Feeling a bit better

August road trip

Acrylic ink on 

watercolour paper

and pencil

5 x 7 inches

Barbara Muir © 2022

Please be patient with me.  Whatever happened, I am
on the mend.  Last year at the end of August I showed
you this little painting, which honoured our trip
across Canada to the Maritimes.  This year that prospect
awaits us. I wish you a very happy September, and yes we 
had an amazing August.

Jens Eller
Marvellous Edibles 
at the Brick Works

last September
Photo

Barbara Muir © 2022

I'm showing you the picture, and who it went to -- Jens
Eller, the wonderful chef and farmer from Marvellous
Edibles who is at the Brick Works market on Saturday.

Wishing you a joyous and healthy day.

Decidedly under the weather

Woman with red glasses

Watercolour and marker on

watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

(This is me in the studio.  One of

my favourite painters in our group

Peter Adam appears in the 

portrait behind me.  I haven't
seen him in awhile, and
hope he is well.)

I don't know what I did -- maybe twisted something while
lifting something -- no idea.  But I had acute pain on my 
right side in the night, and have felt quite horrible all day.

I went on my blog looking for "under the weather", and found
this self portrait from ten years ago, that actually looks a bit 
chirpier than I'm feeling right now. Here's to a better tomorrow.
Oh and I tested, and don't have COVID. One good thing.

Have a feeling healthy day.

Let's not forget Degas

Portrait of the artist
with Evariste de Valernes

Oil on canvas

 1865 - Edgar Degas 
Degas is on the right
The painting is in the Musée D'Orsay

While I was in Paris I drew all the time. Every time we sat down
to eat, or sat on a park bench I carried a lined notebook, and a pen,
and drew fast sketches.

A very embarrassing thing happened on the plane home from Paris,
when I took the cap off  the pen I was drawing with and it exploded
blue ink over the pristine white tray I was using as a desk.  My thanks
to the flight attendant Harry (pronounced without the H) who told

me not to worry, it could be easily cleaned once the plane was
emptied.

But my point is that drawing all the time made me appreciate
portraits like this -- two friends spending time together. The painting
is both formal, and more casual.  I saw the work at the
Musée D'Orsay, and like all of Degas' work, it made me happy.

Have a loving your life day.

Monet in Paris -- always new

Blue Water Lilies
Claude Monet
Oil on canvas

1916 - 1919
in the collection at
the Musée D'Orsay, Paris, France
Photo: Barbara Muir © 2023

Having computer issues tonight, so I hope I can get the 
photo of the Monet painting I photographed at the Musée
D'Orsay.  Got it! Not in the most direct way, so if I have time
and the opportunity to edit it later, I will. 

I wondered why I'd never seen this work before at the 
Musée D'Orsay in Paris, and it was because the painting 
was donated in 2022. How exciting. Another work by 
Monet, featuring one of my favourite blue colours.

I do love the freshness and spontaneity of Monet, even
though he would redo work again and again. So seeing
this was a thrill.

Have a loving your life day.

A joyous time in Paris

Steven and I on the

 Pont Neuf -- 

very close to our hotel, 

with our new friend Sela Dara.

In the far distance you

can see the Eiffel Tower.

We were in Paris from August 20, until August 26, and we
had an amazing time.  We visited Paris last October because
I was in the Carousel du Louvre exposition.  And we had
so much fun then that we wanted to go back.  We are still
unusual in Paris -- masked whenever crowds were around,
except when we were eating.

The picture today is of me and Steven with our new friend
Selah Dara, who goes by Dara most of the time.  He is a 
server at the Khao Thai restaurant. He is extremely kind
and funny, and we three became friends even though Steven
and I struggle with French, and Dara doesn't speak English.

Have a loving your life day.

Super tired, super happy and still blogging

Lively lemons
 Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 

We were in Paris, France, for the past week, and just got home.

