The inspiration of artist friends

 

With Flora Doehler in her studio
in Bear River 12 years ago.  

When we're in Nova Scotia every summer we make a point of going
and visiting our friends Flora Doehler and Larry Knox.  They live
in Bear River 5 hours away from our school house, and Steven
will have already driven 2,000 kilometres (about 1,000 miles). 
But it is so great to see them, and to visiit Flora's studio.

Her flowers are so vibrant that it feels like they're dancing on the canvas.
Wow!  I get happy just thinking about that on this very cold winter day. 

And Flora and Larry are so warm and kind and funny -- it's a pure
delight to be with them.

The Heliconian Hall had the first opening of the Drawing from Life
exhibition which I went to this afternoon.  It's a great show.  If you can
make the Wednesday opening from 4 - 7 p.m., I recommend it.

At the opening I had many great conversations with artists, including

with a collector of my work.  Steven and I had been talking about
Botticelli's work in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.  And the
collector had done a work inspired by Botticelli.  Plus she'd been

researching him when Steven and I were talking about him.
Synchronicity right? Always so cool.

Movie night in our house. 

Have a loving your life day!

Friendly Friday

 

Across the Highway

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2016

I found this post from a former blog, and I like it.  It's late.  I've been 
painting all day, and I wish you a wonderful night, and a super 
weekend.

"Dear artist friends, get your dream visions down.  This beautiful
view across the street at our school house is what we dream about.
(See the image above).We dream about walking across the street
 from our little school house at this time of night, late, late and
 seeing the stars, the entire Milky Way clear as can be.  

We dream of going to the beach, we think about it night and day, and
 feel so lucky that we have had this joyous experience year after
year.  The only years since we bought the school house just over 20
years ago that we didn’t go, was the year I broke my ankle, and the
year we couldn't go because of COVID and Nova Scotia wasn't

letting in visitors. 

 

The year I tore my meniscus in my knee — our wonderful friends
down the road, not only cleaned up the school house before our
arrival, they brought over a double bed and put it on the main floor,
because they thought it would be too hard for me to climb the stairs
 to the second floor to go to bed.

But this year as we will say over and over to one another, is different.
And this year we are focusing on all that is wonderful both here at
home, and where we can get too.  Ottawa was beautiful, the drive
was beautiful, and our street right here in Toronto is lovely. 

The dog and cat are waiting for me to feed them their night
snacks.  Please enjoy wherever you are, and if you’re in the
Maritimes and drive by our school house on Highway 6, say
hello to the building for us."

It's very cold here, and I know we should appreciate that
because lately summer has been way too hot.  But I'm 
dreaming of the ideal summer anyway. 

Have a loving your life day!

The delight of creating

Untitled (Work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

iBarbara Muir © 2026
(I'll try and get a better photo 

of this tomorrow.)

Yes this is one of the paintings I'm working on.  Not finished yet, but

getting there. Quite a treat to work on this beauty in the middle of a

cold, grey day. (Still pretty out, but not quite as vibrant as on a sunny day.)

There's a way to go with this painting, and I'll let you know when it's done.

As always thank you for your support.  It means the world to me.

Have a loving your life day!

It starts with loving yourself

A Valentine's wall at
The Summerhill market

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2025
Art -- Summerhill market staff

I had a wonderful day today painting, and visiting a good friend.  It was
also great to meet a young woman who works with my friend, who
has just fallen in love, and to talk about love as she smiled so
happily.  That made me think of this former post:

"When I taught Positive Psych one of the first things we said

to students was, "if you don't know yourself, you won't love 

yourself, and if you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else,

and you won't be happy."

This was not a popular idea when I was growing up -- loving 

yourself smacked of narcissism.  But in fact nothing could be 

further from the truth. If we love and accept ourselves, the world 

is less about us, and more about the people we love.  It's when we 

don't love ourselves that we go around hurting other people, don't
end up doing what we love, and generally don't enjoy our lives.

I credit Louise Hay, excellent therapy and Frank Daley, who

wrote the book Who are you and what are you doing here? for

helping me get that concept, and then of course the constant work of 

quieting the ever present inner critic to keep the idea going. 

