Inspiration

Sunset on Lake Ontario

Photo

Barbara Muir ©

Neighbours were talking yesterday about why Steven and I would choose to live
in Toronto. For me as an artist, the answer was happening in that moment as
it does in so many moments during the day.  Our street with gardens starting,
flowering trees, and a school playground with happy children is inspiring.

If you know my work, you know that I'm inspired by being near water.
I have been working on a painting, that is not of water, but of fields in
Nova Scotia, but I thought I would share this beautiful photo of
the lake at sunset in Toronto with you. 

We are so lucky to have Lake Ontario, and so many parks available to us
in Toronto. I hope you are very inspired wherever you live.

Have a loving your life day!

Love is always the answer

The Fruits of Love

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 

I was talking to a friend going through a hard time, and one of her friends
I've never met had said some really thoughtless, and unkind things to her.

I'm working on a new painting I like, and it is a happy, slow process.

Scrolling through my blogs I found this, and I like it. 

"I love this painting. It went home five years ago, and I still feel
happy every time I open my blog and see it. It just expresses such
exuberance and joy at living. Plus this kind of arrangement is 
normal in our house, especially in the colder months."

I think a lot of world problems (it is a scary time) could be solved
if the motivation was to be kind and loving to one another.  I know
that seems simplistic, but taking it from the personal (we need to
be kind to our friends), to the international (every country should be
working with every other country to stop climate change, and end
wars.), it makes sense to me.

We are just recovering from being quite ill for two weeks.  It
feels like a miracle to be normal. We wore our masks (now more
careful than ever), and took my car through a car wash! Wonderful. 
I have a lot of exciting things in the works so I'm delighted that I'm better.

Have a loving your life day 

Happy Victoria Day Canada

Fireworks

display seen from Rideau
Street Ottawa

Photo

Barbara Muir ©

A short one tonight.  Steven and I started planting our
garden today.  Then tonight we went to a nearby park in our
Toronto neighbourhood to watch the fireworks.  When that
seemed over, we drove around trying to find fireworks and
we did see some beautiful ones.  I don't have a photo from today,
so the image from Ottawa will have to do. It's Firecracker Day in
Canada, or Queen Victoria's birthday.  We both love firecrackers,
But boy was it cold!

Still the fireworks started before sundown this year -- probably
because children go back to school tomorrow after a long
holiday weekend. 

We enjoyed everything we saw.  Much more dramatic than this
image.

Have a loving your life day! 

Monet and Paris -- more memories

Thinking about Paris for the past few days.  We visited 
the city coming home on May 6, last year, so the 
desire to go back is strong right now. 
This is one of the photos I showed in a former blog.

My plan was to photograph the wonderful postcards I had

of my painting Dream Selfie in the Carrousel du Louvre show,
 in different venues around Paris -- giving my model Regan 
the Paris experience from a distance -- but I ended up being too 
busy in the moment to remember most of the time.  Here's one with Regan
metaphorically enjoying a glass of delicious Sancerre with us
 when we ate at Khao Thai, on rue Dauphine most evenings.
I did hand out many, many postcards of Dream Selfie both at
the Louvre and around Paris in my travels. Everyone loved them,
which made me super happy.

Because we arrived home from our last Paris trip just over a year ago, Paris
is on my mind. That trip left me flying high in a state of perpetual inexplicable
happiness, and no amount of bad news could bring me down for at least a 
month.  Now the memory seems to be seeping into me a year later, and once
again making me happy.

A fabulous Brooklyn artist and friend, Pete Sinjin, who I met last year as he
painted onthe banks of the Siene, posted some beautiful paintings by Monet that I'd 
never seen before, and that lead me to discover this post about our time in Paris. 

"Okay I confess, I have thought about Paris more than is
probably healthy since I landed back in Toronto.  I have
pined for it, longed for it and missed it.  Too much?
Go there for me this weekend, and report back.  Meanwhile
I'll give those of you who can't go a bit more exposure.

