Getting ready for the Off The Wall opening on November 29

Moody Beauty drawing

Coloured pencil on bond paper

10 x 10 inches (framed)

Barbara Muir © 

Today a friend helped me with framing some work for the Off The
Wall show.  It was so nice to have someone with me in the studio,

helping with decisions, and the framing work.  She calmed me down.

I love this drawing -- which lead to a large painting of the same
name. I love the scenes in Nova Scotia. 

Off The Wall is a small drawing and painting show, with a top
price of $200.00 (This will be quite a bit less.) The idea is that
people can buy work and take it with them.  We had a great time
 last year.  The beautiful array of super artists' work would all
make great holiday gifts. 

Have a loving your life day! 

Here's a lovely former blog post about Paris

 Neighbours across the street have come over a couple of times in the 
past couple of days to talk about Paris.  They took their two teenage
sons there a year ago.  Before they left they asked us about what we
liked about Paris, and we tried to be concise, although our answer
could easily have been everything.

So here's a happy blog post from 2016 about showing in the Louvre.
The best time. Enjoy!

"

Me with Alessandra Masha Mascitti

in front of my painting in the Carrousel du Louvre Exhibition

Dream Selfie -- Wonder Water Image #7, Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 2016
SOLD ♥

Travelling for art shows is not free.  Immediately people

I know who always know what to do in every situation
chime in with, "you could do this...or you could
do this!"  The facts are -- yes I know very well what
the options are, AND, I'd still like to do it.

Notre Dame in Paris before it 

suffered a fire. (Now it
is open again in 2025.)

So.  Today if I were throwing a dart at the globe spinning
before me -- I would choose Paris.  I am straight up with
no holds back in love with Paris.  I feel for Paris taking
a hit on its iconic cathedral -- Notre Dame, and I would
really like to go there again.

Me with Miranda Brouwers in front of

her painting in the Carrousel du Louvre 

exhibition in 2016

The Russo brothers were wonderful to exhibit with in
their EA Effetto ARTE Gallery booth at the Carrousel du Louvre,
and I their curator, Alessandra Masha Mascitti is a friend.
Yes we would want to see her very much. (Editor's note -- we
saw Alessandra this summer, in 2025, and we had so much
fun!)

I love the people, the Louvre, the Musée D'Orsay, gallery,
the Seine, the food.  In 2016 when we were in Paris we hung
out with our friends Miranda Brouwers and Rolf Leemeijer and their
sons Marnix and Hugo, and had the best time. I would
love to do that again too."

As  the holidays approach, it feels like it's time to travel,
and to plan the delights of the coming season.  Paris.  I miss you.
Maybe spring 2026!

Have a loving your life day!

Dipping into the pansies

 

Untitled
Acrylic ink and marker on
watercolour paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

Today I focused on small works in preparation for the Off The Wall show,

opening on November 29, at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave.,
in Toronto from 2 - 5 p.m. I love pansies, and acrylic ink is such a
pleasure to  work with.  The colours are delightfully rich.  So it was a fun day.

Very busy too --a meeting in the neighbourhood this morning, painting
all day, and painting with my art group tonight. Crazy. And fun.

Plus my friend helped me revive what I thought was a dead Fitbit, so
I'll be counting my strides again.  Oh yeah! The best!

Have a loving your life day!

Looking through possible work for the Off The Wall show

The yard in snow
Maison De Haute Couleur
Charvin watercolour and marker
on Fabriano watercolour paper
8 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2024

If this painting isn't in the box of paintings not sold a year ago at the Off
The Wall show, back it goes.  Last year even during the period of the
Off The Wall show, I was getting ready for my solo show in April.  That turned

out to be 55 works. 

I love this painting, and am glad to say the yard doesn't look that way
today. No snow.

A day of mutiple medical appointments.  I'm tired but happy.

Have a loving your life day! 