I know I'm lucky.  I love my life, my work, my family, my friends."

 

Have a loving yourself and your world day!

Dreaming of the spring rush

 Spring Waterfall

Watercolour on

Arches watercolour paper

15 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir ©

I was talking to an artist friend yesterday about different media. She

loves working in coloured pencil, and I primarily work in acrylic
on canvas.

I told her that I started out drawing in coloured pencil, but quickly
switched to watercolour, and then to acrylic when I studied with
Skip Lawrence in California.

After that conversation, scrolling through my former blogs I found
this watercolour, and I like it.  Spring is coming.  Meanwhile
enjoy the Month of Love.

Have a loving your life day!

Love matters

 

Robin's Message of Love

8 x 8 inches

Acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2017

I have been painting for most of the day -- which started early 
picking up work from the Off The Wall show at the Heliconian|
Hall.  Fun to see artist friends, and then back to the studio.

I'm taking a brief break now to wish you a Happy Month of
Love.  So perfect that Steven and I have decided to call 
February The Month of Love, when it is super cold outside
- 5 Celsius, feels like - 10.  So we need the warmth of the 
sweet strings of hearts hanging in a local coffee shop window,

the delight in letting people know you care about them.

I like this painting, which I use as one of my Valentine's 
cards.  The robin looks sprightly, and also determined --

as in let's get on with this love thing okay. 

Fine by me Robin.  I'm on it.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Month of Love

A Lovebird acting as a banner.

The original (on the left) is 

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir ©

A few years ago, I decided to think about February as the 

Month of Love, not just the month for Valentine's
Day, but for a whole month of hearts, which I love, flowers and
happy thoughts when possible.  That can be a serious challenge. 

I sold some cards featuring my Valentine's paintings 
at the last opening of the Off The Wall show. Thank you to
the people who bought them.  Yes there are more!

So please spread love wherever, and whenever you can. People
need love and affection. Your posts and work make me happy, and
help make me love my life, even when the news is grim. Thank you.

Have a loving your life day.!

One great thing about International Art Exhibitions

 

Journal Sketch
of my friend Miranda Brouwers
marker on journal paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2024

We hung out with wonderful family artists today after visiting the
Brickworks market, where we very much miss seeing Jens Eller
and Cole from Marvellous Edibles farms. Tonight is movie night
and it's already late. So this post from last year seems perfect.

"If you ever get the chance to show in International shows,
I hope you do it.  Of course there is so much to learn -- how
to navigate, what to send, how to manage shipping, where
to stay.  But the most wonderful part of the whole experience
is the friendships you make that last.

This is a really rough, fast sketch of one of those friends
for me -- Miranda Brouwers -- an amazing artist, and 
fabulous friend.  We met in Florence Italy at the 2015 
Florence Biennale, and formed what we called The Happy
People group, to cheer other artists on through the 10 days
of exhibiting.

We showed together again at the Louvre in 2016. And have
kept in constant touch ever since. Miranda is currently
devoting her work to beautiful cards, T-shirts, invitations,
and art that helps people celebrate the important moments
in their lives. I will do a more refined drawing another time.
Meanwhile have fun Miranda."

I'm still friends with people I met in Florence, Paris and in
New York City who come from all over the world.
Miranda and I have seen each other in Europe again too.
And every time we talk on the phone (once
a week most of the time) -- the conversation starts with both
of us laughing. Such a treat!

Have a loving your life day!

In a world that can be terrifying -- I thank you for my happiness!

Tea Alone

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013,

revised 2023

(This painting seems right for tonight!)

10 Reasons To Be Happy Today

I used the exercise 10 Reasons to be Happy that
I made up, (but it may not be original), with impressive
results when I was teaching Positive Psychology. 
At the start of a class I'd pick 10 people to go the
front of the room and start a sentence with, "I'm happy
because", and then say why.  I'd explain that the
reason could be very small -- as in, "I'm happy
because I caught the bus on time."  It was
amazing to see that the people who came to the front
of the class, said why they were happy, and let the class
clap for them -- got happier. It sounds like psychobabble magic,
but in fact it's the same principle as blogging and
showing work for artists, and as writing in a journal
and then reading it aloud to friends or people
in a writing group.  It gives people a voice.