Clouds reflected in a bus window outside the Musée d'Orsay

Doing the happy people pose at

the Orangerie Museum in Paris.  This is

the museum specially made

to house Monet's waterlilies, and it

is beautiful.  I am a devoted fan of

Monet's.  I have seen his work in

Stuttgart, Germany -- where I fell

deeply in love with his poplars,

in New York City, where I rush to

see the Monet water lilies (also

magnificent before the museum closes, when

I arrive), in Ottawa, Canada -- last year

his bridges, and in Paris -- Oh Monet!

Steven at the Orangerie with the

beautiful Monet Waterlilies

More of Monet's Waterlilies at the Orangerie. 

Detail from Monet's Water Lilies

Is there more?  So much more.  But this is all for now.  I miss you Paris.  
Things have happened on this side of the Atlantic that make me want to catch
the first plane into CDG. But the truth is I'd feel that anyway except for my
wonderful family and friends, who keep me grounded and sane and happy
back here at home --in Canada."

Have a loving your life day!

Paris memory tripping

Sophie Ghuzel, Jean Philippe Grelaud 

and me
Photo
Steven van Schaik © 2024

It seems crazy to be in such deep Paris memories this month, but some places
live in your soul. Paris and escaping is a delightfully positive dream.

Another wonderful thing is gardening, and the gardening store we enjoy
was crammed today with people on a spring high you'd have to see to
believe -- smiling, laughing pushing carts of flowers, making decisions,
enjoying every moment.  We planted two planters in the front of the house,
and that's a nice start.

We also bought blue morning glories (one of my favourites), and white cleome,
which will be amazing.  Plus Jens the farmer from Marvellous Edibles at the
market sold me a bouquet that is exceptional.

Here's what I wrote last year about a wonderful time in Paris:

"We have been lucky to visit Paris 3 times in the past two years.
And even luckier to make friends along the way.  Jean Philippe
Grelaud manages a lovely art store near the hotel where we 
stay in Paris -- Maison de Haute Couleur Charvin. He is a
wonderful artist, and a treat to visit in the store, even when we're
just walking by to the restaurants we visit around the corner from
our hotel.

This past visit he asked us to come for aperitifs with him
and his wife Sophie Ghuzel.  Sophie is also an artist, and we had
so much fun visiting them, seeing their art, enjoying a
sweet wine, delicious pastries, and glazed strawberries.
Steven and I stumbled along in our awkward French, and
still had riveting conversations, lots of laughs and so much
fun.

Thank you Jean Philippe and Sophie."

Have a loving your life day.

 

Happy Birthday to my wonderful friend Miranda

Chu Okoli's photo of

Rolf Leemeijer, Miranda Brouwers,

Me and Chu at the gala dinner for the

2015 Florence Biennale

Chu Okoli © 2015

Miranda Brouwers, a wonderful artist, and I met at the 2015 Florence Biennale.

I can't believe it's almost 10 years (10 years this fall) that I've known Miranda, and whenever possible we talk once a week.  And we love talking to one another -- she is in the Netherlands, and I am in Toronto.

Here's what I wrote in a former post that seems perfect today:

"Miranda and I, and her husband Rolf, and the artist Chu Okoli (shown above)
met at the 2015 Florence Biennale in Florence, Italy.  It was such a wonderful
time, and all of us are still connected.  Miranda and I started the Happy People
Group at the Florence Biennale to keep the artists' spirits up during the long days
of sitting the10 day show.  And Miranda and I have been close friends ever since,

even though she lives in Breda, The Netherlands, and I live in Toronto, Canada.  

I so look forward to our weekly calls, and I'm always happy about the
conversation. Happiest of birthdays to my dear friend.  And love to all of
the family."

Have a loving your life day. 

A good idea

View of clouds in Paris

walking along the Seine

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2022

I started a painting today, and I also found this photo and the suggestion
that it would make a good painting! It would. So much has happened
in the year since we got back from our trip to Paris.  But my joy
at the thought of our time there hasn't diminished.  And my desire
to return is strong.  

I like this photo of Paris by the Seine, and it seems right for
tonight. And I think I should do a painting of this some day.
I started a painting of the Canadian countryside on the way
to Nova Scotia today, and I'm looking forward to working on it.
I know I keep talking about Paris that’s what love is like. I hope
you get to go there someday if you haven’t already. Meanwhile
I recommend the French cop shows on Britbox.

Have a loving your life day!