A beautiful day -- sunny and no snow

 

Winter light Cherrywood
Acrylic on birch panel

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Steven and I had a delightful day today. The sun was out in the morning. 
And as we headed down to Lake Ontario the brief dark cloud cover
dissipated, and we were treated to brilliant clouds and blue sky.

And quite a lot of wind.  So we had a fabulous walk by the lake.

The park we go to is so beautiful, and everyone we met was
cheerful today.

This painting makes me think about winter -- glad we had no snow today.

Love it, and --.

Time to get back to work.

Have a loving your life day!

Inspired by everything

 

Morning light

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 

It's movie night, and I found an older post that perfectly describes 
my feelings today:

"This week I'm completing paintings, painting edges, naming,
signing, making labels and lists for the Off The Wall show.  It
should be overwhelming, but I was having a super time.

Scrolling through an old blog I found this image of the morning light
on our bedroom dresser, and I like it.  Not sure if it was sold, or painted
over, (if not, I'll revise it and put it in the show). It made me happy
just seeing it. Wishing you a great weekend.

Have a loving your life day!

Monet's birthday

La Grenouillère, 
Claude Monet, 1869 Tor

Today is Claude Monet's birthday, and I want to celebrate him here.  I love
his work.  When we go to Paris, we always visit the Musée de l'Orangerie, which
has a spectacular exhibition of large paintings by Monet.  Wow!  The work
just dazzles, and moves everyone there.  Such a love of life!

So our cat who is a Tortie point Siamese, which means she has impressionistic 
colouring on her very beautiful face, is called Monet.  Perfect name for a 
Siamese cat.

I hope you're having a wonderful day.

Have a loving your life day!

Inspiration everywhere

Clouds above our local park

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025

The great thing about being an artist is that the world is so exciting.  Our 
eyes carry us from one incredibly beautiful scene to another -- and even
images that would not inspire someone who wasn't an artist -- inspire us.

This was a walk with my favourite -- spectacular clouds.  In fact we drove 
towards the clouds after our walk, and I'm glad I wasn't the driver because
I just kept exclaiming, "Wow, wow, wow."

Have a loving your life day! 

Dreaming of Nasturtiums

September's bliss

Watercolour and marker

on Arches watercolour paper

6 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 
(I know it's November. Lol.)

Last year at this time I was lamenting the last of the Nasturtiums.  This
year our Nasturtiums wouldn't grow because of the very high heat here
in Toronto this summer.  One plant remains, and even with the snow that
fell a few days ago, the large leaves are climbing the fence.  But there
are no blooms, and it didn't every bloom.

I really love nasturtiums and this cheery watercolour.  It was warmer
today, and a lot of the snow melted.  Which was good for me, because
I have to get my winter tires.

A great opening today at the Echoes of the Avant Garde show at the
Heliconian Hall.  Some visitors enjoyed coming in out of the cold
rain to see the art, and have a cookie, and a cup of coffee.

I hope you had a great day!

Have a loving your life day! 

Happy Birthday to my Sister Lina

Lina's back door
black marker and graphite on bond paper
8 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 
(I did this little sketch very quickly in my
brother and sister-in-law's kitchen. What
intrigued me was the chord from the
blinds hanging over a coat by the door.
I was attempting to capture the strong darks and
lights created by the trees and outbuildings set
against the snow.Then there was a
lovely grouping of flowers and big plants
in planters set against the window. It
is absolutely beautiful there.)

Thinking of my sister-in-law Lina today.  We call each other sisters
because it feels that way when we get together, and can talk and
laugh about anything.

Lina is a talented photographer, major lover of nature and kind
and delightful wife to my brother.  I found this cool drawing 

looking for her name.  I haven't done a published drawing of her 

-- yet!

Happy Birthday Lina!

 

Working on paintings for the Off The Wall show

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

I had a great day today working on this painting for the Off The Wall show at
The Heliconian Hall in December.  It is definitely a work in progress, and I'm

happy with it so far.

I hope you had a great day! Back to work.

Have a loving your life day!

