The Focus Journal is sold in stores across Vancouver. We thought we’d ask our vendors what they thought! Below is the story of Rath Art Supplies:

1) Tell me a bit more about your store?

Stanley Rathbun first opened Rath Art Supplies in 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario.  16 years later, Stan moved to Vancouver following his son who had a career opportunity out west. The store has done business on Main Street at 8th Avenue  ever since.

 Stan specially curated a selection of fine art materials that were not available in other art supply stores, including some of the finest oil paints in the world. He also built custom canvas stretchers and wood panels and developed a reputation for his craftsmanship and excellent customer service. 

Theresa Frazao took ownership of the store upon Stan‘s retirement in 2018.  Theresa’s personal artistic passion lead her into a 25 year career in fundraising that began managing a gallery for youth artists for a Vancouver nonprofit  organization serving teens in government foster care. Although her career took her away from the arts, she kept it close as a personal passion and discovered Rath Art Supplies when she moved into Mount Pleasant in 2010.  In their very first conversation, Stan told Theresa that he wanted to retire one day and sell the store. This conversation ignited a spark that lead to Theresa‘s three-year internship with Stan, learning the business and together preparing for his retirement and her transition into  running the business. Theresa became the proud owner of Rath Art Supplies on October 1, 2019.

2) What kind of products do you sell?

Rath Art Supplies sells traditional fine art materials including all mediums of colour made with pure natural pigments.  You’ll find some of the finest oil paints in the world as well as watercolor, gouache, acrylics, encaustic, enamel, inks, coloured pencils and pastels, pens markers and paint pens, and a wide array of mediums and finishes.  Of course the colours are nothing without materials to apply them to. The shop also carries an impressive variety of sketchbooks, also papers for watercolor, print making and drawing. In addition to standard canvases and wood panels, Rath Art Supplies is somewhat locally famous for its custom  Canvas, stretchers, wood panels and for their ability to work with artists on unique projects they would otherwise be unable to execute. Our resident Carpenter, Scott Colin, also an artist and a musician, is highly skilled and brings a new level of creativity, quality and detail to the shop.

3) What are your most popular items?

It’s a wonderful thing to see a customer’s eyes light up when they find that special something they have been searching for all over the city. Some of our brands are exclusive not just to Vancouver, but to British Columbia and even Western Canada.  We carry handmade pants by Kama from Montreal, Old Holland oil‘s ( established in 1664 ), Michael Harding of London and Williamsburg of New York oil paints. We have several Holbein products including gouache and oil pastels. There are many wonderful Japanese pens, Field Notes, metallic watercolours by fine tech. Fabriano papers, a company that has been making paper for 750 years! 

4) How do you think The Focus Journal fits into your store: 

As much as possible, Rath Art Supplies attempts to provide products that are locally or Canadian made in addition to fine products from all over the world.  We are proudly featuring greeting cards by several Vancouver artists, pencil cases by three different local artists, stainless steel palette knives made by Oakblade, Robert Bateman sketchbooks and so many Heinz Jordan brushes and  books. We also feature a new local artist in our window every month. When we were looking for an undated journal, the focus journal was recommended to us by one of our customers. They are the primary Journal we feature in the store. We love that they were designed in Vancouver. 

5) What do customers think about the Focus Journal

 When we introduce the focus journal to a customer, we repeatedly witness that excitement you get when you didn’t even know what you were looking for until you found it!   Customers love the ability to date the pages themselves, set their daily priorities and use the dotted pages for free-flowing ideas and sketches.