It was wonderful.  But we have been travelling for
18 hours if you count from the time when we got into our first
taxi to the airport in Paris, until we got dropped off at our house here,
so I won't say much. I will say thank you to all the people who helped
us at the airports in Paris, Montreal and Toronto.  I have to take
a wheelchair at the airport, because although I can walk, I cannot
stand for any lengthy period of time because of my knees. 

Our kitchen table usually has a bowl of lemons, and
I find the sight of that very welcoming and happy.

Have a wonderful day.

History repeats itself

Missing Fiona the cat
(and missing Sally the dog,
 and Monet the cat)

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I found a post I wrote in 2015, about the contrast between Paris
and Pugwash, Nova Scotia, where we have a little 100 + year old
school house. This seemed an appropriate topic today, as we are leaving
Paris, where we've been for five days tomorrow, and we will be in Toronto
for a few days before heading to Pugwash.  This time the contrast
will be greater, because not only is the contrast between great luxury --
Paris, and living without running water, and using an outhouse (Pugwash),
but there have been weather events in the Maritimes, which have left our small
property in some sort of disarray that we can hardly imagine.

Still I feel lucky that we get to experience both.  Paris is beautiful,

and Canada is a land of great beauty.  Now it's off to visit galleries.

And yes Fiona, Monet and Sally -- I miss all of you.

Have a loving your life day. 

Too tired tonight

At the bus stop in the market
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir ©

Great day with our friend Alessandra Mascitti.
She is so funny and kind.  If I'd had time to paint
today (I drew all day wherever I was), I would
have painted something like this.

Have a great night.

And have a loving your life day,

Clouds have dominated my brain

The happiest view 

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 60 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

I feel a bit sorry for people who walk with me: 1. because
I'm distracted by every sort of beauty, and 2. because the 
worst distraction of all most of the time for me is clouds.

I am currently in a very busy, and beautiful city, and barely
notice the clouds, but I think of them.  Today I had wonderful
talks with people from all over the world.  What will I remember?
The mother with her new two month old baby. The young 
man from Cambodia, and his friend from Thailand. My own
sweet husband looking at art with me, and making sure I get
my steps.

And I am still thinking of clouds, and the delight I feel
when I'm in a wide open space, and clouds dominate.

Have a loving your life day.

Memories of a wonderful cat on a hot day

My sweet cat Timbah sat down on my chair

every time I got up to wash my brushes, or

change the water. He was an avid fan of my

work. And I was just his avid fan.

Photo:

Barbara Muir © 

 It is an incredibly hot day, and I found this sweet picture of our cat Timbah
who has been gone for almost 2 years. In the photo I had taken a break from 
painting a flower painting based on some flowers a friend had given me, and
every time I got up, the cat climbed onto my chair. So cute. Cats do that—even 

in very hot weather, because they like the heat of where you were sitting.

It’s hard to believe that furry creatures crave heat, but cats do.

Have a loving your life day. 

A fabulous day !

A man IV

black marker on

watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(Not very well photographed,

but I like the ironic expression.)

We met friends today in Paris. Yes. (I know). I don't have any photos,
and it was a wonderful time. Very hot here but we shared a
glass of wine at the top of a beautiful store. So fun.

Then we walked a bit and had a delicious dinner together.

I come home (to our hotel) hot, (it is very hot out), excited
and happy.  I really wish I could sit down and draw, but way 
too tired.

Instead I'll show you this drawing.

Have a loving your life day.

Sunday thoughts

Wonder Water Image #6

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

Just having finished teaching a course on Presentations
and Advocacy, I thought of this when Etana's portrait
appeared in my scrolling.  She has worked on advocacy
since finishing her Masters. I showed this portrait at
the Florence Biennale in 2015. It was next to a large
diptych of the ocean and clouds. In a way the portrait
was about Advocacy, because the message with the 
ocean painting, Etana's portrait, and a picture of my
daughter-in-law, Emily, was about saving the oceans. 

Lady in a café
Marker on paper
2 x 3 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

I did this tiny sketch today in a notebook, inspired
by the beauty of a woman across from me in a café 
with her friends.  Steven and I were eating a delicious
lunch, and I brought my small sketchbook. What
I love about portraits, even very fast sketches, is what
they capture.

