The end of July -- whew!

 

Picnic on the rocks

(I love this view from a 
few years ago)
Photo
Barbara Muir © 

I'm having trouble tonight with my computer which seems appropriate for
the end of a hard month.  What was hard? -- the fires all across northern
Canada, and in the U.S.,  Spain, France and the United Kingdom. The air
because of the fires -- orange in Toronto, and New York, hundreds of miles
away from the source, our southern neighbour's esteemed leader's response
to our fires with tariffs on Canadian goods, a family member having several
harsh treatments (successful but not fun), high heat making it too hot to sit 
outside.

But let's shift to the positive: it's over.  The Josh Johnson show at Massey
Hall was so fun! And we won the No Jet's Toronto protest against the
expansion of the island Airport all along Toronto's Lake Ontario parks, which
would have destroyed Toronto. So far. (There are still threats from the
Premier), plus we had some sweet family meetings, some delicious meals
from restaurants by the lake, and beautiful flowers in the kitchen full time.
Oh and our sweet, rambunctious kitten Monique, who catches a toy when
you toss it and brings it to you, and lies on your feet -- she is fun, and so is
the older cat, Monet and our dog Sally.

And there were sweet calls with friends and family, and super posts
on Instagram and YouTube. You people made the month good.

Have a loving your life day!

After all a good day

Journal sketch
Marker on journal paper
5 x 7 inches
Barbara Muir ©  

Here's a journal drawing I did awhile ago in a notebook, 
while travelling.  I love flowers, and love antique jugs, and
this sketch includes things I love -- clearly a summer bouquet.

I am happy tonight, that despite my eyes still being quite bothered
with floaters they say will disappear (one more week hopefully),
I walked my 12,000 steps.  It was hot, so I walked in a large mall.
It felt wonderful.  And the views were super on the way to
the mall and back. Blue skies, white clouds -- lots of inspiration.

Have a loving your life day!

Delightful memories of Florence

Today I'm super tired. Apologies. I did a drawing that's not good enough to share.
Meanwhile I found this sweet post about my first time in Florence, and loved
it, so I thought why not? Enjoy. 

"Lunch time

Steven walking across the piazza in front of Santa Maria Novella

The view of the Duomo from our desk, I can't crop or
adjust it -- sorry.

My friend, the beautiful artist Tamara van der Berg
pencil sketch
Barbara Muir Florence 2009

We keep sleeping in, which is somewhat of a miracle, because
the bells start right outside our window at about 8:30 and seem
to ring every 15 minutes. The sound is just magical. But at
night after we eat supper at some cozy little Trattoria we are
greatly tempted to walk around. The place is beautiful, and
decorated more and more each day for Christmas -- not in some
gaudy way, but extremely tastefully, and then of course the
place is mostly elegant and tasteful.

The fashion this year would surprise my friends in Toronto.
The must-have coat is very, very shiny, plastic coated nylon,
poufy down, quilted. Knee length for women, and waist length
for men. Even little children wear this. The slightly more
elegant people wear the same outfit in either white not shiny,
or brown or dark beige not shiny. So down is very in. On a
cold, rainy day you completely understand the whole thing.

Tell my friend Marcia that the hot water, very modern
radiators in our apartment make it quite warm, and we
heat our towels and even our clothes up on those. It's
lovely. Sensibly, just like in Toronto we turn the heat up
when we're home, and way down when we're out.

Now it's time to head down to the end of our street to buy
a delicious cheese and prosciutto panini (caldo)
heated up, and catch a little bus to the Santa Maria Novella
cathedral to see the Masaccios, then head to the Fortezza
da Basso to sit the show and be entertained by my very
funny friends. Miss you all."

Have an enjoying your life day.

A day for memories

 

Wonder Water Image #6

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 

It's a day for medical procedures for a family member.  All is well.
I've done some sketching, but it's unlikely that I will get to paint
today. I came upon this portrait I did as part of my ocean series.
It showed in the Florence Biennale.  I am working on a portrait
now (not today), and I am happy to have come upon this one 
again because I love it.

The painting is of a brilliant woman, the daughter of a friend.
I've been asked about doing portraits lately, and this work
embodies what I was explaining that I want to do when
I paint someone.  I want to honour them -- to make them happy
with the result.  And of course I want to be happy too.  I am 
delighted with this portrait -- one my favourite works,
and part of so many wonderful experiences. It's been
shown in Florence, Italy, in New York City, and here in
Toronto.

