it was the completion of our cover that brought canvas to life for me. As parents contribute bits of themselves to create a unique life, so too did visionary artist Nick Cordone and our talented art director Bryan Canniff come together to create the arresting cover you see on this first issue, the title of which might arrest you. Why LI Redux? Because we believe it’s time for a rebirth of ideas relating to this place we call home.

Once you open the cover, what you’ll find is the creative passion of writers, editors, artists and photographers along with production specialists all working to create a voice for Long Islanders who aspire to be “better.” Better to the environment, better to themselves, better neighbors and better human beings.

Through features like Biodiesel Basics in which we give you the true facts about this alternative fuel touted as the hope of the future, and profiles of innovative local artists and artisans, canvas will serve to reintroduce you to the wonders of our island home.

With extras like product reviews for your mind, body, spirit and home; local news and events, and stories that look outward to the world beyond Long Island, canvas will Awaken your passion, Engage your mind, Relate to who you are and Soothe your senses.

The greatest part of our editorial mission is to involve our readers. Through pages like Arts & Letters, we will showcase your artistic contributions whether they are images or written word. Our Web site at canvasli.com will provide further venue for musical contributions and spoken word. As a virtual “sister” publication canvasli.com will feature new material and Web-only extras updated often and not seen in the magazine.

And if you have something you want to see in canvas tell us about it! All input is welcome because we hope to do as journalism great Edward R. Murrow admonished and, “exalt the importance of ideas and information.”

With this goal in mind, canvas will strive to be a forum for fact and informed opinion—even if those truths are unpleasant or difficult to consider. This is because we have faith in our readers’ desire to learn and do more daily so they may live life honestly and to the fullest. And we know our readers have confidence that we will do the same in the pages of canvas.

Now that canvas has been born we, its creators, are sending it out to the great wide world—to you—with love and just a touch of new parent jitters. We hope you will adore it as much as we do.

If it isn’t love at first sight, we hope you will give it a chance, ultimately coming to understand and appreciate it—and find yourself looking forward to reading it cover to cover, every month, for a long time to come.

Thank you for taking the journey with us!

We hope you enjoy the first issue of canvas magazine. Our goals as the founders and publishers are to connect you with your community, and to help you enjoy the lives you lead. You will see the passion of our talented editors, contributors and designers shine throughout the magazine and we thank them for all their hard work to make this first issue what it is.

The publication and Web site are locally owned and operated, making us more in tune to the ups and downs that we all face as Long Islanders as well as what makes this such a special place to live. You have probably noticed that we are using a different type of paper then you are typically used to, that is for environmental reasons. canvas is printed on 50% recycled paper with 10% post-consumer waste.

That commitment to environmental sensitivity and sustainable living is also reflected in the way we operate as a company and through the stories and topics that we cover.
We embarked on this journey through self-recognition that Long Island is our home, a place that we love and one that needs all of our care and attention.

Beyond the pages of this magazine, in line with our vision of connecting you with your community and a network of unique and interesting Long Islanders, we have also developed canvasli.com. The Web site, while a sister to the printed magazine, is much more than an online version of canvas. When you visit canvasli.com you will see daily updates of topics that are important to you. Content developed exclusively for canvasli.com users. A calendar of events that is updated regularly to help you enjoy the leisure time you have. Additionally, you’ll have the ability to interact with us and others immediately through canvasli.com by providing your thoughts, ideas and sharing your creative works, if you desire. During the coming months canvasli.com will also provide the opportunity for you to purchase goods and obtain services you desire. So, as you can see, we are approaching canvas and canvasli.com as platforms to continually connect your world.
In return, we ask you as our readers and neighbors to help us better serve you. If you enjoy the magazine, please share it, and we welcome you to contact us with your feedback. Your support of our advertisers is greatly appreciated, and if there is business that would benefit by advertisement with canvas tell them, and tell us. canvas, as the tagline says, is intended to be a backdrop for ideas, perspectives and life on Long Island, your home, so enjoy.

Welcome to the first issue of canvas, a Long Island magazine like no other in which every page awakens, engages and soothes readers with innovative features and thought-provoking topics.
As our tagline says, canvas is “A Backdrop for Ideas, Perspectives & Life on Long Island” especially created for those Long Islanders who are aware of their environment, the physical and spiritual world around them. The canvas reader understands that we are all part of a larger community and wants to celebrate life to the fullest.

The reader will be drawn in by that which absorbs each human being the most — stories of themselves, those like them and those whom they hope to be. As such local faces are an integral part of our magazine and through them canvas speaks in a voice that represents people living a whole life vision.

canvas is also committed to engaging our readers through topics that affect our daily lives, such as current events, products, happenings and more. Additionally, Long Island’s second-to-none artistic community will be explored in monthly features of local artists and their happenings.
Last, canvas will work to help soothe the soul through insightful features about holistic living, spirituality and self development. Our ultimate mission is to promote awareness of“shared community” a sense of “common values” and pathways to “peace of mind.” canvas will be available monthly, through complimentary distribution at select outlets, events and venues throughout Long Island.

As independent publishers your support of our magazine and advertisers is greatly appreciated and we hope you join us on our journey by taking this first step to explore canvas magazine!