A Happy Day -- and grateful for my website

 

Some images -- not all on the website.
A year ago I said that I needed help

with the website, and miraculously 
that help arrived this year.

We are still working on it when we
have time.  This group of photos
are just images that make me
happy.  Some are of my work,

and some of images I love
like my cat sleeping, swans
at our favourite park, and
Morning Glories, which
hardly bloomed this year.

 I wanted to put a celebratory piece up

 for you tonight.

Getting my website was an incredibly
exciting development for me. 
And despite the first and
continuing snowfall, it's been

a lovely weekend.

Getting a website was just wonderful for me.  If people want to see what
I do, I open the website on my phone or iPad, or computer.  It still needs
adjusting, and constantly needs new information, but it works.

Here's what I said about it in a former post:

"I first went public with my website on November 3, 2021, and
it is a wonderful thing.

People who want to see my work, don't necessarily want to read 
my blog, and some people don't want to look at Instagram.  So
there it is. https://www.barbaramuir.com -- wonderfully organized,
and a clear way for people to see what I do.

I am over the top grateful to my son Christopher for organizing it,
designing it, and just helping me all the time with my questions
about how to handle my sites.

Thank you to everyone who helped me with the website, and to everyone
who has visited it to check out my work, buy my work, and promote me
as an artist."

I am also extremely grateful for my help this year by a wonderful 
woman who has helped me update the website.  Thank you Maya!

Have a loving your life day!

Steven's Happy Birthday weekend

 

You can't keep a good man down

Acrylic ink and acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

The Happy Birthday weekend goes on -- delightful family videos

singing Happy Birthday to this guy, phone calls, and people at

one of our favourite take out places, saying Happy Birthday and

offering treats to Steven.

A very Happy day, and I hope it was for you too. Steven, my husband

is a sweetheart, so kind, funny, and loving.  I'm glad it was a super
day for him.

Have a loving your life day!

The birthdays continue: Happy Birthday to Sam and Steven

 

After the Dance

Sam sketch

Acrylic on canvas

30" x 30"

Barbara Muir © 

Today is my son Sam's birthday.  And we discovered when
Steven's mother was living in Ottawa, that it's Steven's birthday
too. Some mix up when Steven was born recorded the wrong date.
And he found out that the date on his birth certificate was 
correct. He was having trouble with any document that needed
his correct birthday. 

Our solution for awhile?  As Sam's birthday was November 7, and 
Steven had celebrated on November 8 for his whole life,
we kept that tradition.  But today with Sam living in another city,
we called and sent a gift, to Sam, and celebrated Steven's birthday
all day because he had the day off.

Me and Steven

Photo

Steven van Schaik © 2021

So Happy Birthday to Sam, a wonderful young man.
We love him, and are so proud of him. And Happy Birthday to
Steven, my sweet husband.  

Happy Birthday Sam and Steven!

For me today is about my mother

 

The lake at sunset
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2022

Today is my mother's birthday.  She died just before her
birthday in 2013 leaving a big hole in all of our lives.
My mother, Isabel, was a wonderful person -- brave, 
kind, brilliant and generous.

She was dedicated to living a healthy life, and encouraging
her children to do the same.

Isabel Muir
by Christopher Muir

Christopher Muir © 

My mother died 12 years ago.  It was Thanksgiving Day. We were
in Ottawa where she lived, and were in the hospital with her the night before
she died.  

Here's what I wrote about her in a former tribute:

"A couple of weeks before she died, I sat with my mother, who
was totally blind, helping her fill out cheques to organizations she
believed in that protected the environment -- wolves, whales, parkland.
Those weren't her only passions -- she gave to women's shelters, money
for hurricane and famine victims.  Small amounts to be sure -- but this mattered.

The beautiful portrait photo I'm showing you is by my son, Christopher.
I love it because it shows her strength, her beauty, and the nature
she protected with letters, her voice on call-in radio on CBC, in protest
marches even when she had a serious chronic lung condition, and
with donations.