Have a loving your life day!

The other part of the job

 

Flowers for my father

pencil crayon on paper

21 1/2 x 26 inches

Barbara Muir ©
(the drawing was photographed
through glass because it's
framed.)

Oddly enough, I looked at my blog from this time last year, and I was doing the
same thing that I’m doing today. I am so grateful to the wonderful friend helping
me add to my website, and my Instagram posts. I know I'm very lucky indeed.

It was a wonderful weekend, and I’m so happy that the No Jets Toronto protest
worked, and got enough people to sign the Federal government survey about the
Billy Bishop airport to have the federal transportation minister cancel the plans
for expansion. I wish I could’ve been at the rally yesterday to celebrate that win.
Amazing. It looked so cool. With boats out in the water, and everyone holding
signs saying no to the proposal.

So back to work -- wishing you a wonderful week. Thank you so much
for your support.

Have a loving your life day!

Message from last year on a busy day

 

Video of me talking about 

Georgia Fullerton's GASP exercise.

It has been a busy and tiring day.  I'm about to have supper with my 
sweetheart (my husband Steven), and I'm almost recovered from my
eye surgery last Monday.  I found both a video and a post that moved

me.  I sometimes feel so down about the world that it's hard to be
creative. We've had a major win this week with the public making 
it clear that we don't want the Billy Bishop airport expansion on
Toronto island. But still this older post (lightly edited) applies"

"The news is, and has been hard for months.  I feel powerless reading
about wars, famine, politicians fighting for positions, instead of demanding 
ceasefires, (and fires in our country and many others), and that food goes
to the people who are starving to death, that we take
care of the environment. Plus as artists, we still need to create.  It is our
purpose to use our abilities even when things are so grim.  

It was a beautiful day here, if way too hot, and I found a post from a few,
years ago with a very bad video by me about how Georgia Fullerton's
GASP methodis somewhat magical, and worked for me. Forgive the
terrible quality of the video. To put it mildly I am not a techy.

"2020 was when this long, long pandemic began.  We
had no vaccines, and new variants kept coming at us.
One of my friends, the wonderful artist Georgia Fullerton,
held a GASP session for artists on Zoom, to try and inspire us
 to keep going.  I will quote that piece tonight, and show the poor
 quality video I made to go along with the blog post.

"COVID -19 (which by the way continues.  Now add measles

and RSV.  Close friends just had COVID) has shut a lot of
artists down.  We keep trying, but the impetus to paint has been
impacted by the facts -- so many galleries being closed, rare
meetings with other artists. 

On June 26 (a few years ago) Georgia Fullerton held a Zoom
event to introduce her GASP method of painting people's emotions,

and histories. She had wonderful, inspiring guests. And I don't know
about the effect on other artists, but it got me back into the studio
in a pre-COVID-19 way. I'm not saying the art I'm producing is great,
but I feel super painting. The joy of doing it has come back to me.  
I credit Georgia.  Oh and of course my husband Steven who came into the
studio and said he liked the painting I was working on.  We need
that support."

Have a loving your life day.

One story tonight

 

Aerial view of Billy Bishop Island Airport

This is a copy of a post by

Jeffrey P. Jones on Facebook

Jeffrey P. Jones added this explanation. Steven and I both filled in a Transport Canadapublic survey about expanding the Billy Bishop, which currently only deals with small planes. Our Ontario Premier Doug Ford wanted to expand the airport into a major airport accepting 10, million people per year. But 87,000 of us filled in the very skewed survey (which slanted towards making us accept the idead),and said, "No don't do it, this is an insane idea," (phrased much more discreetly of course. We held our breath, and then I read this announcement.

Tomorrow there is a No Jets Toronto walk along Lake Ontario across from the island to celebrate this win. Fingers crossed the win lasts. The parks along Lake Ontario's waterfront are beautiful, and the city needs them. As an artist who loves being near water, and frequently takes walks along the lake, I need these parks.

Here's the announcement shortened by me.

"The federal government has rejected a plan to expand Billy Bishop City Airport in Toronto. Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon issued a statement on Friday saying that he would not proceed with the expansion plan suggested by Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

“We will always work collaboratively with our partners in studying the region’s connectivity needs and protecting the interests of local residents,” MacKinnon wrote.

