A New Year and a New Day!

New Day

Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

(The painting I was finishing

when the Oprah Winfrey Show

team called, and asked

me if I'd like to draw Oprah via Skype.
My answer? Yes!) 

Scrolling through old posts I found this painting. Whew.
I'd already been thinking that this is a new year and, today's
a new day.  I picked up calendars for the kitchen and a place
where I put up a big calendar to keep me on track today.

It was an amazing day.  At Staples where I bought the larger
calendar, Steven was helping a couple of police men 
find calendar work books.  I mentioned that I used to teach
writing and positive psych to Police Foundations students
at Seneca King, and one of the fellows had studied there.
So we talked about how beautiful the campus was then.  I
moved on to teach at George Brown about 10 years ago.

I told the officers that it makes me happy that our police
don't have their guns out like the NYPD on detective shows,
and they laughed and said -- No! It's Canada people.

That kind of happy interaction seems to happen everywhere
here. So far the year's been great -- from artists I admire thanking me for
my kind comments, to seeing the geese fly up as we drove
along the lake today.  People were walking but at minus 4 Celsius
it was too cold to walk for me.

So I was looking for a painting by me that would speak about it being
a new day, and this work showed up -- called New Day.  Boy was 
that painting coincidentally about a New Day, and really a whole new
artistic life. Being part of shows in New York City, Florence Italy
and Paris France in the Louvre all happened because of that.

My whole life changed on the day I finished that painting, because
that was the day I got called by Oprah Winfrey's producer, and asked
to be on the show via Skype in May, 2009.  My thanks to my wonderful
model Shakoya, and to Oprah Winfrey, who I will be grateful to forever.

So here's to more miraculous surprises in the coming days, and to
appreciating every moment in our lives. 

Have a loving your life day.

Happy New Year -- Here's to love and clarity

 

Me and Steven in Paris
Photo
Barbara Muir ©

Happy New Year.  It's been a wonderful day.  We had a lovely
conversation over coffee with a friend who took care of our
dog while we had our New Year's Ever party last night.
Then we worked on cleaning up, read, talked and just
enjoyed the day. 

I had a short nap and woke up with such clarity about what
I wanted to do with my life and art.  In my life for 2026, I want
to be as happy as possible, and make the people I meet 
happy too. 

In art I think I want to paint my heroes.  Some of them --
I have many. 

Speaking of heroes -- the guy in the photo is the number one
hero and miracle in my life.  He is kind, honest, loving, a
great cook, a smart person in any type of work he takes on,
whether at work or around the house.  He is fun, funny, and
perhaps best of all for me, he loves me.  That is a miracle.

We have had so much fun together in our lives with each other.
We love sharing stories with each other  about the great
people we know, the superb places we've been, delicious food,
fantastic art shows.  We sing together in the car (me
badly), Steven very well, and we love our family, our home, and
our animals.  That is a miracle.

What I want for the New Year is more of the same -- a joyous
life, with wonderful friends like you, and the opportunity to paint
and draw.  I love being in shows and selling my work, doing
commissions and studying all the other artists' work on Instagram, 
Facebook, and my blog.

Thank you for making this year rewarding and fulfilling.
You make me sooooo happy, and let's face it happiness is always
a miracle.

Wishing you light and love and fulfilling work in 2026.  And
I fervently wish that we figure out how to fix the many serious
crises in our world.

Have a joyous new day!

The 2025th thing I learned in 2025

First stop Paris

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 

Sorry for the delay on this one.  I've had a few computer issues
and I'm in the midst of hosting an absolutely wonderful New Year's
Eve party. Happy New Year! This painting is right for tonight, because
one of my big dreams for 2026 is to visit Paris. 

Here's something I wrote a few years ago that seems especially relevant now.

"Believing leads to change

The heart of all creativity in part is a belief that it can happen. I can
make that drawing, you can write that book, we can solve this hard
scientific, and behavioural problem of the viruses.  And we can solve
climate change, if we believe we can change our ways, and take 
action to do it, and follow through. Let's join forces in a kind and
loving way to effect the change that needs to happen in 2026.
I believe we can."

Without belief there is no action, and we need to believe that the
grim wars happening now can end, and we can focus on living
in peace.

Thank you again for all of your kindness and support.  You
make me happy.

Have a loving your life day!

Thank you for being my greatest supporters, friends and teachers -- Happy New Year!

 Golden Light

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

We are working on getting ready to host a New Year's Eve party,

so I was delighted to find a post from a couple of year's ago

that completely captures my current thinking. Here it is --

edited for the moment.

"In recent years here's the gist of what I wrote on December 30th.
Howard Wolinksy persuaded me to write about the 2018 things I
learned in 2018, and I've been trying to do that at the end of each
year when I remember. 

This year life continued to be miraculous in at least 2025 ways.  
When I taught a Positive Psychology course at a community college

for 10 years, in the time management section of the course
I learned that there are 168 hours in a week.  I sleep 7 hours a
night - times 7, that means for 49 hours a week I am not observing
the planet.  Instead I'm reviewing old stuff, or making up amazing
worlds (lately this is super true) in my dreams.  That leaves 119 hours
when I'm awake, that I'm amazed every minute.  That doesn't mean
I don't feel beyond sad about the tragic wars, and climate crisis the world
is undergoing. It means I also feel as I recently said that it's my purpose
to notice what is beautiful and touching, and if possible to create art based
on what I see.