Having a voice in art and in the world matters.  Getting a
chance to think about what makes you happy,
shifts your focus to the positive, and as I've told
you before, the former happiness teacher at Harvard
University, Shawn Achor, says that when we are
happy we think not only more creatively, but
better.  Here's today's list:

1. My wonderful husband.

2. Our family -- Christopher, Megan, Sam, Emily, 

Alice, Madeleine and James.

2. Our animals -- Sally the dog, and Monet the cat.
3. My friends both here in Toronto, and around the world
through the art world.

4. My life as an artist.
5. Our walks at Lake Ontario when it's not -18 Celsius.

6. Our neighbourhood.
7. Our city -- I love Toronto.

8. My good health.

9. The art groups I belong to -- The Heliconian club,
and The Don Valley Art Club.

10.You! 
I'll add a couple:

11. The wonderful people who cleared our
street today.

12. The people who collect my work.

Thank you for everything!!!

Have a loving your life day!

I like this now, and working on the behind the scenes

 

Toronto Man

Charcoal, acrylic ink, and

acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2024

I showed this Acrylic ink drawing on canvas in the Drawing from
Life show last year at the Heliconian Hall. At the time I was not
happy with it compared to the sketchbook drawing that inspired it. 
I like it now. 

The man is wearing a trench coat, because last year at this point
in the winter we had had mostly rain.  This year in January alone

we've had 88 centimetres of snow.  And that's a lot.

Behind the scenes in art for me? -- preparing canvasses with two
layers of gesso, searching through my references for inspiration,

organizing an art show. All good.

Anyway Toronto Man -- thank you for being an inspiration.

Have a loving your life day.

A short one tonight -- Happy rest of the week

 Ken's flowers

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Sold

A lot going on today -- plus painting, but the current piece is not
quite ready.  I dug my car out of the snow, which was quite a 
task.  Plus after work Steven helped me with the rest.  Hey I got
my steps -- so great.  

There will be more to say soon.  We're trying to organize an
April show.  Still a few details to sort out.

Have a loving your life day!

Snow, snow, snow

 

Snow in the backyard

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2026

A couple of days ago we had two feet of snow. Although it makes
many things more difficult, it's a good thing because in recent
winters we've had almost no snow in Toronto, and that is not 
good for the environment.  We need winter.

So despite the cold, and the inconvenience, Torontonians are of two minds, because they have no idea when it will disappear.  I haven't dug my car out yet, but the side roads are not much fun right now.  Two lanes don't exist, so each trip is a matter of intense negotiation.

Here’s a look at the backyard in this beautiful snow. Of course we
artists are enchanted, but it sure is cold.

Have a loving your life day.

Happy Birthday to a great person and allow yourself to be happy

Market pansies in a cream jug
work in progress
Acrylic ink and marker
on watercolour paper
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

Today was an amazingly beautiful day after 2 feet of snow fell yesterday.
And today was our young family member's birthday. We're glad she's
a winter freak, and had a wonderful day!

I'm thinking about happiness because aside from constantly finding in
research that it's good for your health, it feels like a form of resistance
now.  As I say every time I express this, I mean that if we are living in
comfort -- have a roof over our heads, food to eat, enough money to
pay our bills -- we are blessed in a world full of turmoil, and need to
be grateful.

As artists our rebellion involves sharing the beauty we see. As people
we can rebel by doing everything we can to help others, and by
appreciating our joy.

It feels like a good moment to share this information from
a former post.  I taught positive psych as a college prof for
10 years.  Loved it and learned so much. I edited this a 
bit for the current moment.

"The Happiness Trick

Is there a trick to happiness?  Yes.  People have written books
about how.  But there is a secret to being happy.  We have to
allow it.  I heard about this phenomenon called the "Nocebo
response".  In medicine it is related to telling a patient that
they will not get better. This message apparently has such a
profound effect on the person's mind that she shuts the door
on hope, and may get rapidly worse.