Have a loving your life day.

Some flowers for you

Ken's flowers
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir 2009
SOLD ♥

It's Saturday, and Steven and I are on the road.  Our
house is full of beautiful flowers.  This will be a 
very short one today.

If it comes in late, there have been some Internet
issues.

Have a loving the beauty in your life day.

Thinking about family today

Christopher Sleeping 

(journal drawing)

marker on paper

Barbara Muir © 2012

Hi everyone, 

I am super busy today -- I know I say that too often, but
it was the end of my once a week class last night, and there are a
thousand other things happening.  At the moment I am
missing my family, who are all busy with work and 
their own holidays, or are very far away.

This image popped up while I was scrolling through 
my blog, and I loved it. 

Have a loving your family day.

Last day of class, and I will miss my students

Spring Table

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 36 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Detail from one of my

kitchen paintings.

When I paint the kitchen

it's the excitement, and

exuberance of our lives

in the room I'm trying to
capture. We always have
 flowers, bowls of fruit
and someone settling down
 to a cup of coffee or tea.

I think it's a good day for 10 reasons to be happy -- okay let's go!

10 Reasons to be Happy
1. I taught my last class of a 7 week course, and it was so much fun!

2. Our garden has really liked the rain, and is super beautiful.

3. We are whole and healthy -- and that is great.

4.  I got to talk to my dear friend the artist, Franco Mbilizi in 
    Chicago today, and we joked about the word literally -- literally
    a lot.

5.  I am going to see my friend the artist, Miranda Brouwers next
     week.

6. I worked on a drawing this morning.

7. We ate a delicious dinner tonight.

8. It was a gorgeous sunny day.

9. It is almost the weekend.

10. I am a lucky person, and happy artist because I know you,

Have a loving your life day.

A fabulous day -- and chance encounters

Ini
Journal Sketch 
Marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

Our friend in the Maritimes, Ian Fancey, had an expression, that
I'm sure some people would want to apply to me -- "that woman
could talk the bark off a tree!" He might have said that about
me on the weekend, when we were picking up wraps at a take
out restaurant, and the girl in this image was there.  Everyone was
wearing jeans and T-shirts, and this girl was in a sequinned long
formal dress.

I asked her if I could take her picture because I'm an artist, and
she said,"yes!" Her name is Ini, and this is a fast sketch I did this
morning.  It isn't accurate.  I'll have to try again, but it's a start.
Drawing with line drawing in ink is a challenge because there's 
no correcting it.  You just move forward and do your best.

I like the drawing. And Ini if you're reading this, I will do a better
one in the future, and someday maybe get to paint a full
length painting with that wonderful dress.  I hope you had
a magnificent day.

Have a loving your life day.

Painting -- but still in the early stages, -- so Paris?

The Louvre and a
woman posing to look
like she's holding the
top of the small glass pyramid
at the Louvre in Paris
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2015

I'm super busy with work today -- both painting and prepping
for my class Thursday. I was talking to a former student today,
who said that it should take a full week to go through the Louvre
Museum in Paris, France. 

I have, of course, visited the Louvre, (even before I showed in
the Carousel du Louvre exhibition) and it is full of amazing art.  I
think I've seen most of it, and was dazzled like every other visitor.

My friends find it very difficult to visit art galleries with me,
because unless an artist is one of my favourites, or a new
favourite, I am a skimmer. I hurry through the exhibits that
don't grab my attention, and slow down when I get to work
I love.

So on a Paris theme, I'd love to go to the Louvre again. Love
to.

Have a loving your life day. 

I love this painting -- and Paris

First stop Paris

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012
(available)

(When I painted this painting I was
thinking about encouraging the model
to go to Paris.  I hadn't exhibited
in Paris yet -- my first time
showing in the Carousel du Louvre was in
2015. But in a way the work was telling
the world that -- hey! I love Paris,
and since I painted this piece, I've visited Paris
a number of times, and exhibited in
the Louvre three times.! Of course I loved
 it every time. Right now there's a 6 hour
 time difference between Toronto and Paris.
When you go there it's worth every
 minute of that difference.)