“However, we will not pursue any plans that infringe on treasured public spaces like Little Norway Park or Hanlan’s Point Beach, result in elevated noise, have significant environmental impacts, or hinder Toronto’s ability to build much-needed housing,” he added.

The minister’s comments come on the heels of public consultations which ended Friday after a two-week period and elicited more than 87,000 responses."

So Steven and I are happy tonight, and so are many of our neighbours.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Monthaversary of our wedding!

 

Heart in the sand
B.M. (Barbara Muir)
Loves
S.v.S. (Steven van Schaik)
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2022
(The sand is the red sand on the
 beach we love in Nova Scotia
on the Northumberland Strait.)

It is the Monthaversary of our wedding. My blog was messed up, 
and I apologize. I am not a techie, even though I use technology
and love it.  

Today we are working -- me painting, and Steven in his office
downstairs, and then we'll have a candlelight dinner and toast
one another. It's a beautiful day, so perhaps we'll get to walk
by the lake.

This love heart in the sand is from several summers ago, drawn
on the beach I can't wait to see when we go back to Nova
Scotia this fall.  And yes we know we're lucky to be in love.
Wishing you a happy day, and wonderful weekend.

Have a loving your life day.

Missing Florence

 

View from our apartment terrace when

I stayed in Florence the first time

I exhibited in the Florence Biennale in 2009.

There was a church right against

our building, and that's the Duomo

in the distance.

photo

Barbara Muir © 2009

 It is a beautiful day in Toronto today, but for some reason I am feeling
nostalgic about my time in Florence. Florence was such a beautiful city. 
And I met one of my best friends at the 2015 Florence Biennale--the
wonderful Dutch artist Miranda Brouwers.

Here's what I wrote about Florence in a former blog:

"When I taught positive psychology, I taught my classes to carry a little

sign that said Today, and to make a list of what they wanted to do that
day, and cross things off as they did them.  What I didn't say is that
when unexpected wonderful opportunities come your way, take
part in them if at all possible." 

Next time I'd be sure to add that advice. Going to Florence in 2009
and 2015 to take part in the Florence Biennale was so fantastic. 
I saw this photo and had to include it on this very beautiful day.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Anniversary of our first date

 Me and Steven,
Photo
Barbara Muir ©

Happy Anniversary of our first date to Steven. We were so lucky to fall in love
from the first moment of our first date, and to stay that way ever since.  Yes of
course we argue, we are not perfect.  But the love we feel for each other is a 
wonderful gift.

Thank you to everyone who has made our life together wonderful.  Thank you
to my sweet family, and to our friends. We are extremely grateful for this
sweet life.

Have a loving your life day!  

Can't wait to be drawing again

Let's talk

black marker on paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Mur © 2019

I was planning to feature one of my drawings today, and came upon this.

The drawing is based on a photograph of me as a young girl, taken by
my father, who was a wonderful photographer, but never really realized

how talented he was. At the time I was getting hand-me-downs from a

cousin with a much more impressive wardrobe.  Thank you Susan. I'm

sure this blouse was yours originally.

I am recovering from laser eye surgery yesterday, and am almost fully
there, but not quite.  It's recommended to rest, so I think I will.

Have a loving your life day! 

Another super artist

Road to the Ranch! Marin County CA
Oil on panel
14 x 18 inches
Pete Sinjin © 2026

(this is cropped and not high qualiity -- my
bad.)

Hi everyone. I've had eye surgery today, so the chances are good that I won’t be
painting or drawing. I thought I’d talk to you about another great artist whose
work I love. If there’s some way we can get Pete Sinjin to come and teach plein
air in Toronto. I would get whatever equipment I needed to learn from one of
the greatest. But Pete, not during heatwave/forest fire season.

Pete Sinjin goes out to paint most days, and often completes a fabulous painting
in one session. My husband and I met Pete on the banks of the Seine two years ago,
(Pete lives in Brooklyn) and we’ve been friends ever since. 

Enjoy looking at his  work.

Have a loving your life day.

Check out Nick Rubi's work

 

Waking up late (deep red)

Acrylic on cut canvas

10 x 10 inches

Nick Rubi © 2026

If you want to see the work of someone who is constantly inventing new ways
to make images — using sometimes just paper and a pen, sometimes canvas,
cutting the canvas and stitching it to make it 3-D, you’ll want to check out Nick
Rubi’s work.