My great happiness magic for today is to talk yourself out of
it.  Of the depression you could get because in this city many of
our cars are buried in snow banks, and digging them out takes a 
long time. It's been quite grey but today it was quite sunny for a while in

Toronto. And in painting of the fear that you can't do it.

Try this.  Instead of freaking out about what you can't do,
start with "This is easy!"  Just repeat that a few times, and
watch your shoulders quit tightening into a vice grip.
As for painting or drawing -- we need to take a look at how
tough things are in the world, and let ourselves know how lucky
we are to be compelled to make something, and to have the
 freedom to create."

Have a loving your life day!

They weren't kidding about the snow

Snowy day in Toronto
iPad drawing
8 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019

Today the snow in Toronto is not a joke.  The weather people
projected 15 1/2 inches of snow, and I think we've got at least

that.  We've shovelled, neighbourhood kids shovelled agaiin,
and still the snow on our sidewalk to the house is about a foot

deep.

We had a wonderful family pre-birthday nonetheless, and it
feels wonderful to come inside after being out in the deep
landscape.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Monthaversary of our wedding day!

 

Steven and me in the lights
of Times Square in 2015.
We love New York City,
and hope to visit sometime
again when things change.  

Today is our Monthaversary of
our wedding day.

No we weren't in Times Square.

We were here in Toronto in

the freezing cold.

It's our Monthaversary of our wedding anniversary.  So what did we do?  
We went to the market this morning.  Our farmer we order everything
from is off for health reasons, so we met some new people.  The ride

through Rosedale Valley Road going home is exceptionally beautiful
with the trees and snow.

Thinking about happiness with so much frightening news, I found
this list of how I work on having a good day:

1.  Making a list of six things I want to accomplish in the day
really helps me to get them done.

2. If I write 2 - 3 pages in a journal, and do a sketch in my journal
I feel like the day has begun well.

3. Drinking a lot of coffee. Minimum 3, maximum 5.

4. Taking time to read.

5. Looking at what other people are doing creatively on Instagram, 

and YouTube.

6. Going into the studio, turning on music I like, and painting.

I have music I like on now while I write this.  So music helps
with so many things. 

Have a loving your life day!

Thursday in the freezing cold -- concentrating on being happy

 

The feeling of pink
Acrylic on birch panel 
5 x 7 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019

It seems like the ideal day to try an exercise I used to do with
my positive psychology class -- 10 reasons to be happy.

So here goes -- it's minus 15 Celsius here, feels like minus

25. That's cold my friends.

So here we go:

10 Reasons to be happy

1. I did a good drawing today.

2. Instead of walking I stayed inside reading and planning.
It was still a bit chilly.

3. Our brilliant red Amaryllis bloomed again. Two huge 
flowers opened up today.

4. I got a wonderful card from my friend in The Netherlands
to celebrate that we've been friends for 10 years.  We met at The
Florence Biennale, and we talk once a week.

5. I have a couple of great books to read.

6.  Our dinner was delicious.

7. We have heat and hydro.

8. I have a sweet husband who loves me.

9. I'm planning some art shows for this year, and feel so excited. 

10. It's time to go and watch our delightful TV show with our animal
family (a cat and a dog.)

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Anniversary to my sweet husband!

 Irises celebrate

Photo

Barbara Muir © 

Today is a special day for us, because we celebrate it
every month -- the date of our first date. 

What did we do on our first date? Steven and I went
out to dinner at a restaurant on Yonge Street south
of St. Clair that's no longer there. It featured a D.J.
and dancing.  

A friend of mine worked as a server there, and she brought us Singapore Slings -- which I don't think we ever had again. 
They were delicious, but when we drink it's mostly white
wine. 

Then Steven walked me home. And we have been "dating"
ever since. We married 11 months after our first date, and
the wedding Monthaversary is in two days on the 24th.

The photo today is of beautiful irises on the kitchen table.
I wish I knew where to buy them now. Our local flower

store isn't carrying them. So if you have any tips for
Toronto.  Let me know. 

Have a loving your life day!