My mind today is consumed with thoughts of Paris.  That
happens.  Have you ever been there? Well the place gets
into your psyche, and going once makes you want to
return.  And so on.  It is somewhat addictive -- beautiful
buildings, wonderful art, delicious food -- kind, brilliant
people. 

This painting seems right today.  We have a quite neglected
sculpture of the Eiffel tower on our front lawn.  Some of
the lights have gone out. The neighbours are fond of it so
we must fix it.

Have a loving your life day.

Quick sketch from the journal

Fast Sketch of Francesco| Gonzaga,
Prince of Mantua from a painting
by Peter Paul Rubens 
1604/1605
Marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

I love the look on this little boy's face. And I enjoyed 
sketching him in a few minutes from the painting by Reubens. This
was before my first coffee. I'm glad we don't have to grapple with
collars like that today. The painting is of Francesco IV Gonzaga,
Prince of Mantua. The boy in the painting looks like he wonders
what the artist is doing.

The painting by Ruebens is in a book we found on the street
where we eat the wraps in our car.we buy on the weekend. Someone
was throwing out old art books, and encyclopedias. We were
tempted by the encyclopaedias, but they were big and had
been rained on.  The art books were fine.

We had a wonderful day today, and had dinner rapid tested
with wonderful artist friends. The best.

Have a loving your life day!

Thinking about vacations

Full Serve

Watercolour on
watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

Steven and I are thinking about going on holiday.  It's
amazing how much planning that takes.  What I love aside
from actually getting away -- is the long preamble -- sometimes
months long, of talking about what we loved the last time
we went away. It is a type of love talk over dinner, or going to
buy groceries or on a walk -- especially when one thing we
love is travel.

A trio of paintings I did in 2011 have come into view,
while I was searching through my blog for other images. 
And I wish I did more of these.  At the moment they have a
profoundly moral look. As in is this right at all? But at the
time, they were  just about enjoying the look of people getting
gas, and relaxing on their travels.  The background in this is
Nova Scotia, and a perfect Nova Scotia house.

Have a loving your life day.

Cards from the printer

Cards from the printer
on a peaches theme
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2023

Today was a busy day.  A lot of organizing, and getting
reference shots, and going to the printer.

Chris the printer at St. Clair Printing also printed cards for
me today. How fun. A lot of work for Chris, and beautiful
to have. One very close relative of mine gets a love note
every night on my cards, so I do need to keep getting more.
And at shows I sell them 4 for $20.00 

More about upcoming shows this week.  But for now it's
Friday night, and time to relax with my very close
relative.

Have a loving your life day.

Community

Making magic in Montreal

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012
SOLD ♥ 

I teach tonight, and it's a class about community.  People from
all over the world, who care about the neighbourhood they live
in, and want to keep it vibrant, are studying how to present
their ideas at public meetings.

This post from pre-pandemic life came up in my feed today,
and I'm sharing it with you:

"There is so much talk now about why we can't get along,
why we can't abandon our differences, and then there
is the Food Court in downtown Ottawa, where people
from all over the world grab and eat their lunch, talking
the whole time.  A buzz of international culture, and one
of the reasons I love travelling.

Maybe we could start by all sitting down and eating together.
A camaraderie arises over shared food that is unique I think.

One of my students researched that there are 6500 languages
in the world.  I would so love to know how to speak all of

them, instead of one language, with smatterings of one other,

and phrases here and there of a couple more.  Along with

visual art, language is definitely one of my passions.  And we need

to start speaking to one another, finding out and enjoying how

much we share, and how little we know about this big planet.

The woman who modelled for this painting was joyous, 

beautiful, confident, and loved to travel at least as much as

I do.  It radiates out from her face -- her sheer enthusiasm for

life. This painting that sold in New York City when it showed
there is the perfect expression of the joy of learning.

Have a loving learning something new day."