Here are some suggestions I'll try to follow in 2026.
They are helpful:

Be Happy! Hardship and sorrow come into every life --
and of course have been part of mine. This year I've tried to
listen to a voice in my head that tells me to rethink my attitude
(it sounds like my mother), to notice what is great, as well as
what is wrong. I'm keenly aware that our time on the planet is
limited, and that I am incredibly lucky. So in my best times
I choose to enjoy life moment by moment. In the case of enjoying
you -- your support, your beautiful art, and great thoughts -- that is a given.
 Plus I am so blessed that my family and friends are wonderful!

You (I) don't know what's going to happen next.
Who would imagine having a conversation in
in the Apple store tonight trying to get some things
adjusted on my phone, and finding out the tech expert is
an excellent photographer, and that I'd be looking at his super
photos of Kenya before I left the store.  What a

treat.  And I would be delighted if his photos 
ended up in a Louvre show.  We talked about that.

When I went to City Hall to get my parking sticker
renewed, I tried to hail a cab I wanted to take to go home,
and a passer by heard me yelling "Taxi", and ran down the street
after the car, tapped on the window, and told the driver that
I wanted the cab. Amazing. Total strangers have been so
kind to me.

Love matters, -- And I can't say this enough.  (My thoughts
on this haven't changed. They've just been reaffirmed.)  I want to
show the world that I love the planet (which is why I
paint landscapes of beautiful places), show the people who love
me that I love them back.  Some people may find it corny
or insincere if I tell them I love them.  But I know that love matters.
I'm a reader, and try to keep up with the news, and know
that the brutality of war, politics, climate change disasters, 

have made it another very hard year.  But I am once again so moved
by the kindness people show each other, even in the
hardest situations. And I'm moved by the people in
my life, who care, make me laugh, and will listen
when times are tough. After my mother died I realized
that even though I told her I loved her every time we spoke,
or saw one another, that we can really never tell each
other too often that we love one another.  Love does matter."

  
Daily miracles like the ones above happen to me and to us
every day.  Here's to ending the horrific wars currently killing so
many people, making sure everyone has food and water, and
electing politicians who care about the planet and all people.

Have a loving your life day!

Looking forward to 2026

A beautiful bouquet sent from an
artist friend across the ocean

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025

2025 definitely made my artistic life come alive -- it was a vibrant 
year in art -- which was a gift, as the world seemed to dive into
deeper and deeper chaos.  Sitting here in my somewhat tidied 
studio (for New Year's Eve), I feel grateful for all of the experiences
 I've had in the past year -- for our home, and the tranquility of
 knowing we have love, shelter and peace where we live. This is
 not the reality for so many people.

Thank you to you for making 2025 so alive. I feel like dancing 
just thinking about all of the sweet people I've met, and dear friends
who continue to inspire me each year.

For the number people (I am not a numbers person) it makes me
happy that 2026 adds up to 10.  I don't know how it will be a 10.
But 10 is perfection in many circles, and wouldn't that be wonderful --
a year that gave you everything you wanted.  I am wishing that
for you. 2025 certainly did that for me. 

Have a loving your life day!

A wonderful year in art

Aren't we lucky!
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

This was one of my favourite new paintings in the Art of Celebration,
my solo show at the Heliconian Club, that was up for the 
month of April. 

Ruko, the model, posed in my studio and it was so exciting to
paint from life in my own space again.  There hasn't been a lot
of that since the beginning of COVID. Prepping for the solo
show was busy and wonderful.  I enjoyed every exhibition I was
in in 2025.  Wonderful new friends, and superb art.

Now we are getting ready for a New Year's Eve party, and
I'm thinking about what I want to do in art for 2026.  I'm
on a full break now, but did do a drawing today, and will continue
making drawings for the next week or so. 

We saw wonderful exhibitions today at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Amazing.  I may talk about that tomorrow.

Now for the party -- more list making, checking, planning. 
So with your kind inspiration I am staying positive, and 
looking forward to the New Year.  As all the songs say,
let peace come to the world.

Have a loving your life day!

My goal for 2026 -- Be happy and help other people to be happy

In a park by the lake -- happiness

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2018

The other night we were at Ikea for dinner (they make quite wonderful
salmon), and the woman ahead of me in line to order food taught me how
to get a tray holder cart because the whole store was running on the opposite
side from usual.  Then we talked a bit as we walked through that long line.
The whole way her little boy was asking her math questions, and doing math
counting on his fingers.

When we were almost at the end I said you know a cool trick you can
do like counting on your fingers -- touch each finger and your thumb on
your hand and say H-A-P-P-Y -- happy! He smiled and then we went
off to our separate tables far apart in the dining area.

But when we were leaving I saw the woman again, and we wished each
other Happy Holidays, and the little boy (who his mother told me was 
five -- and wow could he do math) high fived me with a huge smile
on his face. 

And that was wonderful.  Happy holidays!

Have a loving your life day!