Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Being tagged

Hi everyone,

A few days ago I was tagged by my friend Theresa Rankin in
Carthage, Missouri. She is a fantastic painter, an excellent
writer, and her blog is a delightful combination of facts
about her wonderful life, and the art of being a painter.

So here are the rules for being tagged.

You need to:
1. Put a link in your posting to the person who tagged you.
2. List 7 unusual things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post and comment
on their blogs to let them know.

Here is a list of 7 things about me. I don't really have any
wild revelations to make because although I love my life
you might not find it at all remarkable or exciting.

1. I've been married to the same man for over 20
years and we are still in love.
2. I have two wonderful sons. One is in Korea
teaching English, and the other is studying acting
at university.
3. I studied art at the Ontario College of Art and
Design, but left half way through my studies to
take an English Literature degree at the University
of Guelph. I missed language, (not much talk at art
college). At university I felt like I lived in a waterfall
of delicious words and discussion.
4. My undergraduate thesis was on "Iconography and
Imagery in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene."
5. I teach English and Psychology at Seneca
College in Toronto.
6. My main goal in life is to be happy, and to try to
make those around me happy. Over a long life
of practice, I'm getting pretty good at it. Sorrow,
hardship and illness come without our bidding,
but remaining happy and kind requires
intelligence and dedication.
7. My joke with my friends is that I am shallow.
I do read Allure magazine, but I also read
more challenging literature for at least an hour every
morning and every night. Even though I pretty much dress in
a uniform (white shirt, dark sweater, jeans, or black pants),
I love the look of fashion, which is why I paint people in
beautiful dresses and evening wear.
8. I never forgot what it was like to be a teenager,
and still feel like a kid. That's why I relate well to
the young people I teach. When I was their age
I was a skateboard freak.

Here is the list of fellow artists I'm tagging:
Theresa Rankin http://theresarankinfineart.blogspot.com/
Flora Doehler http://floramary.wordpress.com/category/bear-river/
Eldon Warren http://eldonwarren.wordpress.com/
Liz Hirst http://www.lizamoveson.blogspot.com/
Aaron Lifferth http://aaronlifferth.blogspot.com/
Laurel Daniel http://laureldaniel.blogspot.com/
Susan Carlin http://susansartjournal.blogspot.com/
Belinda del Pesco http://belindadelpesco.blogspot.com/
David Lobenberg http://davidlobenberg.blogspot.com/
Melinda http://melinda-momentsofclarity.blogspot.com/

Forgive me for being still so novice at this that I don't
know how to use your names alone, and have it click to your
blog. Some of you have been tagged already. It's a bit like the school
yard tag game, gone all Dada -- or Cubist. You may be
tagged, and tagged again, and again. Perhaps the truth is that we
wander in the same circles on the net for a reason.

Ultimately I think that one of the nicest things about blogging
is this feeling of support you get when people like your work
and your blog so much that you get treated to being noticed.
As usual, I could add about 15 other sites on here, but this list
includes some of the sites I try to visit every day. They dazzle me
with their work, their daring and their consistently
experimental intelligence.



Here's a little painting I did back in
my watercolour days.
The painting shows my husband on the
right talking to his friend Frank,
with Sam our son staring out at the
sailboats. The river is the Ottawa
River and the town across the water is Aylmer, Quebec.


Have a getting-ready-to-be-tagged day.

14 comments:

Melinda said...

Barbara,
Thank you so much for including me in your 'tag' list! You made my day.

I've really enjoyed reading about you and your life. You are a very interesting, talented and brilliant "kid".

Never grow old! Paint, paint, paint! You're a delight from surface to depth!

Melinda said...

Oh, my, I forgot to write how much I like your watercolor! You've got a gift in this medium too.

Hope to see more watercolor when you have time.

flo said...

Hi barbara, It is wild and windy here in Pugwash. Think of you often as i drive by the school house outside Wallace. then I get to check into your blog and catch up. Busy now with a writer in residence gig for the next few months but have to get painting soon too for a show in May. Greg has finally started to post again on his blog so check it out and I will take a look at the artists you have tagged.
Norene

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

Thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed reading my little bit.
Yeah. Let's stay kids together.
In heart and mind.

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Flo,

Wow, so good to hear from you. I must write you a note. I sure as heck missed Pugwash and you this summer.I met a lot of lovely people through the net, so I guess that was the purpose of my untimely ankle break.

Hugs to you and Greg,
and lovely Pugwash. I will indeed check out the blog.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

Thanks for the comment on the watercolor. Once I started using acrylic, I just had trouble returning to the restrictions of watercolour.
I loved the flow of it though, hard to beat that with any other kind of paint.

Take care,

Barbara

aaronlifferth said...

Hey Barbara,
Thanks for the tag. I also think this is a great watercolor. I always appreciate your comments.

aaron.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Aaron,
You are more than welcome. I will always consider "finding" your
blog one of the great things that
happened to me in 2008.

Take care,

Barbara

Liza Hirst said...

Barbara, sorry for the late response - I was out of town - and thank you very much for tagging me!
It might take a little time for me to keep up with the obligations involved because I am still working on commissions that have to be finished and preparing for a Christmas market I will be selling at next weekend.
I would like to join in and mention how much I also enjoy reading your blog and seeing your art! Like this watercolour!
Thanks again!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

A Christmas market in France. That sounds like my idea of heaven. I wish I could come and see your work there. Take care,

Barbara

Laurel Daniel said...

Barbara! Thanks so much for tagging me!!! How fun it was to read YOUR secrets! I will be making my list here soon. I always love hearing from you and seeing your latest post!

Theresa Rankin said...

Thank you Barbara....I am honored and humbled all at once! The watercolor is delightful and exuberant. I love to see and hear about what goes on in your life!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Laurel,

Well what can I say, I love your
work. This tagging idea has been great. Everyone's list of facts about
themselves is so fascinating.

Can't wait to see yours.

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Theresa,

Thanks so much. You have given me a great deal of pleasure since I discovered your blog. I promise to figure out how to put the first award on my blog when the round the clock marking slows down in a couple of weeks. The honour and humility are all mine. I am so impressed by your work, your writing and your warm humanity.

Thanks for being you.

Take care,

Barbara

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!