It starts with loving yourself

A Valentine's wall at
The Summerhill market

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025
Art -- Summerhill market staff

I had a wonderful day today painting, and visiting a good friend.  It was
also great to meet a young woman who works with my friend, who
has just fallen in love, and to talk about love as she smiled so
happily.  That made me think of this former post:

"When I taught Positive Psych one of the first things we said

to students was, "if you don't know yourself, you won't love 

yourself, and if you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else,

and you won't be happy."

This was not a popular idea when I was growing up -- loving 

yourself smacked of narcissism.  But in fact nothing could be 

further from the truth. If we love and accept ourselves, the world 

is less about us, and more about the people we love.  It's when we 

don't love ourselves that we go around hurting other people, don't
end up doing what we love, and generally don't enjoy our lives.

I credit Louise Hay, excellent therapy and Frank Daley, who

wrote the book Who are you and what are you doing here? for

helping me get that concept, and then of course the constant work of 

quieting the ever present inner critic to keep the idea going. 

I know I'm lucky.  I love my life, my work, my family, my friends."

 

Have a loving yourself and your world day!

Dreaming of the spring rush

 Spring Waterfall

Watercolour on

Arches watercolour paper

15 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir ©

I was talking to an artist friend yesterday about different media. She

loves working in coloured pencil, and I primarily work in acrylic
on canvas.

I told her that I started out drawing in coloured pencil, but quickly
switched to watercolour, and then to acrylic when I studied with
Skip Lawrence in California.

After that conversation, scrolling through my former blogs I found
this watercolour, and I like it.  Spring is coming.  Meanwhile
enjoy the Month of Love.

Have a loving your life day!

Love matters

 

Robin's Message of Love

8 x 8 inches

Acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2017

I have been painting for most of the day -- which started early 
picking up work from the Off The Wall show at the Heliconian|
Hall.  Fun to see artist friends, and then back to the studio.

I'm taking a brief break now to wish you a Happy Month of
Love.  So perfect that Steven and I have decided to call 
February The Month of Love, when it is super cold outside
- 5 Celsius, feels like - 10.  So we need the warmth of the 
sweet strings of hearts hanging in a local coffee shop window,

the delight in letting people know you care about them.

I like this painting, which I use as one of my Valentine's 
cards.  The robin looks sprightly, and also determined --

as in let's get on with this love thing okay. 

Fine by me Robin.  I'm on it.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Month of Love

A Lovebird acting as a banner.

The original (on the left) is 

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir ©

A few years ago, I decided to think about February as the 

Month of Love, not just the month for Valentine's
Day, but for a whole month of hearts, which I love, flowers and
happy thoughts when possible.  That can be a serious challenge. 

I sold some cards featuring my Valentine's paintings 
at the last opening of the Off The Wall show. Thank you to
the people who bought them.  Yes there are more!

So please spread love wherever, and whenever you can. People
need love and affection. Your posts and work make me happy, and
help make me love my life, even when the news is grim. Thank you.

Have a loving your life day.!

One great thing about International Art Exhibitions

 

Journal Sketch
of my friend Miranda Brouwers
marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2024

We hung out with wonderful family artists today after visiting the
Brickworks market, where we very much miss seeing Jens Eller
and Cole from Marvellous Edibles farms. Tonight is movie night
and it's already late. So this post from last year seems perfect.

"If you ever get the chance to show in International shows,
I hope you do it.  Of course there is so much to learn -- how
to navigate, what to send, how to manage shipping, where
to stay.  But the most wonderful part of the whole experience
is the friendships you make that last.

This is a really rough, fast sketch of one of those friends
for me -- Miranda Brouwers -- an amazing artist, and 
fabulous friend.  We met in Florence Italy at the 2015 
Florence Biennale, and formed what we called The Happy
People group, to cheer other artists on through the 10 days
of exhibiting.

We showed together again at the Louvre in 2016. And have
kept in constant touch ever since. Miranda is currently
devoting her work to beautiful cards, T-shirts, invitations,
and art that helps people celebrate the important moments
in their lives. I will do a more refined drawing another time.
Meanwhile have fun Miranda."

I'm still friends with people I met in Florence, Paris and in
New York City who come from all over the world.
Miranda and I have seen each other in Europe again too.
And every time we talk on the phone (once
a week most of the time) -- the conversation starts with both
of us laughing. Such a treat!

Have a loving your life day!

In a world that can be terrifying -- I thank you for my happiness!

Tea Alone

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013,

revised 2023

(This painting seems right for tonight!)

10 Reasons To Be Happy Today

I used the exercise 10 Reasons to be Happy that
I made up, (but it may not be original), with impressive
results when I was teaching Positive Psychology. 
At the start of a class I'd pick 10 people to go the
front of the room and start a sentence with, "I'm happy
because", and then say why.  I'd explain that the
reason could be very small -- as in, "I'm happy
because I caught the bus on time."  It was
amazing to see that the people who came to the front
of the class, said why they were happy, and let the class
clap for them -- got happier. It sounds like psychobabble magic,
but in fact it's the same principle as blogging and
showing work for artists, and as writing in a journal
and then reading it aloud to friends or people
in a writing group.  It gives people a voice.

Having a voice in art and in the world matters.  Getting a
chance to think about what makes you happy,
shifts your focus to the positive, and as I've told
you before, the former happiness teacher at Harvard
University, Shawn Achor, says that when we are
happy we think not only more creatively, but
better.  Here's today's list:

1. My wonderful husband.

2. Our family -- Christopher, Megan, Sam, Emily, 

Alice, Madeleine and James.

2. Our animals -- Sally the dog, and Monet the cat.
3. My friends both here in Toronto, and around the world
through the art world.

4. My life as an artist.
5. Our walks at Lake Ontario when it's not -18 Celsius.

6. Our neighbourhood.
7. Our city -- I love Toronto.

8. My good health.

9. The art groups I belong to -- The Heliconian club,
and The Don Valley Art Club.

10.You! 
I'll add a couple:

11. The wonderful people who cleared our
street today.

12. The people who collect my work.

Thank you for everything!!!

Have a loving your life day!

I like this now, and working on the behind the scenes

 

Toronto Man

Charcoal, acrylic ink, and

acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2024

I showed this Acrylic ink drawing on canvas in the Drawing from
Life show last year at the Heliconian Hall. At the time I was not
happy with it compared to the sketchbook drawing that inspired it. 
I like it now. 

The man is wearing a trench coat, because last year at this point
in the winter we had had mostly rain.  This year in January alone

we've had 88 centimetres of snow.  And that's a lot.

Behind the scenes in art for me? -- preparing canvasses with two
layers of gesso, searching through my references for inspiration,

organizing an art show. All good.

Anyway Toronto Man -- thank you for being an inspiration.

Have a loving your life day.