She was a good, kind and supportive mother. What
shone through with her was her love for her family, her intellect,
(she had a Masters in Bacteriology), and her concern about the future of
the planet."

We miss you Mommy.  

Back with my art group

Gabriel -- DVAC Art Group Sketch
Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

So much fun last night painting again with my art group.  The model
Gabriel was fantastic.  I haven't captured him perfectly, but this is
a 35 minute sketch.  It was such a pleasure painting it. I may work more
on it if I have time.  I took some photos.

Gabriel seemed to like the results.  He asked to see it before I left.  I only
stay for an hour, which I've said before I know. Such a pleasure
to get something done in that time.  

Have a loving your life day!

Number 3 of mine in the Avant Garde show

 

Crows know
Acrylic on canvas

30 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

My work for the Echoes of the Avant Garde show is about choosing
peace and hope.  To choose to be positive with the world in chaos is

a rebellion of sorts right now.  The people wreaking havoc on the
planet through wars, and pollution want us to be depressed, so we will

be numb, and not take action to work for positive change.  

In the work for this exhibition I focused on ideas about saving the planet.

The crow is one of the most intelligent birds. A Dutch startup was working
on training crows to pick up cigarette butts. 4.3 trillion butts are thrown
away every year.  The crows would bring the cigarette butts to a smart 

container which would dispense a treat when the crow dropped the butt
in the container. I love this idea.

Clearly the young woman in the painting loves crows, and so do I.

They are brilliant.  And what they know is that we've got to pay
attention to the environment.  Stop the wars, clean up our act.

The next opening of the show is on November 12 from 4:30 - 7 p.m.
at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto. Free to the public
with cookies and goodies.

Have a loving your life day!

Today is a special day

Sally the dog when we got her 12 years ago.

Her name then was Sweet Nelly, but
as we were her fourth owners in one year,
we changed her name to Shelley.  That didn't
work as a call name, so she became Sally.

Sally the dog

Acrylic on canvas

5 x 7 inches 

Barbara Muir © 

We got Sally on her birthday 12 years ago. So today I took her on a long, 
beautiful walk to celebrate.  She got an extra cookie, and we all sang 
Happy Birthday together when we got home.  She is very happy --

almost completely blind, and deaf, but healthy, and still a wonderful dog.

Have a loving your life day! 

More celebrations and another of my pieces in the Heliconian Avant Garde show

 

Lemme tell you something
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

This is another one of my three paintings in the Helliconian Hall Avant Garde
show at 35 Hazelton Avenue in Toronto.  

The painting was inspired by a dream I had when I was thinking about the
Avant Garde.  I wanted to be as positive as possible, but had decided that
my theme would be about the environment.  In the dream a woman is
standing wearing a dress made of ocean waves. And for some reason
lemons were flying around her head with a ribbon floating around the
lemons.

How this relates to saving the planet and the environment might be
-- save our planet, save our crops.  

Somewhat corny I know.  But also vitally important.  These insane

wars have to stop.

The celebrations? Family birthdays.  A real treat.

Have a loving your life day!                                                                                     

The Avant Garde show opening

 

Love the planet
Mixed Media
Acrylic on canvas
plus photo collage

48 x 36 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

The Avant Garde show at the Heliconian Hall -- 35 Hazelton
Avenue in Toronto opened today. It is a beautiful show and it
was a delightful opening.  

I was so busy talking to people, and inviting them into the show,
that I didn't get time to take photos of the work, and almost forgot

to photograph mine. So here goes.  This is one of my three pieces

in the exhibition, which runs for the month of November.

The painting is a combination of a scene from a beautiful
day in one of our favourite parks, and a photo of some 
young women I met outside the Art Gallery of Ontario
recently.  They wanted to be in the painting, and in the
ironic symbolism is the fact that the phone we use to photograph
beauty is part of what's destroying it. 

