Every day in art is exciting

This painting went home today!

Picnic at home
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2026

SOLD ♥

And this painting went home too.

Stand Back for the Pie
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2026
SOLD ♥

Today a sweet young woman, who is a collector came to pick up her 
latest acquisition Picnic at home with her mother who I hadn't seen
for a few years.

Then in the afternoon I delivered a Stand back for the pie to friends
up the street. And we had a delightful conversation.

We sat on the porch with another friend and talked about me doing
his portrait, having a show together, and I asked the talented 
young artist across the street to show our friend her latest painting
of cats in the window looking at our house.  

So much fun in one day.  After the jam packed weekend,
I am quite happily exhausted.

Have a loving your life day!

Thinking about Paris two years ago, and feeling lucky

 

Paris today

(the photo title)

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2024

When we went to Paris twot years ago, we went because Steven's surgeon's

message (only posted online -- no direct contact), strongly suggested that
we probably couldn't travel again ever after whatever cancer surgery
Steven was going to have when we came back to Toronto.

We feel so grateful that one of our regular doctors got us a new, super nice 

and excellent surgeon at a different hospital. And when that surgeon did
exploratory surgery after our Paris trip, he found no cancer! None.

As I've said before get a second opinion and if a doctor is rude, doesn't have
empathy -- get another doctor.  Plus of course, as I've said before go to Paris as

often as possible.  Steven has been cancer free with regular treatments with
his new surgeon ever since. 

We can't wait until we have enough savings and some time to head back to
Paris.

Have a loving your life day!

Super opening at the Heliconian

One of the postcards for the World in a City

exhibition on now at the Heliconian Hall

35 Hazelton Ave. Toronto

Today was such a great opening.  I met people from France who are
currently living in Toronto. There were so many exciting conversations
and great people, but I didn't take any photos. Luckily my friend 
Georgia Fullerton who I invited into the show sent me photos of her
work. Her pieces are spectacular.

Feminine Energies
Watercolour +gouache
Georgia Fullerton © 2025

You’re Richer Than You Think
Acrylic on canvas
Georgia Fullerton © 2025

Georgia with me and Steven
outside the Heliconian Hall

saying goodbye after the opening
Photo
Georgia Fullerton © 2026

Tonight is movie night, so here's what the club's website says about the show"

"The Exhibition runs from May 2nd to 27th

During the month of May, the Visual Art section of the club is featuring
an art show called World in a City.

The group show is inspired by the Doors Open theme, featuring a diverse
selection of artwork by members and invited guests inspired by themes
of architecture, culture and community in the city of Toronto.

The show has 2 free public showings: Saturday May 2 (2-5pm) (that
was today, and Wednesday May 13 (4:30-7pm), and will also be open
to the public during 150th Anniversary celebrations on May 16 (12-3pm)
and Doors Open on May 24 (10-4pm)."

It's a beautiful show and I hope you get to see it.

Have a loving your life day!

A delightful time at the Art Gallery of Ontario

The King's Breakfast 

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2025

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

Clouds dancing over Toney Bay

Acrylic on canvas

40 x 40 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2025

Three of my images were featured in a continuous slide show that
happened today from 6:30--8:30 at the Art Gallery of Ontario
 -- Toronto's major public gallery. 21 other artists were also
featured, and it was beautifully done so you could enjoy each
artist's work, and then the next image would appear.

The slide show was part of a celebration for the Heliconian
Hall's 150th year birthday.  The event featured a short play.  

Then there were wonderful music performances. 

Here is the outline of what we enjoyed:

• Introduction & Welcome by Angie Littlefield
• The Hearth and the Fire one-act play with
  Angie Littlefield and Catherine Vaneri
• Do What You Can and Free the Magic original
  musical performance by Taivi
• La vie en rose (By Edith Piaf) performed by Meryl Mourey
• Heliconian: Rag, Boss, Blues and Hoedown
  (Composed by Kye Marshall) performed by
  Catherine Sulem - Violin, Erika Hughes - Violin,
  Velma Ko -  Viola, Kye Marshall - Cell

It was fantastic, and I am so proud of the organizers, the
performers, the slide show creators, and all of the artists
whose work was featured.  Thank you!

