The appeal of names

 

Self portrait sketch
Me as a teenager

Watercolour on
 watercolour paper
11 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir ©

At this point in my life it's too late to change my name,
but I know what name I'd pick if it was a simple 
exercise. Of course it's not.  Endless government forms,
and insurance and a lot of hours spent explaining, and
even spelling.

Here's what I wrote about it before:

"Ever since I met Alessandra, Mascitti, (who was
the wonderful co-ordinator for the Russo brothers
when they exhibited artists like me in the Carousel du
Louvre exhibitions) I have wanted to
change my first name from Barbara to Alessandra.

I won’t be doing this, but when I write a note to my husband,
I sign it Barbara and then in a separate space Alessandra,
Gloria Galletti. Galletti (many different spellings) was the
family name of my Italian great, great, great grandmother. And
Alessandra Gloria Galletti is the name I wish I could have.

Few people understand this because my regular name --
Barbara Muir --has been good to me, so they believe,
(understandably) that I should be happy with it. And I am.

But if I could wave a magic wand and change my name
that would be my name."

Have a loving your life day!

Enjoying the beauty of nature

 

Holding our heads high 

Watercolour on Arches 

watercolour paper

6 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Flowers make me happy.  They seem to have it right with their
exuberant beauty. I am on vacation (yes I've said that every day
since it began. This is day 5 -- wow.) The news from the world
is deeply disturbing as always, but training these eyes to see 
the wonders around me seems more vital than ever. 

I have been drawing, and taking a crazy number of reference
photos. We have been having a chill, happy time, 
reading our books, and for me sketching. We took a super
walk tonight and could see stars. Fantastic.

Have a loving your life day!

The pleasure of working with a model

 

Fatouma (sketch)

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

Looking back at an old post, I remember a time during COVID, when live
models in the house were not a great idea. We thought at the time that if we
wore a mask, that we’d be fine, and we didn’t know which ones were safe.

We found out that even with N95 masks we needed to keep our distance.
At the time, I thought it was safe to paint from a live model if I was wearing
a mask, and so I did this portrait of Fatouma, a beautiful model, very quickly
on my back porch. I’d love to get you back one day Fatouma to finish the
painting, or begin another one.

Right now I have a minimum of three portraits on the go waiting for me
to get back to work after my holiday.

They will happen. But even artists need time not to do art. I have been
sketching, -- and what a treat!

Have a loving in your life day!

Sally (an art group sketch)
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 

 As I told you I'm on holiday, and taking time off from my
regular routines.  We met new friends today, and had so
much fun singing in the car exploring beautiful farm
views.

Scrolling through my blog I found this fast painting
sketch from my art group on Tuesday nights with the
Don Valley Art Club, and loved it. 

I like the loose brush strokes in this one. Formal
portrait commissions take me weeks. I wrote that
I had 25 minutes at the most to finish this, and it looks like
the model had something to say. I'm looking forward to 

getting back to the group when

Steven's vacation is over. 

As I said before,  "I just get in that group and feel my
art energy working. It is almost magic. Okay it is magic. And
I am very grateful."

I hope you have a great week. 

Have a loving your life day!

A very happy day

 

Summer clouds Wallace Bridge

Acrylic on canvas

40 x 40 inches

 Barbara Muir ©
SOLD ♥ 

Steven is on holiday, so I'm taking a break and enjoying 
every minute. Steven and I have been going on
magnificent long drives, and everywhere we go
there is so much glorious inspiration. I can't wait 
to enjoy making new, beautiful creations.

Today I enjoyed drawing people in the wonderful
restaurant where we ate a hastily delivered take out
dinner. The restaurant had closed except for drinks,
so we ordered pizza in. The painting is set in Nova
Scotia. One of our top of the list favourite places.

We saw some super friends and family today, and
had such a great time with them. Wishing you a great
Sunday. And to everyone we met today, thank you for
your exceptional kindness. 

Have a loving your life day!

Missing my father

 

My Dad (from his own self portrait)

Charcoal on Canson Mixed Media paper

13 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(My father loved black and white photography --

he had books by all of the greats in

that field.  He took beautiful colour

photos too, but that was not his passion.  
The photo I based my drawing on told

me so much about my father.  His love

of playing with light and his knowledge

about light is so evident.  Plus this

is my father in casual dress!  Yes!

He wouldn’t leave the house, even

to go to the store for many years if

he wasn't dressed like he was going
to the office. Plus his sense

of humour came through in the merest 

suggestion of a smile.)

9/11  is a sad day in America because of the horrific events

of that day in 2001. For me and my siblings it's a sad day because
 that was the day my father died -- not in 2001. Today I'll 
 quote what I said before about my father."
"I love everything my father taught me. I know I walk in his
footsteps.  He was a very strict father for small children -- but as
we grew up, he enjoyed us more and more. 

And here's what I know.  Not only is my father visible in my face,
my love of humour, and the fact that I have been both a journalist,
and an artist, like him. But the main connection I have with my
Dad is in my heart.

The powerful message he would like me to convey
is that love lasts.  It never goes away.  And
my Dad's love for me, and mine for him is a
wonderful thing, and always will be for me.
I find that very comforting to know."
Have a loving your life day!

I'm so lucky to have wonderful friends

Summer shadow blues

Acrylic on canvas
16 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 

Steven and I took a beautiful drive today and saw an amazing
sunset. Tonight I  found a former post that seems right for
tonight.  Some of our friends are going through hard times
with work, and health and this post struck me as right on.