Flowers lift us up

Cottage Flowers
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2024

Last night I had my first session this year with my art group, and I got a rough
portrait painted in the 35 minutes I had to paint.  (As I've said before -- Steven,

my husband drops me off, and picks me up exactly an hour later.) The model
Brian was wonderful, and it was good to see everyone again. Painting with
the group always makes me feel lucky, and like I want to keep painting.

So I wanted to share something happy tonight, because the news is grim
lately, and it's winter. This seemed perfect.  I've been working on a very
cheery painting of a bouquet from last summer, and that made me feel good.

It was a good day to notice what is beautiful -- a cold, dark and
snowy, but very beautiful day here in Toronto, Canada.  

Have a loving your lfie day!

 

Dreaming of the MoMA and New York City

 

 Salad Obsession

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 
SOLD ♥

There was a time when New York City felt like a second home.
I loved the gallery I showed with there, and the gallery curator
is a sweetheart.  I exhibited my work for 10 years in NYC
and loved every minute of being there.  But things are very
different in the U.S. now.  Big hopes for Mamdani, but even
so.  Here's what I said in a former post:

"If there were ever a time when an escape dream would help,

this is one.  And I saw this painting of a delicious lunch
in the wonderful restaurant in the MoMA. I remember 
not only the food -- awesome, but the wonderful people we
got to talk to in New York.  I was telling someone today

that New Yorkers are so warm, and loved a conversation --
And the conversations were always both funny and brainy.

Fingers crossed that what's happening now is what
Jeffrey Gitomer would call a "temporary situation."
So I wish you a great day.

Of course the temporary situation now has been going
on for a year, and it gets more grim by the day.
But here's to my artist friends, trying to bring some
cheer into a hard time.

Have a loving your life day!

Great meeting about our show The Colour of Light in April

 

Morning  in Korea

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(I love this Skype painting
based on a very rough Skype

photo from when my son and his
wife (then girlfriend) were 

teaching English in Korea for a year. 

 Even the though the connections were

sometimes sketchy -- Skype let us keep
in touch, and the Skype sessions 
seeing each other meant so
much to us.)

I took a taxi to a meeting at the Heliconian Hall where we talked about

the show happening in April with work by Henrietta Walmark, Vivian
East and me.  Henrietta and Vivian are wonderful artists and I'm so
looking foward to showing with them. When I have the dates I'll let you
know.

During the taxi ride the driver and I talked about the state of the world,

and how we all needed to become more loving, and the words of this

former post about love seemed right:

"The image tonight seems right because my son and his wife spent a
year teaching English in Korea, and loved their life there.  And
the painting shows how much they love each other.

It is a supremely frightening time in the world, and for some reason,

a line from a Beatles song I heard while waiting in line at the grocery
store keeps coming into my head over and over.

The line is "love is all you need." The world really needs us to work on
being more loving. That sounds corny as all get out, but it’s true.
We need to quit warring, and competing, and trying to be the best, and
start caring more for other people, other cultures, other countries, and
for the whole planet.

A tall order, I know. Unrealistic probably. Essential yes.

I feel lucky to have been able to teach people how to be kinder to 
themselves, and more cooperative with others at the college level.

And (as I said to the taxi driver) to have learned so much from my
students about their worlds -- what they loved, the different parts of
the world they'd seen.The benefits for all involved were dramatic.
The lesson learned -- caring about others helps your life."

Have a loving your life day!  

A great day with family and friends -- now thinking about collectors

In the park
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 36 inches
Babara Muir © 
SOLD ♥

So much fun today with family and friends, making art, telling stories, 
dancing. the best. I love this painting of a happy family that I did 
awhile ago.

Here's what I said about it before:

"It was a Christmas present for the father, and delivered on Christmas eve

that year. The children were amazing, and I was inspired by the mother's

love for her children and her husband.  Her husband was very moved.

 One of the great pleasures of being an artist -- is understanding the
collector's wishes and making them happy.  I'm thinking about happiness tonight.
Despite worries and fears about what's happening in the world, it's important

to value and enjoy the times when all is well in your life.  It is, and
thank you so much everyone who makes my life so good."

Have a loving your life day.