Thursday, March 5, 2009

Art matters



Mother and child in process
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Today I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario with my friend
Lyn Green. It is such an amazing building as I've told
you before. We spent the best part of the afternoon there,
talking about and studying the vastly different styles of
art in the gallery. It was an inspiring trip. Gehry's
revamp of the gallery is a marvel -- and each time I've
visited I am almost torn between looking at the art
and admiring the architecture. Don't get me wrong the
building showcases the art beautifully, but it is in itself
a miraculous piece of art -- huge and elegant, magnificent
and people friendly.

"Art Matters" is the gallery's slogan. I already have a T-shirt
I love that expresses that. Today I bought us mugs that reaffirm
the sentiment. It does doesn't it. Art does matter.

I have not had as much time to paint as I'd like, but I've done
a bit more with the mother and child. It's far from done, but
it's moving along.

Have a believing-art-matters day.

5 comments:

Liza Hirst said...

I like how your painting has evolved, Barbara. The mother's expression is so gentle and loving - beautiful!
One day, I will visit you and go to that gallery with you! I am a fan of Gehry's anyway. Not too far from us, (well, about a four hours drive), in Bilbao, is one of the Guggenheim Museums he designed and it is just as you say, a fascinating work of art in itself!
Actually, in this case it does steal the show compared to the exhibited artwork, which is not all THAT great.
Years ago I bought a T-shirt in Barcelona in the "Mies van der Rohe" house (which I LOVED!)that said "Less is More" - like the one stroke method, eh?! The last thing I bought at an exhibition was also a mug - it simply said "Portraits" in beautiful colours, which I found very suitable for me, as that's my favourite subject. I was visiting David Hockney's portrait exhibition in London - a wonderful and inspiring experience!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

And one day I'll visit you and we'll drive to see the museum in Bilbao. I've seen pictures of that, and it's stunning. I try to do the less is more thing in art, but keep doing the more is more. I think the one stroke works fine for some things, but it's not so great for faces. They require five million strokes I think -- just to look like skin. I would love that "Portraits" mug because that's my favorite subject too. It's like my
home in art. All the rest is travelling. Roadside motel rooms or something like that. Wow I love David Hockney too. I used to work across from a Mies van der Rohe building in Toronto. Thanks for your
wonderful message. You are welcome here any time. Let me know when.

xoxoxoBarbara

Susan Carlin said...

Art matters- to me, and I love that you share so eloquently how the making of art matters to you, and how art-makers matter to you, too. You're a warm, bright light.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Susan,

Thanks so much. You must be so proud of yourself. You are a very warm, bright light yourself.

xoxoxoBarbara

Liza Hirst said...

Ok, that's fine with me - come over!

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!