Steven and I went to his recent pop up show at the Queen Street Type Books in
Toronto. 

I met Nick where he works at the Type Books store on Spadina in Forest Hill, Toronto,
and soon discovered that he is an artist. An amazing artist. 

Enjoy.

Have a loving your life day!

Super day with family and more from the Josh Johnson fabulous show

Steven and me at the Josh Johnson show
on Friday night.

We were encouraged to take
selfies. We're not the best at it,

but here it is.

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2026

Today we've had an amazing day with family.  Such a treat to have the whole gang 
together, playing, eating delicious pie from the market farmer, and talking and 
laughing about everything.

It's movie night for us, so I have to go.  If you can still get tickets to Josh Johnson's
Sunday show do yourself a favour and go.

One more photo from the end of the Josh Johnson show
when Josh was getting us to clap and cheer for
everyone in the show.  So much fun.

Photo:

Barbara Muir © 2026

If you can get tickets to see Josh Johnson at Massey Hall, tomorrow or Sunday -- go

 

Josh Johnson
Photo from his Instagram site

https://www.instagram.com/joshjohnsoncomedy/

I am a major fan of the brilliant comedian Josh Johnson.  We have a crazy couple
of weeks coming up, and I didn't think we'd get to see him.  But tickets
became available today. I asked Steven if he'd like to go, and at the end of
the work day (and work week), we taxied down to Massey Hall, and what a 
treat.

So no art tonight, but the art of Josh Johnson. He was fabulous.  So were
the musicians, and dancers.

Incidentally cyclosporiasisis is in Canada too,  but not as widespread as in the
United States. It was one topic in Josh's routine. 

Have a loving your life day!

I give you some winter relief

 

The Yard in Snow 

Maison De Haute Couleur 

Charvin, Paris Watercolour and

black marker on Fabriano paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir ©

Today has been grim in Toronto -- more orange air, air quality worse than
yesterday, warnings to stay inside, wear N95 masks.  I feel for anyone close
to the fires causing this. And for the people working on putting out the fires
-- thank you.  

I painted today, and stayed inside for the most part.  It is not the ideal summer.
But hey painting is a nice distraction.  This is a painting I did of our yard in
winter awhile back.

Stay safe.

Have a loving your life day!

High heat, smog and I need a visual break

 

Macintosh Apples
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 

The news is rough, the air is bad. It's hot and people who wouldn't wear

a mask in the height of COVID are wearing masks today.  Fires are

burning all across this province, and people are plenty angry at 
politicians protecting big oil, ignoring climate change, and offering
nuclear energy (which is lethal for minimum 500 years) as a "clean"

option.

So what is positive?  I talked to some wonderful artist friends today
in the Netherlands, in Toronto and worked with a dear friend who
teaches me new things every time we get together.  Which is both
helpful and exciting.

I did some loose drawings today, but didn't have time to paint.
I love this painting and I hope you do.  It made me happy, so
that is good.

Stay safe and --

Have a loving your life day!

Suoer hot one -- here's a cool escape

 

Valentine's Day Blue
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir © 
SOLD ♥

It is an extremely hot day today, 44 Celsius with the Humidex,
which means 111 Fahrenheit. Naturally the heat is the main topic of
conversation. I feel especially lucky that we have air conditioning,
and that my studio is a comfortable temperature. This painting
is offered both as a brief escape from the heat, and a reminder.

In Toronto it won't be long until the cool returns. It may not
snow for 5 months, but it will be much cooler in 3.  The year
is rushing ahead, so today I am painting in the studio, and 
I'm happy to live in the moment.

Have a loving your life day!

Can you tell us where to buy nasturtiums?

Night Nasturtiums 

Watercolour on watercolour paper

5 7/8 x 9.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Two years ago, Steven and I, who tend to plant our garden late in the
season were looking for nasturtiums. They are one of my favourite
flowers, mainly because you have to pick them so that they can
continue to grow, which means for the whole season you have flowers
on the kitchen table fresh picked from the garden.

This year we’ve had trouble finding them. In fact, we haven’t been
able to find nasturtiums anywhere. I think we went to four different
flower shops on the weekend trying to get nasturtiums. No luck!

So if you happen to know somewhere where we can get the plants in Toronto,
please let us know. You’ll make us so happy! On top of everything else the
nasturtiums are really fun to paint.

