Sunday, August 15, 2010

Made it to the market


Boy at the beach (study)
black marker on bond paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010
(This is a small drawing I did while
I was contemplating how to paint
the final image of the Boy at the beach.
I frequently do drawings to
study a face or pose before I
begin painting. )

Saturday mornings are sacrosanct except when work
pressures mean a client is coming to pose, or perhaps
when we're travelling. Otherwise our routine is set.
Steven makes coffee (bless him), I read the paper,
and my novel in bed. The dog and cats, and Steven
then come up the stairs in a procession to bring me
the pot, the milk and my second cup. Yum.

So as this ritual takes some time, it's rare that we get
out to the Brick Works farmers' market. Which is a
crying shame, because it's just fabulous, and at
this time of year jam packed with fresh fruits and
vegetables -- all fairly locally grown. Plus I love
buying flowers from Pegann, and cloth from Jan
Marriott. Afterwards there's a feeling of great
abundance in the house, and something else,
almost intangible -- that rich sense of success that
comes from getting up and out on time to enjoy
one of the many wonders this city has to offer.

Flowers and tomatoes from the market yesterday.
It's so hot here that everything has to go straight into
the refrigerator and the flowers are already
starting to wilt!

Have an enjoying-what's-available-where-you-are day.

9 comments:

Pam Holnback said...

Love the sketches in these last few posts. It's always nice to see what's behind the painting.

CHRIS MURRAY said...

your posts are very much like a gratitude journal. if I'm not up and out the door early on Saturday, the farmer's market will be picked over, out of fresh bread and pastries...difference between a small town and city. my sunday mornings are sacred. love how much personality you can get in a simple drawing.

Karen Bruson said...

Your photo looks like a gorgeous still life. Love the pose on the little boy with his one shoulder higher.

cohen labelle said...

Hi Barbara
At first I thought your post read: Make it to the Market - as though you were suggesting we travel to the Brick Works farmers market.
But several hours later I realized that you had already - Made it to the market, and returned home with tomatoes and flowers and other goodies - always read something twice I say. Btw, fresh Ontario steak tomatoes are awfully nice to have on toast with morning coffee.

I love the drawing!!!

xoxoxoxoxoMarcia.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Pam,

Thanks so much for your kind comment. I do draw all the time, it's automatic. But I don't always do a separate drawing before I paint. Still I think it's helpful sometimes. Great sunrises on your blog.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Chris,

No it's similar here. I'm afraid I was chastised by some of the vendors. But I wasn't worried. There were still good tomatoes, flowers and a lovely tablecloth.

Can't go again for awhile. So it was good.

Take care,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Karen,

I was thinking the same thing looking at the photo. Wow that would be a nice still life. But I've got about three paintings on the go now, so that will have to wait.

The little boy was a study for the painting. I should link to it. Love your painting of the wall, and everything else as you know.

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marcia,

So glad you like the drawing. Perhaps my most serious addiction next to coffee, and perhaps one other thing (painting) is to tomatoes. We buy those grape tomatoes practically by the case each week. So the big beefsteaks and local small tomatoes are so heavenly to me. Tonight I made fresh tomato pasta sauce. Five minutes and it was smothering our pasta as we sat out in the heat, in what might be heaven. Delicious. So some of the tomatoes in the photo are gone. Enough. Now I better paint the tomatoes.

The odd thing is that raised in the same family, my sister doesn't like
tomatoes. Odd.

xoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Nicki said...

Nice drawing... nice husband! :o)

Nicki

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!