The reality of the road

Full Tank

Watercolour on watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

Every summer since we bought our little 1909 school house in
Nova Scotia, we’ve headed out on the road for the long trip
from Toronto to Pugwash, Nova Scotia.

True it is a very long way. But the journey, and our time in the 
Maritimes has inspired so many of my paintings. This painting 
is part of a series created from images of people at gas stations.
At the time I was just trying to capture how people looked travelling.
Now these pieces look like social commentary.

No I’m not a fan of SUVs, (if you have one forgive me),
but I do love the colour of this one.

Have a loving your life day.

Reposting a happy post

Summer perfection

Acrylic on watercolour paper

6 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

I'm working on a city landscape. I've just begun, and
immediately I realized that I needed more supplies, and
was off to the art store.  I shifted some of my work around
last week, and one of my favourite landscapes is in the studio.
It is 4 x 6 feet, and is definitely encouraging me, as it is
quite good. (Yes I did say that.)

But this post from a former painting also got me thinking,
so I'm sharing it again. I will update the post a bit.  But I like it.

"One (four years) ago I did this small painting, which I loved right away.
My love of landscape and for the park in the painting has become
greater over time.  And now if at all possible we go and visit
the park at least once a week.  We feel known there by the birds
we feed, even by some of the people, although the park is huge and
on the other side of town.

A Day at the Lake

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

(In 2020) I finished a larger painting based on the same view, and
using the smaller work as a jumping off point.  It is Saturday night
(in the blog post)on a busy holiday weekend, and I hope you enjoy
seeing these two again.  Both are available if you're in the mood for a
visual escape.  I will deliver them, masked, and social distanced
if you are in the Toronto region."

Have a loving your life day.

Holiday weekend

Market Flowers 
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2023

Steven and I went to Hamilton, Ontario today to visit our artist
friend, Marcia LaBelle Cohen, and David Cohen.  And we had
so much fun.  

Tonight I'm showing you a photo of the wonderful flowers
I got from the farmers we visit every Saturday when we're
in town at the Brick Works market.  Please enjoy them --
they are beautiful. It's late, and we just got home.

Have a loving your life day.

A Sunday vibe

Journal Sketch (Coffee #2)
Marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

Tomorrow is a holiday in Toronto, so we did our grocery
shopping today.  Everywhere we drove there were gardens 
of beautiful flowers. We sat on our back porch with the dog
and the cats enjoying the breeze. 

And tonight because it's a holiday tomorrow, we will watch
a movie.  I hope you're having a lovely day.

Here is a recent morning journal sketch. I draw on my
knee in bed while I drink my coffee, and write my journal.
This one says it was done with coffee #2, and it takes me
3 coffees to be fully awake.

Have a loving your life day.

Morning sketch of my friend

Journal Sketch

of Flora Doehler

marker on journal paper

6 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2023

A while ago, I promised myself, that I would write three
journal pages in the morning first thing (sometimes before
coffee -- not the best plan), plus do a sketch on each page.
Depending on whether I feel more like drawing, or more
like writing, the sketches vary.

I like this one of my friend, the artist Flora Doehler who
lives with her artist husband, Larry Knox in Bear River,
Nova Scotia.  Despite the fact that it's a 1,000 mile trip
from Toronto to Pugwash, which is near our school house.
Most years we make the long, 5 hours one way journey to
Bear River when we're in Nova Scotia for the delight
of seeing Flora and Larry.

Flora and I always promise that we will sit down and
draw one another.  But it rarely happens because we 
have such a short time for our visit, and we want to
talk to one another.

Have a loving you life day.

Friday night

Peach party
12 x 12 inches
Acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2008

I started a new painting today.  I also did a drawing that I'd
hoped to share with you of a Rose of Sharon bush that is 
beautiful (the plant not my drawing), but I think I got too
detailed, and without colour it is not very clear what's 
happening in the complicated drawing. 

So I went to the canvas, and began with the sky.  And it
will be a long time before that work is ready to show you.

Meanwhile, this is one of my favourites.  We go to the 
market tomorrow, and my husband will start to enquire
about the peaches he loves to can in tall glass jars, to
last throughout the winter. (It is very hot here today, and
the thought of winter seems excessive -- but the thought
of peaches is delicious.)