The women were actually making peace symbols. But
they agreed to be in this work, and that's the message -- we
need to wake up.  Thank you to my gracious models.

Have a loving your life day!

A very Happy Halloween

A very Happy Halloween
Our front porch.

So much fun this year

Steven and I dressed up as "Nice agents" inspired by a skit on the
Canadian comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes.  The Canadian
agent was the opposite of  ICE -- super nice and kind to American
tourists. I can't get a link, but if you write the show name -- This Hour Has
22 Minutes and nice, you can watch it. Maybe this will work.

It was a great night on Cherrywood handing out candy to so many kids
in fabulous costumes. Most have gone home now to watch the Blue Jays 

baseball game.  Blue Jays fever in Toronto is at an all time high.

Happy Halloween! Thank you to everyone who made it a super
fun night for us!

Have a loving your life day!

The art of the day

Pumpkin prep in process for the big night!

Wishing you a wonderful Halloween

if you celebrate!

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025

Almost no sleep last night, and a first for me -- dropped off my
new work (3 pieces) for the Avant Garde show at the Heliconian Hall 
opening at just after 9 this morning, and there was only one other artist
there. I was one of the early people! How lovely. The show opens this
Saturday at 2 p.m. at 35 Hazelton Avenue. It is sure to be fascinating.
And there will be treats.  If you're in town, drop in.

Now the prep for the next art event -- Halloween begins.  We 
don't do big inflatable sculptures. Love them.  We carve pumpkins,
rely on the Pumpkin princess (hand made at home), and hand out
candy. The best. Our street should be quite festive if the rain stops. Fingers
crossed.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Halloween week

 

Nasturtiums in a cream jug
Acrylic ink and marker
5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Barbara Muir © 2022 

Crazy busy tonight.  Drop off first thing in the morning

for the Avant Garde show opening at the Heliconian Hall

Saturday afternoon. 

So off to bed.

Have a loving your life day!

Does size matter?

 

Nectarines on a pressed glass cake plate

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Don't get me wrong, I love large work, and love painting on
larger canvasses.  But I love painting with whatever size I
am using. I used to follow a wonderful artist named Robert Genn
who died in 2015.  Genn said that,"painters who sell small
works at a low price who want to have credibility in the 

art world need to paint large works."

The Pool

Tom Thomson (one of The Group of Seven)

37.95 x 32.17 inches

1915

(This is one of the large Group of  Seven
paintings)

But on Sunday I was at the Art Gallery of Ontario,
one of Canada's major public galleries,

and some of my favourite works in the gallery
are the work of The Group of Seven.  In Canada
these painters from the turn of the last century
are artistic icons. Painting plein air in the woods
of northern Ontario where they created most of their
wonderful landscape pieces -- they were painting on small
boards.  The reasons were practical, lighter if 
they were backpacking. and the perfect size for 
quick studies.

And their smaller works are just as
magnificent as their larger paintings in all respects
except for scale. They hang beside the large works,
and are now just as "important."

In my case, if I had not been doing small Skype
drawings I would not have attracted the attention
of Howard Wolinsky, and then The Oprah Winfrey
show etc.  I might not have been asked to show in
Florence, and a vast, exciting world of opportunities
would never have opened up to me.

I'm reminding myself of that because the December/
January show at the Heliconian Hall will be the
Off The Wall show -- of small works for quick sale.

Have a painting-in-whatever-size-suits-you day.

Works in process -- Paintin'

(Detail) Untitled

Acrylic on canvas
48 x 36 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

Thank you for sticking with me in these weeks when I'm working on
things not ready to show you.  We bought the pumpkins and 
candy today, and talked to a very nice person helping with Tech
issues.  So I also painted --working on refining my work.

Here's a detal of a painting that may surprise you (and me) when
it's complete.  Hey. In good ways I hope.

If you haven't watched Paintin' with Pete videos -- give yourself
a treat.

Have a loving your life day 

National Pumpkin Day

Steven carving the pumpkin!
This will probably happen tomorrow.

