Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The best lunch -- MoMA for Mommas

 
 Salad Obsession
(final version I think)
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2012
SOLD

My painting tonight is of lunch at the MoMA on
Mother's Day.  New Yorkers go crazy on Mother's
Day and the MoMA restaurant was packed.  Our
server was a young guy about Sam's age, and he
made me miss Sam.  He kept forgetting what we'd
ordered, and then apologizing.  But the egg salad sandwich
on a very fancy home made bun, and the salad
when it was delivered was both delicious and
gorgeous. A man at the next table sat with a child's
toy dog on his knee while the child ate.  A little
boy on the balcony squirreled in his chair and was
totally disenchanted until his parents order him a
massive chocolate sundae.  I enjoyed every detail of the meal
and the people in the gallery.

 Salad obsession

This painting commemorates that meal, and
started my salad obsession.  Not really of course
because I've been obsessed with salad since my
mother started serving it to us with her amazing
simple oil and vinegar dressing when I was a teenager.

 A few years ago -- maybe it's six years already -- we
decided to eat salad every night, and we do almost
every night.  We sometimes get off the hook if the dinner
has several veggie dishes.  But this painting started
what may turn into a salad series.

 "The Deep" and gratitude

I watched a little video from Deepak Chopra today,
about gratitude. To paraphrase he said that simple
 gratitude for existing is a wondrous thing. As artists
this is not a hard concept.  I asked my older son, who
is now a photographer if he see photos everywhere,
and he said yes.  We share that because of course
for an artist every way we look we see subject
matter.  Endlessly. So I let my critical mind take a
break, and went for a walk in the luminous, blue night. 
 Someone on Twitter called Deepak Chopra "The Deep,"
and I liked that because he is both deep and quietly
reassuring.  I came home to paint.

Have a watching-the-world's-magnificence day.

13 comments:

Kim Rempel said...

Love the way you paint! This is *delicious*!!

Linda Popple said...

Love this, Barbara! A salad series is a great idea!

I watched the Deepak Chopra video and bookmarked his site. Thanks!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Kim,

Thanks so much. The feeling is entirely mutual. You inspire me.

XO Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Linda,

Glad you like the series idea. Don't know if I'll keep going, but I'd like to. The restaurant salads are so lovely. Well some. Many towns don't ever eat it, so you get chunks of iceberg lettuce and unripened tomatoes and a jar of store bought dressing. But even that would be fun to paint.

Love your portraits.

XO Barbara

Melinda said...

Congratulations, Barbara!!!
Wowza! This is a beautiful painting. Wish I could have been there for that lunch.

Your patron(ness) is a blessed soul to have this.

So happy for you...!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Melinda,

I wish you could have been there too. Everything in the MoMA feels like art. I feel that way in the Art Gallery of Ontario too, and love eating in the Member's Lounge. There is probably one of those places somewhere in the MoMA, and what a charge that would be. So the chairs are arty, and the plates and silverware, and colours. I sound like I'm in love don't I -- we will meet there someday. I know it.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoBarbara

cohen labelle said...

Congratulations Barbara!
What could be a more propitious pairing of obsessions – salads and painting – you get to eat it, you get to paint it, and then you get to sell it!!! A truly serendipitous order of events.
Fabulous painting!!!

Love, Marcia

Anonymous said...

gorgeous painting Barbara! I love the turquoise in it.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Marcia,

True and I'm obsessed with all three. Very nice.

Love,

Barbara

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally,

Thanks so much. I was painting it to bring to you, but poof.

XO Barbara

Flora Doehler said...

Congratulations Barbara! Your painting is good enough to eat!
xoxoxooxox

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Flora,

Thanks so much. You are the champion growing your own salad. I see that three little tomato plants have sprung up in our back garden near the basement door. Too close together, but my those were delicious tomatoes last year.

Love,

Barbara

David Lobenberg said...

Of course it sold! A wonderful piece.

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!