Friday, April 12, 2013

Blogging joys and sorrows

Sleeping dog with cat food can
Watercolour and marker on
Arches watercolour paper
6 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2013
A friend I met through the blog sent me a wonderful book
on Lucian Freud, an artist I greatly admire.  I was working
very hard on dull administrative tasks when the mailman
delivered this book Man with a Blue Scarf dropping it
between my front doors with a thump, to lift the day into
an entirely different level of pleasure.  This is what we
bloggers do for one another -- with our blogs, our
comments, and the unique and moving friendships that can
arise out of the experience of sharing one another's art and
writing, and caring about one another's lives.

My friend Henriette Sonne, who I met in Florence, and who
I've painted numerous times, said that with the ability
to see into one another's houses via Skype, comes the
responsibility we feel as neighbours, even though we can
be half a world away. When we meet people through their
art and words, we care about their lives.  And this is a
good thing.

In the past month one blog friend lost her mother, and
another was saddened at the loss of a beloved pet.
When my friend, the wonderful artist, George, died
this winter -- friends in the blog world understood that
loss.

This is the best of what the cyberworld can do -- create
communities of people who offer kindness, support,
intellectual encouragement and ideas -- sometimes from
the other side of the planet.

Thank you for being there for me.  And thank you for
the inspiring book!

Today's painting is of my dog Zoey sleeping on her
fake sheepskin rug, with her precious empty cat
food can nearby.  She fished that can out of the
recycle bin by the kitchen door.

Have a sharing-each-other's-joys-and-sorrows day.

6 comments:

Sally Dean said...

I'm so glad to be connected. We are blessed to have this blogosphere! Thank you Barbara. I adore your posts!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally Dean,

Thank you so much. I feel the same way. It's been such a great experience in so many ways being part of this world. I love your paintings.

XO Barbara

Catherine Jeffrey said...

Wonderfully inspiring words.
I really enjoyed your dog portrait.You got the pose right on. This is exactly how my dog spends his time when he is pouting!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Catherine,

Thank you. Actually this is how my old dog Zoey sleeps when it's very cold during the day. She isn't pouting, she's snoring.

I love your work. You are on a roll!

XO Barbara

Kim Rempel said...

Right on! I feel the same way. Some beautiful, vital friendships have formed. Love the blog world!

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Kim,

I can't believe I didn't answer this. Any time that happens you've got to know that life is weird. It has been for at least a few weeks now with one cold after another. So not like me. I am almost always healthy. Yes I love this community.

Thanks for being in it.

XO Barbara

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!