Photo
Barbara Muir ©

Today is national pumpkin day and Halloween is almost here. This will
be the scene in a couple of days when we get ready for the big night --
Halloween. I draw the faces -- usually happy (I'm not a fan of the horror
part of Halloween), and Steven does the carving. We drove by many
stores selling pumpkins today, and planned to go and get our pumpkins 
and start the carving process, later in the day.

But it was also Sunday (tomorrow is a work day) -- the last Sunday in
October, and the light was magnificent so we decided to go down to the
lake, and go for a walk. That was a great idea. It was so beautiful seeing
the trees in the golden light, set against the beautiful blue of the lake with
swans enjoying the day.

We’ll buy the pumpkins tomorrow, and start the carving. Some
Halloween celebrations have begun already. We saw quite a few
children in costumes. And at 4 degrees Celsius (39 degrees Fahrenheit)
we saw a bride and groom getting photos taken against the lake.  Chilly.

Have a loving in your life day!

Happy International Artist Day

 

The opening ceremonies of the Florence Biennale

in 2015 -- dignitaries, flags, 

a procession through the exhibition

of people dressed in Renaissance costumes, 

playing drums. Lots of excitement!

That was my second time in the
Biennale.  So much fun!

Wonder water series

The work I showed in
the 2015 Florence Biennale
© Barbara Muir 2015

(The portraits sold --

the one of Emily on the left
in New York City, and the one of Etana
on the right here in Toronto.

The center image -- a large diptych --

is still available.)

I feel so lucky to be an International artist, and to have taken part in shows in
Florence, Italy, Paris, France, The Netherlands, New York City, and San Fernando
Valley, California. The excitement of International shows is not something you can
imagine unless you've participated.  So if you can, as I said yesterday,
do take part in a show with artists from all over the world, and enjoy the ceremony, the outstanding art, and meeting some of the nicest, kindest, funniest most brilliant people you'll ever meet.

A friend today was saying negative things about Instagram, but for me it's a
way of contacting people, and maintaining friendships with the superb artists
I've met in my travels with art exhibitions, and with superb artists I follow who I
haven't met yet, but can't wait to meet in person. So delightful and fun.

Happy International Artist Day!

Have a loving your life day!

Oh Europe -- you are calling

View from our apartment terrace when
we stayed in Florence the first time
I exhibited at the Florence Biennale.
There was a church right against
our building, and that's the Duomo
in the distance.
photo
Barbara Muir © 2009

If you're an artist and can possibly do it, I highly recommend exhibiting

in Europe.  I have been in shows in Italy (Florence), France (Paris)
and The Netherlands (Drimmelin).  And if you can visit the place

where you're exhibiting all the better.  In fact as important as it is,

the exhibition fades into the excitement of being where you are and

learning new things every minute.

I am eager to go back to Paris, would love to visit my friend in the
Netherlands, and Florence was spectacular.  Tonight after a good day
in the studio, these ideas are on my mind, and making me happy.
The most wonderful gifts you get from these delightful experiences
are amazing friendships that continue even when you live across 
oceans.

Have a loving your life day!

The pumpkin princess goes up

 

Our porch on a rainy, windy Halloween night.

The canvas pumpkin princess reigns supreme.

She is pinned at the bottom, and

stuffed with newspapers.  We 

recycle the paper.  She goes flat and
rolls up to be put away for next year

when the fun is over. 
Today we put her up. Thanks to
my wonderful helper for helping me

get 'er done.

(Right now she's obscured from view by
our huge rose bush, and two very 
large Mandevilla plants at the bottom

of the porch stairs.  This will

all change before Halloween.)

Big day when the pumpkin princess come out gets unrolled

and stuffed with newspapers that will be recycled. Kudos
to my very kind helper today.  That friend can help

with anything from fixing websites, to amping the Halloween

spirit. The best.

Still working away at my paintings.  Closer each day to having
something to show you.

Have a loving your life day!