Thinking about my art group

Iris

Acrylic on bond paper

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

As I said I'm on holiday, and taking time off.  We have been
visiting friends tonight, and it's been wonderful.  Great 
talks tonight about art. Scrolling through my blog I found
this painting and loved it. Here's what I said at that time.

"This is a portrait from an art group session.
I love it. and this is what I said about it when I posted it.
"Here's a rapid sketch I did of an elegant British
lady who posed for us one night at our class.
She was an artist's mother, visiting from
England, and a great model. She sat in this very
proper and straight posture, dressed in lush colours.
I like the agitation in my painting. I think I was
just excited by her gutsiness."

Have a loving your life day.

 

Missing my father

 

My Dad (from his own photo self portrait)

Charcoal on Canson Mixed Media paper

13 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

(My father loved black and white photography --

he had books by all of the greats in

that field.  He took beautiful colour

photos too, but that was not his passion.  
The photo I based my drawing on told

me so much about my father.  His love

of playing with light and his knowledge

about light is so evident.  Plus this

is my father in casual dress!  Yes

he would not leave his house, even

to go to the store for many years if

he wasn't dressed properly. Plus his sense

of humour came through in the merest 

suggestion of a smile.)

Today I am quoting my blog from last year.

9/11  is a sad day in because of the horrific events of that
day in 2001. For me and my siblings it's a sad day because
that was the day my father died -- not in 2001. Today I am
going to quote what I said before about my father. 
"I love everything my father taught me.  I most definitely
walk in his footsteps.  He was a very strict father for small
children -- which was hard for us -- but as we grew up, he
enjoyed us more and more. 

And here's what I know.  Not only is my father visible in my
face, and in my way of talking, my love of humour, and the fact
that I have been both a journalist, and an artist, like him. But
the main connection I have with my Dad is in my heart.

The powerful message he would like me to convey is that
love lasts.  It never goes away.  And my Dad's love for me,
and mine for him is a wonderful thing, and always will be for
me. Isn't that comforting to know?  I think so."

Have a loving life day.

Places we love

 The House on the Hill #2

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017
SOLD ♥ 
(Every time I see this house when
we're coming to our school house
in Nova Scotia I feel happy.

I fact every time I see it, I feel happy,

because it means we're almost
at Pugwash, and almost home.)

Steven and I have some odd habits. We fall in love with certain
houses -- sometimes for no reason. This house is like a symbol 

of everything we love about the Maritimes. And yet, we've 
never met the owners.  But I've photographed it and painted
it several times.

In Toronto in Etobicoke, we park in front of a small park, and

the same house is across the street every time.  A man stands

in the doorway smoking, and looking at the lake.  We call
him Fred or Dave.  A couple of times Steven waved to him
when we came back to the car from a short walk in the park.

But this house is really special.  Because at the end of a 
2,000 kilometre drive -- it says we are almost there. Another
10 kilometres to the school house.

Have a loving your life day!

A Happy Portrait

 

At the market

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches
Barbara Muir © 

Last year on this day I posted this painting, and it seems perfect.
After an extremely hot summer, things are finally cooling off.
And it's coming up to quilt season.

Here's what I said last year:

"Looking through my website, I saw this painting -- a
 portrait of Jan Marriott, a woman who knows
everything about vintage fabric. She now mostly
sells online, but I met her when she was selling at the
Brickworks market in Toronto. The portrait shows Jan
in that setting with quilts behind her, and beautiful fabrics
on the table in front of her. Jan is a wonderful person, and
kind friend. Many of the beautiful things in my house came
from her collections.

I’m so happy that I was asked to paint this painting, and
that Jan liked it, and still uses it as her profile image."

Have a loving your life day!

Taking some time off

Happy Anniversary Tea 

watercolour and marker on
watercolour paper

 6 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 

It's not my anniversary, but it has been just as wonderful.  I'm taking 

some time off to relax -- a vacation of sorts.  So I will keep writing
my blog, but I may not post new work.  This painting is a good example.

I like the work, and the happy mood it creates.

It's been a beautiful day today, just hanging around and reading, 
going for walks and seeing the beautiful sunset.  I hope you
had a great day too.

Have a loving your life day!

Enjoying nostalgia

Hannah Creaser and me with 

On the road in Fredericton

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 

SOLD ♥

Steven is on vacation, and we've been taking drives and
talking a lot about our wonderful life.  One great 
art experience from quite awhile ago was meeting
Hannah Creaser in the parking lot at the Superstore in 
Fredericton, New Brunswick, and asking her if
she'd mind posing for me.

At the time I was working on a series about young 
people on the edge of growing up, and Hannah
struck me as a perfect model.  She agreed,
I took some photos, did a large portrait of 
Hannah, which showed in the window of a 
gallery on Avenue Road in Toronto, and in
New York City. Hannah's father, saw the painting
in the window in Toronto, came to the exhibition,

and bought the painting.

And Steven and I delivered it to her father Eben
in Fredericton, which is where this sweet photo
happened. Hannah has grown up into a wonderful
young woman, and is having a great life. 

Thank you Hannah for helping me paint one of
my favourite paintings.

Have a loving your life day!

So much fun

Friends in Quebec City

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2024

It was a super day from start to finish.  We saw friends at breakfast,
and then drove through exquisite landscapes.  It's movie night, and
we are super tired and happy.

I love the feeling in this painting. The women are having a happy
conversation on a bench on the boardwalk in Quebec City—one
of my favourite places. The city has the French charm we love so
much. 

Have a loving your life day!