Saturday, June 25, 2016

New York -- full of surprises! My friend Franco and Me on the Kristal Hart TV Show!


 With Kristal Hart and Franco Mbilizi
being interviewed for MNN, Manhattan TV
in front of Wonder Water Image #6
at the new Amsterdam Whitney Gallery.

This was the opening of the new ground floor
space for the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery.
Imagine my surprise when I arrived, and
the gallery Director, Ruthie Tucker, had
hung my Wonder Water Image #5, in
full view.  The painting was sold, but not
picked up yet, and she wanted me to feel part
of the new space.
At the opening of the new Amsterdam Whitney Gallery.
I am with Gallery Director Ruthie Tucker, on
my left, and her husband, 
Ambassador Alton Louis Amsterdam III
next to Ruthie.
But even more surprising when my wonderful
friend, Franco Mbilizi arrived from Chicago,
we were told  that we would be interviewed on TV
by Kristal Hart, TV personality, and journalist for
MNN, Manhattan TV.

Kristal Hart interviews Franco Mbilizi about
being a featured artist in the 100th Anniversary
Issue of Vogue Magazine.
Franco and I met one year ago, and are great
friends, via telephone, and texting.  So it was
especially meaningful to me to be interviewed
in front of my painting, with Franco who
supports my work, like I support his.  And it was
so exciting when he showed Kristal Hart,
the 100th Anniversary Issue of British Vogue.
Franco's work featured in Vogue Magazine 
is in the upper right hand corner of the
double page spread.


The write up in the 100th Anniversary issue
of British Vogue on Franco.
All in all it was a wonderful afternoon -- a great
new gallery, meeting some super artists, and
Franco and me on TV.

Have an enjoying your friends' art day.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Sold in New York City! An amazing week



 Wonder Water Image #5
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 2015
SOLD ♥ 
 
Excitement is mounting for our trip to New York City
later this month for the ground floor opening of
the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery.  Our dear friend
Franco Mbilizi is going to meet us there, and we
are all trying to hold down our enthusiasm.  Franco
is a super talented artist, kind, funny and amazing
person, and he is featured in the British Vogue 100th
anniversary issue, and in British GQ, and soon
in British House and Gardens.

I was getting the details of our trip to New York
worked out, preparing my work for teaching
two nights a week for the next seven weeks,
and trying to keep it all together with some
meditating so I could tell my wonderful artist
friend Janet in California that I am keeping up
my meditation practice, when I got the news
that this painting, which I love so much --
for the painting, and the wonderful model,
Emily, my son's girlfriend -- has sold!
Wonderful.  The painting was in the Florence
Biennale as part of an ocean series.

This is such happy news to carry with us
to the gala opening. Thank you Emily for
your wonderful work posing, and for the
inspiration for this piece.

Have a buying art from artists day.

Monday, June 13, 2016

Into the garage and some touching drawings from the past


 Sam sleeping, or Sleeping Sam
black marker on long writing paper
8 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir ©
(This looks like baby Sam, our 
youngest son might have fallen asleep
on the couch with his pet Kangaroo -- Kanga.
He must have been very new because he
was a big baby). No doubt his mother was 
trying to write something while she watched him!

Our garage is in rough shape, and going to be repaired
in a couple of weeks,  so we've slowly and
reluctantly been emptying it out. The last thing you need
in a small house is to bring more stuff in, but the time has
come to sort it.

To my surprise there is some treasure in the creaky
structure.  Old letters -- so thorough and descriptive.
People used to write one another long, long letters.
8 pages hand written in a fine hand is almost
standard in the these letters from friends and relatives.
And the writing is astonishing, fresh, intelligent,
funny and vivid -- bringing back those moments as
dramatically as a video.
The Boys : van Schaik-Moo Moo
(My sons Christopher, on the left, and
Sam, the baby, were called van Schaik Muir,
a combination of my husband's name and mine.
Both now both just use Muir professionally.  My brother,
the writer and I call ourselves Moo Moos, 
affectionately)
black marker on long writing paper
8 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir ©
Another treasure is a stack of drawings of what life
 was like then, being sent back and forth by Fax.  I
know people who still use Fax machines, but they
seem almost historic. And these long drawings on
the kind of paper we used years ago are
interesting.  I'm showing you two tonight.  My brother
in Ottawa and I have been working on writing and
editing assignments together now and then since
we graduated from university.  These drawings of
my children were meant to catch him up on what we
were doing.

Have a finding art memories from the past day.

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!