Dreaming of the MoMA and New York City

 

 Salad Obsession

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 
SOLD ♥

There was a time when New York City felt like a second home.
I loved the gallery I showed with there, and the gallery curator
is a sweetheart.  I exhibited my work for 10 years in NYC
and loved every minute of being there.  But things are very
different in the U.S. now.  Big hopes for Mamdani, but even
so.  Here's what I said in a former post:

"If there were ever a time when an escape dream would help,

this is one.  And I saw this painting of a delicious lunch
in the wonderful restaurant in the MoMA. I remember 
not only the food -- awesome, but the wonderful people we
got to talk to in New York.  I was telling someone today

that New Yorkers are so warm, and loved a conversation --
And the conversations were always both funny and brainy.

Fingers crossed that what's happening now is what
Jeffrey Gitomer would call a "temporary situation."
So I wish you a great day.

Of course the temporary situation now has been going
on for a year, and it gets more grim by the day.
But here's to my artist friends, trying to bring some
cheer into a hard time.

Have a loving your life day!

Great meeting about our show The Colour of Light in April

 

Morning  in Korea

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(I love this Skype painting
based on a very rough Skype

photo from when my son and his
wife (then girlfriend) were 

teaching English in Korea for a year. 

 Even the though the connections were

sometimes sketchy -- Skype let us keep
in touch, and the Skype sessions 
seeing each other meant so
much to us.)

I took a taxi to a meeting at the Heliconian Hall where we talked about

the show happening in April with work by Henrietta Walmark, Vivian
East and me.  Henrietta and Vivian are wonderful artists and I'm so
looking foward to showing with them. When I have the dates I'll let you
know.

During the taxi ride the driver and I talked about the state of the world,

and how we all needed to become more loving, and the words of this

former post about love seemed right:

"The image tonight seems right because my son and his wife spent a
year teaching English in Korea, and loved their life there.  And
the painting shows how much they love each other.

It is a supremely frightening time in the world, and for some reason,

a line from a Beatles song I heard while waiting in line at the grocery
store keeps coming into my head over and over.

The line is "love is all you need." The world really needs us to work on
being more loving. That sounds corny as all get out, but it’s true.
We need to quit warring, and competing, and trying to be the best, and
start caring more for other people, other cultures, other countries, and
for the whole planet.

A tall order, I know. Unrealistic probably. Essential yes.

I feel lucky to have been able to teach people how to be kinder to 
themselves, and more cooperative with others at the college level.

And (as I said to the taxi driver) to have learned so much from my
students about their worlds -- what they loved, the different parts of
the world they'd seen.The benefits for all involved were dramatic.
The lesson learned -- caring about others helps your life."

Have a loving your life day!  

A great day with family and friends -- now thinking about collectors

In the park
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 36 inches
Babara Muir © 
SOLD ♥

So much fun today with family and friends, making art, telling stories, 
dancing. the best. I love this painting of a happy family that I did 
awhile ago.

Here's what I said about it before:

"It was a Christmas present for the father, and delivered on Christmas eve

that year. The children were amazing, and I was inspired by the mother's

love for her children and her husband.  Her husband was very moved.

 One of the great pleasures of being an artist -- is understanding the
collector's wishes and making them happy.  I'm thinking about happiness tonight.
Despite worries and fears about what's happening in the world, it's important

to value and enjoy the times when all is well in your life.  It is, and
thank you so much everyone who makes my life so good."

Have a loving your life day. 

Perfect Saturday -- taking it easy, and running around getting things done

 

Napping with the cat

Watercolour and marker 

on watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 

I love this image because it's the dream of every Torontonian driving or
walking through snow, and deep puddled flooding our boots, and even
worse in shoes.

And we had a perfect day -- lots of hanging around talking and playing
with the animals, then going all over town getting things done and 
seeing the extreme beauty of the snow scenes.  Amazing.

Now it's movie night. Yay!

Have a loving your life day!

The beautiful and heavy snow makes me dream of escaping

Paris 
Photo

Barbara Muir © 2024

If you know me, you know I would probably want to escape to Paris.
I've been having fun today working on a little still life that needs
revising.  My colour tastes change all the time, and the work felt
dull. 

In a break I went out to clean off our car.  The snow was a foot and
a half deep in places.  And wow it looks so light, but it's heavy.
I worked on it for about half an hour, and am taking a short 
pause because I was getting tired.  A sip or two of hot chocolate,
talking to you, more colour on my painting, and I will finish
the job. 

So here's a Paris image for your pleasure.

Have a loving your life day!

Working with my friend—and of course shovelling

 

Studio lemons in a glass bowl 
Acrylic on cradled birch panel
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2017
SOLD ♥ 

I love this painting of the lemons in the beautiful antique bowl on our kitchen
 table. It’s late, we just had supper so this will be short. A super friend helped
 me today with endless technical difficulties. Solved. But now my computer is
 not working, so more to figure out.

Despite the frustration I’m very happy. And seeing the source of this painting
at dinner made me smile.

Have a loving your life day! 

Great last public opening of the Off The Wall show

August Colours

Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

SOLD ♥ 

A super opening tonight at the Off The Wall show at the Heliconian Hall,
35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto. The show will be available by appointment
until the end of January. 

We met some amazing people, some great artists, and had delightful
conversations.  

Because it's a show of smaller paintings, there is an exciting variety of 
work, and I've loved sitting the show.  I was also selling Valentine's cards
-- four for $20.00. I'm a big fan of the Month of Love (February), and
believe the world needs to shift to a more loving way of operating. 

Have a loving your life day!