Saturday, January 1, 2011

Shine your light in 2011

 Ready for joy
(work in progress -- and the name may change)
Acrylic on canvas 
drawing in charcoal
Barbara Muir © 2011
(Starting a painting for an upcoming show.  I'm
referencing the drawing I did about a week or so
ago -- shown below.  The feeling is exactly
what I want to portray, and seems right for
the hopeful start of a new year.  Here you
see the orange/rust ground, the charcoal drawing 
and the background coming in.)

  
The orginal drawing 
Ready for joy
Charcoal on bond paper
Barbara Muir © 2010

Stage two filling in the background.  I wanted to
create a sunny upbeat feeling.
Ready for joy
(work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas 
drawing in charcoal
Barbara Muir © 2011


  Stage three, the underpainting blue goes on
the hair and sweatshirt.
Ready for joy
(work in progress )
Acrylic on canvas 
drawing in charcoal
Barbara Muir © 2011

Happy New Year to all my blogger friends.  I've had
a wonderful Christmas and absolutely delightful New
Year's Eve party, and I'm filled with ideas.  One thing
strikes me about my conversations with artists in the past
few days -- and that is this -- we have so much difficulty
believing in ourselves.  So let's step away from that for a
moment and if we're going to resolve anything on this first
day of the new year, let's resolve to see ourselves as brilliant,
to be the people spreading the joy and light, to shine our
magnificent creative lights in our own lives and in
others lives.

1,000 blogs today
I've been listening to this James Taylor song off and
on for the past day or so (listen to it here).  And I love
what he says.
"Shower the people you know with love, show
them the way that you feel, things are going to
work out fine if you only will."

Maybe that's what the blog world can do at its finest,
shower the people you know with love.  I am at 1,000
blogs.  I was trying to think of a contest, or a give away,
or some special thing I could do to celebrate.  But it
seems to me that this is a celebration all on its own.
When I started I could never have imagined this
milestone.  So like the turning of the year, the getting
to 1,000 is a numbers game yes, and also a sign of
hope.  You keep me going with your wonderful art,
your kind thoughts, and your inspiring words.

I say here's to the next 1,000 blogs, and to three more
years with this great community of creative people.
(It took me about three years to write 1,000 blogs.)
Thank you to everyone for the riches you've showered
on me in so many ways, and Happy Happy New Year.

I'll post more stages of the painting tomorrow.

Have a noticing-how-good-you-are day.

9 comments:

Gwen Bell said...

Love the Joy in this composition. Can't wait to see the finished painting!

Congrats on your 1000th blog...quite an accomplishment. Here's raising a toast to another year of your fabulous posts and paintings! *clink*!

Marilyn Flanegan said...

Muir*aculous.

Congratulations Barbara and thank you for inspiring us all.

Linny D. Vine said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Barbara, your paintings and words shower the world with love! I love this one and what a beautiful painting to start the new year with. Joy and love and happy adventures to you and yours for all of the new year!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Gwen,

Thanks so much. I raise a glass back at you. Your work is so beautiful.

To great blogs and art like yours!

clink.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marilyn,

Thanks so much. Your beautiful sensitive work certainly inspires me. Here's to you.

Happy New Year,
XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Linny,

Happy New Year to you. What a happy thought it is to contemplate another year of your superb paintings.

Thanks for your sweet words.

XOBarbara

Laurel Daniel said...

Wow!!!! 1,000 posts! CONGRATS dear friend! You make a difference in this world and you are a great inspiration to me!!! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your art and yourself. Xoxo

eldon said...

To the next 1000 Barbara! May they be as wonderful as the first 1000 have been. Thanks for sharing soooo much!

Nicki said...

Congratulations Barbara, on 1000 posts. Amazing- just like you.

Happy New year,

Nicki
XO

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!