The inspiration of artist friends

 

With Flora Doehler in her studio
in Bear River 12 years ago.  

When we're in Nova Scotia every summer we make a point of going
and visiting our friends Flora Doehler and Larry Knox.  They live
in Bear River 5 hours away from our school house, and Steven
will have already driven 2,000 kilometres (about 1,000 miles). 
But it is so great to see them, and to visiit Flora's studio.

Her flowers are so vibrant that it feels like they're dancing on the canvas.
Wow!  I get happy just thinking about that on this very cold winter day. 

And Flora and Larry are so warm and kind and funny -- it's a pure
delight to be with them.

The Heliconian Hall had the first opening of the Drawing from Life
exhibition which I went to this afternoon.  It's a great show.  If you can
make the Wednesday opening from 4 - 7 p.m., I recommend it.

At the opening I had many great conversations with artists, including

with a collector of my work.  Steven and I had been talking about
Botticelli's work in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.  And the
collector had done a work inspired by Botticelli.  Plus she'd been

researching him when Steven and I were talking about him.
Synchronicity right? Always so cool.

Movie night in our house. 

Have a loving your life day!

Friendly Friday

 

Across the Highway

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2016

I found this post from a former blog, and I like it.  It's late.  I've been 
painting all day, and I wish you a wonderful night, and a super 
weekend.

"Dear artist friends, get your dream visions down.  This beautiful
view across the street at our school house is what we dream about.
(See the image above).We dream about walking across the street
 from our little school house at this time of night, late, late and
 seeing the stars, the entire Milky Way clear as can be.  

We dream of going to the beach, we think about it night and day, and
 feel so lucky that we have had this joyous experience year after
year.  The only years since we bought the school house just over 20
years ago that we didn’t go, was the year I broke my ankle, and the
year we couldn't go because of COVID and Nova Scotia wasn't

letting in visitors. 

 

The year I tore my meniscus in my knee — our wonderful friends
down the road, not only cleaned up the school house before our
arrival, they brought over a double bed and put it on the main floor,
because they thought it would be too hard for me to climb the stairs
 to the second floor to go to bed.

But this year as we will say over and over to one another, is different.
And this year we are focusing on all that is wonderful both here at
home, and where we can get too.  Ottawa was beautiful, the drive
was beautiful, and our street right here in Toronto is lovely. 

The dog and cat are waiting for me to feed them their night
snacks.  Please enjoy wherever you are, and if you’re in the
Maritimes and drive by our school house on Highway 6, say
hello to the building for us."

It's very cold here, and I know we should appreciate that
because lately summer has been way too hot.  But I'm 
dreaming of the ideal summer anyway. 

Have a loving your life day!

The delight of creating

Untitled (Work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

iBarbara Muir © 2026
(I'll try and get a better photo 

of this tomorrow.)

Yes this is one of the paintings I'm working on.  Not finished yet, but

getting there. Quite a treat to work on this beauty in the middle of a

cold, grey day. (Still pretty out, but not quite as vibrant as on a sunny day.)

There's a way to go with this painting, and I'll let you know when it's done.

As always thank you for your support.  It means the world to me.

Have a loving your life day!

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.!