Have a loving your life day!

Inspiired by friends and mentors

My portrait of Susan Carlin
quick sketch
charcoal on watercolour paper
12 x 9 inches

2009

(One of my early blog mentors

was the artist Susan Carlin.  The day she

asked me to sit for a Skype portrait and to
do her portrait via Skype long distance (she

was in Texas) was a big day. I had already
been interviewed by Howard Wolinsky for a
YouTube interview, and was contacted by my
friend Melinda  Esparza who did a portrait
drawing from Howard's first YouTube
interview with me.

Susan taught me a lot about drawing.
She taught me how to draw a curve.  Big lesson.  
She now can't remember that, but you did Susan
on one of your internet drawing classes!
 You are part of the reason I love
drawing coffee cups)

Tonight I'm posting words that mean the world to me from a
former post.  It's Sunday night, and TV time with my 
sweetheart.

"Leaving your parents' sheltered and safe home to
go out on your own at 17 can have its downsides.
It is lonely - even if you live with a friend, and
scary, even if it's in a safe area of town, and it's a lot
of work.  But what I was lucky enough to realize
early on -- if you read my earlier story about a family
in my neighbourhood who were kind to me as a seven
year old -- is that the world is full of mentors.

I was transformed from practically a stick figure
drawer at the end of high school, into a decent
life drawing artist in the 8 months of my first
school year at OCAD.

When I switched to English at a different university,
I was taught that contrary to the views expressed
by my family, I was smart!  What?  An A+ student
all of a sudden.  I could write a 40 page undergraduate
thesis on Iconography and Imagery in Edmund Spenser's
The Fairie Queene!

And so the story goes throughout my life.  Brilliant teachers,
wonderful artists, and magnificently inspiring friends and
mentors have given me the delightful life I live -- filled
with loving family, superb friends, exceptional books,
music, film, super walks and above all happiness.

Mentors in recent years other than family, have been all of
the artists on the blog, Instagram and Facebook world, plus
the artists I show with, and in the art clubs I belong to.  So
ultimately this is a thank you!  Thank you for teaching me so
much on a continuous basis, and for supporting me.  You are
all my mentors and you empower me."

Have a loving your life day.

 

The dream of escaping

 

The house on the hill

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 

It was a great run around Saturday.  We went to the market, then did 
other errands, got take out lunch, and sat looking at Casa Loma on a
very hot day.

We went to a few flower stores, and bought plants for the big blue pots

in the backyard.  We were just heading out to do some shopping
after an afternoon nap, when I got a message from our neighbour that
there had been a shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair festivities a couple
of blocks away, and that was horrific.  Shootings are not common in
Toronto, and I have never heard of a shooting in my neighbourhood

and we've lived here the entire time we've been together.

So yes, the people at the festival, who'd been dancing and singing were
told by police to go home. And this is too sad.

I do think of Nova Scotia at times like these.  Our little one room school
house in the middle of nowhere.  This is the house on the hill we see 
when we know we are not far from seeing our school house.  It always

makes us happy to see it.  I've painted it several times.

Have a loving your life day, and stay safe.

And the third piece in the Primary show

Joyous Sunflowers
Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2026

This is the final piece of my three pieces in the Primary show. I originally planned

to paint each painting over a primary colour background, and did start with yellow
on this one (the primary colours being red, blue and yellow), but sticking to the
primary colours, which are frequently part of my work anyway, became less 
important than the meaning of the works.

So I have family in the painting The Future Calls, because family and friends mean the
most to me, an ocean landscape with clouds because I love the ocean, and nature,

and some of my happiest moments are by water, and flowers.  I love flowers, and
usually have them in my kitchen year round.  I feel like they are one key expression of
happiness. This painting also features a beautiful crystal vase given to me by
my great Auntie Anna for a wedding present.  The more I use the vase, the 
more I think of her, and appreciate how kind she was.

We went to a wonderful pop up opening today for the artist Nick Rubi in the
Queen Street Type Books store. Nick's work is delightfully inventive and 
always unique. The exhibition was a treat.

Have a loving your life day!

Part of the Heliconian Primary show on now

The Future Calls

Acrylic on canvas
20 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2026

(I need to get a better photo!)

I came to the second opening of the Primary show yesterday at the Heliconian
Hall to see a yellow heart beside this painting called The Future Calls. Ironically

that means that the future really is calling, and the painting will go on to an exhibition
at the Propeller Gallery in the fall.

