Saturday, February 5, 2011

The opening

 Me with my paintings at the opening.
(Because the paintings are about talking on
Skype, Joyce Fournier, the gallery director,
thought it would be cool to mount them vertically
so it feels like scrolling on a computer looking at them.
To see the titles look at last night's blog.)

Tonight was the opening of the International Guild of
Figurative Art show at Studio Vogue in Toronto.
It was a wonderful opening and the first show in the
gallery's new larger space -- which looks fantastic, and
is just above Davenport at 216 Avenue Road. I loved
the opening.  It was great that my friends Jennifer Hinrichs
and Katie Brown are in the same show with me.  Jennifer
and I have been in many shows together, and the three of
us were in a show together several years ago.
Jennifer Hinrichs with one of her beautiful paintings
Dinner at Linda's house
Acrylic on board
24 x 24 inches
Jennifer Hinrichs © 2011

 It was a great pleasure to see how people reacted to
the work so positively, and the warmth and good cheer
in the gallery was a nice contrast to the cold, snowy
night outside.

A big shout out to all of my friends, and art appreciators
who came out tonight.  It was fantastic to see you there.

We went out to a delicious Indian supper afterwards,
with friends ,which put a fabulous finish on a very happy day. 
 The opening --  people enjoying a super show.

What I love -- art openings, good friends, beautiful art,
funny conversations, and now I am going to love reading
my excellent book and going to sleep.  It's all good.  Life
that is.  Thank you for supporting me through the process
of creating my work, and for encouraging me.  You make
a big difference in my life.  You make me happy, and
I love that.

Have a loving-being-happy day.

19 comments:

Flora Doehler said...

Beautiful work Barbara! They look fantastic. I hadn't realized that they were so large....I thought they were 8" square!! Ha ha....therefore, so nice to see you posing with them.
Congratulations....I wish I could have been there!
Flora

Nicki said...

Barbara, your work is stunning... and so are you! I'm so glad you had a wonderful time at the opening. Well done!

XO Nicki

Kim Rempel said...

Gorgeous Barbara! You look wonderful and those paintings are smashing : )) Bold, colourful and full of life. Congratulations!

Laurel Daniel said...

CONGRATS!!! Your painting and YOU look FANTASTIC!!! I hope it all goes well and wish I could be there for the festivities!!!! GOOD LUCK!!! XOXOXO

Janie B said...

Wonderful work, Barbara. I was surprised at how large the pieces are. Most artist bloggers I follow make little tiny pictures. I'm glad to see some big artwork. Hope the show goes well.

Anonymous said...

Your paintings look super in the show Barbara, they make a contemporary statement about those cropped computer screen shots we see on computer screens in this digital age. Nice pic of you with your work. Glad you had a super time at the opening.

Melinda said...

Lovely! Congratulations, Barbara! Looks like it was a wonderful opening. I am very happy for you. Best wishes with the shows' success.

cohen labelle said...

Congratulations on your show Barbara!
It looks fantastic the way they've hung your work - it really reaches out!
and gosh, you look so lovely standing next to it!
Just out of curiosity - what's the name of the Indian restaurant where you ate?


Bisous, Marcia

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Flora,

Thanks so much. I've worked on much larger pieces as you know, but this is a nice size I've got to admit. Oh I wish you could have been there too.
In fact you need to show internationally so you can be in it next year!

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Nicki,

You are sweet. Congratulations on the TV show and on the UK online show. Now you know you are really good at portraits!

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Kim,

Thank you very much. I am super happy with the show, and I hope that comes through. The curator/director Joyce Fournier is amazing.

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Laurel,

One day we will attend each other's openings. I cannot wait. Until then thanks so much. I loved your snow painting. Just fantastic.

XOXOXOXOXBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Janie,

Thanks so much. I do make small pictures too, but a gallery show demands some larger work, and I love
working larger too.

Thanks for your kind comment.
XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally,

Thanks so much. What I love about Skype is that the person is often talking on a laptop,
which means the computer/camera is right in your face -- on the person's chest, so you get great intimacy and angles.

XOBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

Thanks so much. It was a super opening -- a beautiful gallery, a warm and charming gallery director, a super crowd of people. It already feels like a success to me. I loved the last painting you posted -- gorgeous and compelling.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxBarbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marcia,

Thanks so much. I'm really glad you like the work. You are a sweetheart.
I hope you'll get in to see the show -- just let me know when you can come and I'll go with you.

Love Barbara

Sheila Vaughan said...

The paintings look great Barbara (I also like the way they were hung) and glad you had such a wonderful show. When it goes right it goes right doesn't it.

belindadelpesco.com said...

Wow, the paintings look even better in scale, and you, my dear, are stunning and all aglow! Congratulations on the show, and bravo x10 on that trio of paintings. xo

Marilyn Flanegan said...

Somehow I missed this post. VERY happy to hear that your opening was an overwhelming success! Your paintings are fresh and fabulous.

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!