Monday, October 19, 2009

Having a talk


Mother and daughter chat
black marker on bond
12 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

Just a quick sketch tonight of my friend having a
chat with her daughter at our kitchen table. Our
table is always so crammed with candles (we eat
by candlelight every night as soon as it gets so
cold that we have to eat inside), flowers, Victorian
sugar bowls, and fruit, that you don't ever have
to deliberately set up a still life.

I always admired the deliberate way my friend would
instruct her daughter. I've known the pair since the girl
was five or six and in my son's grade one class, and feel like
an honorary aunt, so I've watched them discuss
ideas and problems many times. My friend is one
of the best debaters I know. With my own children
I tended to just blunder into whatever issues need
to be covered, but my friend was more strategic, and
infinitely more logical. Both styles seem to work out.
Children grow up. Mine are great young men, hers
is a lovely, creative and kind young woman.

Have a loving-the-chats-with-your-children day.

10 comments:

LeSan said...

What a wonderful sketch this is. You captured such life in this. What a lovely thing to be a part of someone's life all those years the way you have theirs.

Elizabeth Seaver said...

What a great, spontaneous tableau. Very impressive. I love the description here of the cozy, homey scene.

Tammy Hext said...

This is wonderful Barbara. Your ability to capture not only the figure but the moment never ceases to amaze me. Happy painting!

Josephine said...

The drawing is animated and your words give it feeling.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi LeSan,

Thanks so much. These two are pretty special. My very close friend, and her daughter. A couple of brave, take charge, do the work, suck it up and be nice women. Love them.

Take care,

Love your writing.

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Elizabeth,

I was getting a little tired of painting flowers, but the huge peachy pink roses on our kitchen table right
now are sure tempting. They are out of this world, and yet one of the strange wonders this world makes. We have to have flowers. Eat beans, but have flowers.

Take care, I plan to catch up with your super work.

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Tammy,

Thanks so much. I'm sorry I'm behind in commenting. I've just been overwhelmed with work. But I just checked out your recent work, the lipsticks and the landscape are fantastic.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Josephine,

So delighted you could drop by. The subject matter was pretty inspiring. Two beautiful women -- mother and daughter talking about some critical topic. The mother looking serious but tolerant and loving. Fun to draw.

xoxoxoxoxoBarbara

Liza Hirst said...

You are sooo talented, Barbara! Your drawings never fail to deeply impress me! Like with watercolours, you have to know which mark to make on the paper, because it can't be removed afterwards. You definitely know what you're doing!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Liza,

Thanks so much. Sometimes these things just flow.

You are sweet. I love the paintings you are doing.

xoxoxoxoBarbara

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!