Friday, February 25, 2022

The world needs a new day


New Day
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009
(The painting I was finishing
when the Oprah Winfrey Show
producers called, and asked
me if I'd like to draw Oprah via Skype.
My answer? Yes!)

I come to this space tonight after watching endless news about the
invasion of Ukraine. There are many things we can do to try and
help, although it feels hopeless given Putin's determination to take
over the country.  One of the things you can do is sign this open
letter from Avaaz.org, who are trying to get as many people as
possible to say they oppose the war. 

Four years ago in this month on this day, I was trying to stay
positive after breaking my wrist tripping on my cat in the
kitchen.  Today my thoughts are very similar.  I am very sad, and
also heartened by the reaction all over the world to this senseless,
totally unprovoked war.  I do believe love is the answer, but
everyone has to be willing to think of the world as our home,
and that we must work together. 

Here are some thoughts I had in the Month of Love after
breaking my wrist, rewritten for today:

What if we woke up every day, thinking about how
to be more loving?  What impact would that have on
our lives?  

What if we could all quit all the hating and fighting,
and realize that we are all one, and fight for each other's
rights -- not stick pipelines in environmentally fragile
zones.  What if we concentrated on, and fought for the world,
and its sustenance, and for equal food, equal rights for everyone
on this little planet?  It is long since time. Way overdue.

Instead we watch people get killed by guns, in schools and
walking down the street, and debate about whether guns are
dangerous.  We know that pipelines fail, and cause enormous
damage, and we keep building them.

We decide whether people are worthy based on their
race, ethnicity, country of origin, sex, age and skin
colour.  In short as people all over this planet we are
dropping the ball, and we need to change -- fast.

If we could wake up every morning wondering
how to be more loving in each exchange for that day alone
what could happen? I believe and hope we could transform this place
we call home.

Have a sending love out into the world day.


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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!