Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Cold, cold, cold -- and the delights of order


Winter walk in the alley (work in progress)
Acrylic on birch panel
5 x 7 inches
Barbara Muir © 2014
This was a gorgeous, sunny day which cheers the spirits
immensely after many grey days, but it was sooo cold.
It seemed like the perfect day for filing and organizing.
Alyson Stanfield who writes the Art Biz Blog asked
people last week to think about a word for 2014. 
My first thought was happiness, and that is my number
one objective all the time,  but sitting on that thought
for a day I realized that right now I also want to focus on order.

Twyla Tharp the dancer and choreographer follows
the same routines every day so that she can concentrate
on her art. She writes about the importance of discipline and
habit in The Creative Habit.  It seems to me that order helps
artists concentrate.  In my case I need more order this
busy month, so that I have time for art and blogging
which matter so much to me. 

Perhaps the joy of the new year is partly about
understanding what worked and didn't work last
year, and a determination to do more of what works,
and less of what doesn't.  I don't make resolutions,
but I do feel the possibility of new enter all of
my thinking when I put up the new calendar for the
new year.  One week in I'd have to say it's been a
great year so far.

Have an enjoying-the-creativity-that- results-from-order day.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

good morning Barbara, your comments about order really apply for me as well, as I've been rearranging the studio and workspace this week. It's always worthwhile to re-asses what's useful and what isnt. Your snowy lane celebrates the joy of sunshine in winter.

Barbara Muir said...

Hi Sally,

Thank you. I just plan to get so much done that I really need to think about how to do that.

Order -- the order of the day. It helps doesn't it.

XOXOXO Barbara

Liza Hirst said...

This painting is great! As Sally says, it celebrates the joy of sunshine in winter - so well said!
There's so much light in it and at the same time one can feel the cold, too, wonderful!

Barbara Muir said...

Thanks so much Liza. I'm delighted that you like it. Aside from the dangers and damage of falling ice (quite the deal with so many trees down), I do think the winter is beautiful.

XOXOXO 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!