Have a loving your life day.

Morning sketches

Morning Sketch
Marker, crayon,
coloured pencil
on Fabriano
drawing paper
7 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

The artist Tania Rivilis, who is amazing, recommends 
doing coloured sketches before you begin a painting.
Thinking of her the other day I did a quick marker
sketch from a combination of photos when I woke up.
And today I put some colour on it.  Yellow in honour
of Tania.

The drawing is a quick sketch, and it could definitely
use more work, but as I taught tonight, that is it for
today.  

Have a loving your life day.

Evening stories

Coffee at 8th Avenue and 23rd Street, NYC
charcoal on bond paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

(I don't have a drawing of us
at dinner, and we certainly
didn't look like this tonight.
But we're watching a TV show set in
New York City, and I love
how New Yorkers dress -- especially
the men -- suits and ties, and
weekend casual -- take off the ties.)

My friend, the artist Flora Doehler posted a sweet post on her
Instagram today about how her evening would go with her
husband Larry.  And I responded.  Thinking about it, I 
decided that I really would post my response as my blog
post tonight. Here is what I wrote:

"Beautiful description. After a short nap Steven will get up
and make dinner. I will water the beautiful white impatiens
in the front garden, and gesso a canvas for a commission.

I will read my notes for tomorrow, and watch the videos for my class.
Then Steven will call me for dinner and we’ll eat on the front porch
on our white wooden chairs behind the green of the beautiful rose bush.
Then we’ll go inside, and I will write my blog, get the night snacks ready
for the dog and cats, and we’ll watch a TV show until Steven goes to bed,
at which point I'll put our cat Monet to bed in the downstairs bathroom.

Then I’ll finish the dishes, eat my cherries and yogurt to help me sleep,
watch a bit more TV with Fiona the cat so she’ll quit yowling.
I'll carry my tart cherry juice and water cup upstairs, read for half an
 hour and go to sleep.

Happy sleep to you. (I think this is my blog—thank you!)" 

Have a loving your life day.

Looking back in wonder

Garden Flowers in a glass jug

Pen and ink and coloured pencil

8 1/2 x 11 inches

© Barbara Muir
(I was not a good at photos back then)

My art training was classical.  Ideally most of our teachers would
have wanted us to be part of the Florence School of Art, learning

to paint like Renaissance painters.  One of the best things we learned

was how to have an "eye" -- meaning we really looked at what we
were trying to capture.

This drawing was at my mother's house, but "disappeared" after she
died, probably sold off for nothing by the relative handling the 
dispersal of my mother's possessions. Finding it in my blog
made me happy.  I learned so much in the two years I studied
art post high school.

Here's what I said about these drawings in a former blog post:

"The concept of selling my art came to me years ago when

we started to go to therapy to help us adjust to the
early tensions of parenting a new baby.  We were lucky
I think, because my sister is a therapist, and it was very
natural for us to seek and get help from one of her colleagues.
After a couple of months working out what seemed to be
giant epiphanies at the time, and what seem now to be the basics of
practical couple decision making, Steven got up
the nerve to say that he needed me to make money.

I was shocked.  Hadn't I had a baby only eight short
months earlier?  Did he mean he wanted me to be a
mother, and earn an income?!!!  He did, and the therapist
supported that notion.  The drawing tonight is a sample
of those early works for sale.  I am always delighted when
I go to my mother's house and see them.  Done in pen and
ink with a straight pen, Indian ink, and coloured in in
pro level coloured pencil, they seem shockingly detailed
to me now.  But they are still beautiful in an intensely
obsessive way.  I was trying to be a botanical artist, and
succeeded at this for several years.  In fact I drew these
images in straight sessions, spending 16 hours a day
producing them, with a baby at my feet.  Is it any wonder
that that baby is an incredibly hard worker today?  Or
that he's grown up to enter the arts field?  I guess not.

Have an honouring-your-young-sweet-naive-searching-self day."