That is exciting and totally unexpected.  We were given infinite leeway in
interpreting the theme.  I started with colour -- obvious, red, yellow and blue

are the primary colours, but moved on to meaning.  What is primary in
my life? This painting is about family, and clearly family and friendship

are at the top of the list of what's primary in my life.

There will be more about this in future blogs, but for now -- I hope you see
that you are primary to me.

Have a loving your life day!

A great opening for the Primary Show today

 

Magnificent Clouds
Diptych

Acrylic on canvas

4 x 6 feet

Barbara Muir © 2026

A wonderful opening at the Heliconian Hall today. Thank you to all the super
people who came in and thank you for some fabulous conversations.
It was so much fun. It's a beautiful show, and I'm proud to have 3
paintings in the show.

I will post my other paintings in the exhibition tomorrow. It's late and
I'm very tired tonight.  Once again thank you.  And if you couldn't

make it, the next opening is on August 8, from 2 - 5 p.m.  The show

is free, and there will be treats and cookies.  We would love to see

you.

Have a loving your life day!

Primary Show Opening tomorrow

 

Invitation to the Primary Show at the Heliconian Hall

tomorrow July 8 from the 4 - 7:30 p.m.

Free and free treats

I know this looks strange, because the opening I'm mentioning is the second one
on the invitation -- July 8 -- tomorrow.  But I will be there for the entire
opening, and would love to see you.  I have three pieces in the show, and it's
pretty amazing.  I had 50 of these invitations printed by my favourite printer
today.  He eliminated the speaker symbol, so all I've had to explain is the 
dates. 

If you're in Toronto please come to the Heliconian Hall tomorrow. You will love the
show. 

Have a loving your life day!

Missing Europe

 

A fruit market we passed

walking to the church of

Santa Maria Novella

where many Medicis are

buried in Florence, Italy.

Photo

Barbara Muir © 

Some of the best times in my art career happened in Florence showing
at the Florence Biennale in 2009, and 2015, and in Paris showing the
Louvre in 2015, 2016 and 2022.

Florence was magnificent, and I'd love to go back.  Paris is easily accessible
for me because I have wonderful friends there and we've been enough
times that I know how to get around.  I just got invited to show in the
Carousel du Louvre show in October today.  And I will seriously
think it over.

Have a loving your life day!

A busy day, and thinking about my son

Young Man Reading

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 

I love this very loose abstract sketch of my son, Sam. And I'm

thinking of him because he called when Steven and I were 

driving around shopping and doing errands.  He just wanted

to say Hi, and I was just going into a store, but as the day 
raced on it was too late to call by the time I was home and
had time. 

Sam is sweetheart of a guy, and since he and his wife left
Toronto we have really missed them.  They used to live
two blocks away, which was wonderful.

Here's what I said about this in a former blog:

"I have been lucky for my entire artistic life to have a super

supportive family.  This painting is of my son Sam who
posed for me many times during his late teens when he
was living at home, and a ready subject.  Christopher,
my son, my daughter-in-law Megan, Steven, my husband
and our various animals have all posed. And I am grateful
for them.  Big time."

Wishing you a happy and creative week.

Have a loving your life day.

 

Eternally grateful to Flora Doehler

 Flora on Skype

Black marker on bond paper

8 1/2 x 11 inches

Barbara Muir © 

17 years ago after a day of painting I drew this drawing of my friend
Flora on Skype, which would now be Zoom. 

Here's what I wrote about Flora on a former blog:

"Flora Doehler is the person who urged me to do a blog. My son Christopher
 actually started the blog for me. So Flora and Christopher transformed my
 life, and Flora continues to inspire me with her beautiful art.

Flora's push for change in my life (especially starting the blog) resulted
in me travelling all over the world, to New York, to Florence, to Paris
and the Louvre, and to Oprah Winfrey's show drawing her live via Skype.
(And many more media experiences because of the Oprah show.)

Meanwhile Flora moved to a small maritime town, and almost lives

in retreat compared to life in the big city.  And she continues to
make and sell beautiful art, and to teach me things about technology

and painting."

One of the biggest treats of our annual trip to the Maritimes and Nova
Scotia is visiting Flora and Larry Knox, her husband, and seeing Flora's
studio.  Her work is amazing.

Have a loving your life day.