For more artistic excitement tomorrow, Saturday is the opening of

the opening of the World in a City show, which I'm in with my
friend Georgia Fullerton's work.  We were asked to invite a guest
artist, and I invited Georgia.That opening (with treats and coffee) takes
place at theHeliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto from 2-5 pm.,
May 2. And as always it's free. 

Have a loving your life day!

An art packed weekend

In The Right Place At The Right Time

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 

I submitted 5 images for a slide show that is happening tomorrow

night at the Art Gallery of Ontario -- Toronto's major public 
gallery.  This is one of them, and I hope it's in the show.

The slide show is  part of a celebration for the Heliconian
Hall's 150 year birthday.  So if you're at the AGO tomorrow 

night, there will be an evening of music, plays, readings, and
my work with 21 other Heliconian artists being projected in a
loop on the wall of the Atrium.  Admission is free if you're a
gallery member.

Then on Saturday it's the opening of the World in a City show, 
which I'm in with my friend Georgia Fullerton's work.  We 
were asked to invite a guest artist, and I invited Georgia.
That opening (with treats and coffee) takes place at the
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto from 2-5 pm.,
Saturday May 2. And as always it's free. 

Have a loving your life day!

Two years ago in Paris

Pete Sinjin and me beside the river

Seine in Paris two years ago. It was so

wonderful to meet him, and to realize that we

already had a connection. Check out his work.

It's amazing.

Photo
Steven van Schaik © 2024

 If you're in New York City (Brooklyn) this weekend on May 1, do
yourself a favour and go to Collier West Gallery, 369 Atlantic Avenue
from 6-8 pm. and see Pete Sinjin's beautiful work.  One of the magical
moments in my life in the past year happened when my husband gave
me a super Pete Sinjin painting for my birthday.  I was beyond thrilled.
Here's what I wrote a year ago about meeting Pete.

"I feel so lucky in my life in general, because wonderful things like
this happen. Steven and I were walking along the Seine in Paris last year,
and an artist (Pete Sinjin in the photo) was measuring the scene he was
painting and then holding his paint brush in the air. I started to laugh
because I don't know how to do that measuring thing, and I don't do it.
So we started to talk in our best possible French, until Pete said his name. 
Then I realized that there was a piece on Instagram about a critic

who was not kind to Pete Sinjin.  I was one of many people who wrote
and said that the writer was ridiculous because Pete Sinjin's work is fabulous.
And it is!

So Pete asked for a photo and Steven took this.  It makes me happy just
looking at this happy picture, and Pete and I have been friends ever since.

Of course the painting he was creating that day was awesome, and so
are all of his pieces."

Have a loving your life day.

P.S. On Friday night in Toronto at the Art Gallery of Ontario my work will
be part of a slide show presenting work of artists from the Heliconian art
club in the Atrium beginning at 6 p.m. Steven and I will be thinking of
you Pete.  

 

Time travel Tuesday

 

Part of the show 5 of the 50 paintings I had on view

a year ago in April 2025 at my solo show at the

Heliconian Hall.  This April The Colour

of Light is on at the Hall until tomorrow night

with Vivian East, Henrietta Walmark

and me. 

© Barbara Muir 2025

The past month has been super busy, and this week The Colour of Light
comes down on Thursday morning, and World in a City goes up that same
morning. So I am painting, trying to get my taxes ready, and a family
member has had two MRIs in the past week.  There's a lot going on.

Friday night sometime between 6 and 8 I believe the Heliconian Club,
where the shows I described above are happening at 35 Hazelton
Avenue is having a contemporary members' art shown on the wall
of the Art Gallery of Ontario's atrium.  And I am one of those artists.
So I'm pretty excited.

I just want to thank the Heliconian members so much for their help
and inspiration.  

In this case the excitement comes from time travel in the present, time

travel a year ago, and looking forward to Friday.

Have a loving your life day!