"Who are your cheerleaders? Is this an idle question? I don't think
so. I hope the first person on your team of supporters is you, because

without belief in what you do, you can't keep going.
But how about your friends? In the art world
there are people who are supportive, detractors,
and those who just don't care. But this job requires
a lot of nerve. After all many people won't understand
either what you're creating, or why you're creating it.
Some fierce little person inside has to keep going
through snide remarks, lack of appreciation, and
outright put downs. But that person (you/me) also
has to learn to move away from the detractors, and
seek out a great cheering team. I don't mean that
you force people into a corner and say "hey -- tell me
I'm good!" I mean you spend time with people who like what
you do, and who like you, and those friends, and acquaintances,
and as the circle grows, total strangers,  are your positive back up.

Now Alyson Stanfield, who writes the artbizblog,
I can imagine might say there's another group. Those are
converts. The reason you can't rule out people who
outright dislike your work altogether is twofold.
Tastes change -- the tastes of your audience -- and you
change -- your work evolves and goes in different
directions. One day you'll be at a show
of your work, and see a former critic approaching
you beaming. Are you going to turn away because
that person didn't used to "get" your work. No.
You're going to beam back, and possibly have a
convert, even a collector now on your team.

A final idea. Don't let detractors stop you. Not if
you believe in yourself. I heard the other day about
a wonderful writer who didn't write for 20 years
because of a cruel remark. What a shame. Twenty
lost years. See what I mean? Understand that people 
who make cruel remarks aren't okay themselves.
Talk to your closest supporters, and they'll help you
let it go and move on, and come back to your 
positive self.

Have a cheering-on-the-people-you-believe-in day.

P.S. Thank you to my team of supporters. I rarely
hear any cruel remarks anymore. And if I do, I
either weigh the remark's validity, or I discount it,
or I head right to my friends for a talk about it, and drop
it after an intelligent and often funny discussion."

Have a loving your life day. 

Relaxing with my sweet husband

Happy Anniversary Tea 

watercolour and marker on
watercolour paper

 6 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 

I like this painting.  Those of you who follow me will know
it's not my anniversary or Monthaversary, but it has been a
great day -- with the help of a good friend tidying up enough
to take some time off to enjoy ourselves. In some ways that's
just as celebratory as an anniversary. It's been a very busy summer.
 

A lot of people wouldn't think my plans were exciting enough
to call a vacation.  No planes, or trains.  Just driving around with
my man and taking a week or two off to relax. So I will keep writing
my blog, but I may or may not post new work.  This painting makes me
happy, and that's my plan -- to have some fun, read good books,
draw and be happy.

Have a loving your life day! 

I am so grateful to my friends

At the market

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches
Barbara Muir © 

It's late and it's been a super busy day. Our yard sale Sunday has
left the house in some chaos -- manageable, but still time 
consuming.  Some of the beautiful fabric that we sold as part
of the yard sale, came from the collection of this amazing
vintage fabric expert -- Jan Marriott. And my portrait of Jan
brings back memories of seeing her every weekend at the
Brickworks market. Currently she mostly sells online.

Here's what I said in a former post:

"Looking through my website, I saw this painting -- a
portrait of Jan Marriott, a woman who knows
everything about vintage fabric. She now mostly
sells online, but I met her when she was selling at the
Brickworks market in Toronto. The portrait shows Jan
in that setting with quilts behind her, and beautiful fabrics
on the table in front of her. Jan is a wonderful person, and
kind friend. Many of the beautiful things in my house came
from her collections.

I’m so happy that I was asked to paint this painting, and
that Jan liked it, and still uses it as her profile image."

Have a loving your life day!

The artist's life is wonderful

Hannah Creaser and me with 

On the road in Fredericton

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 

SOLD ♥

I am thinking a lot about the Maritimes.  I just love the people
we know, and the landscapes so much. I was scrolling through
my blog and this amazing story came up.  It's a holiday today
so I thought I'd share it with you.  This is one of my many
favourite paintings.

"One great art experience from quite awhile ago was
 meeting Hannah Creaser in the parking lot at the
Superstore in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and asking her
if she'd mind posing for me.

At the time I was working on a series about young 
people on the edge of growing up, and Hannah
struck me as a perfect model.  She agreed,
I took some photos, did a large portrait of 
Hannah, which showed in the window of a 
gallery on Avenue Road in Toronto, and in
New York City. Hannah's father, saw the painting
in the window in Toronto, came to the exhibition,

and bought the painting.

And Steven and I delivered it to her father Eben
in Fredericton, which is where this sweet photo
happened. Hannah has grown up into a wonderful
young woman, and is having a great life. 

Thank you Hannah for helping me paint one of
my favourite paintings."

Have a loving your life day!

Happy times at our yard sale

 

Pansies are perfection

Acrylic on birch panel

5 x 7 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2024
(This is one of the small
paintings that sold today.)

At our yard sale today one of the happy surprises was that the
small paintings I was selling were more popular than anything else
we had to offer. Some people did buy the beautiful antique china.
Some people did buy fine linen placemats. But the majority of sales
were of my art, which was selling at awesome low, low prices. 

Thank you to everyone who came out and spent time with us. And thank
you to everyone who bought items from our sale. It meant the world
to us to get to talk to you, to see old friends, and to make new ones.
It was an incredible day.

Thank you to my wonderful friend Maya for all her help, to my
friend Leslie for her contributions, and to my husband Steven for
helping me put up 50 invitation posters. You guys made it happen.

Have a loving your life day!

A magical night by the lake

Mark Johnson at Lake Ontario
(forgive the bad photo
taken in the dark)

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2026

Tonight we went to eat delicious take out at AlPacones
where our friends Maritza and Prince were working
tonight. We met a girl named Sharia who is also working
there, and she was sweet. Maritza's husband is always 
wonderful to us.

And then we went for a walk along the lake, and a miracle
happened. A fabulous guitarist and singer decided to walk
with us singing Steven’s favourite songs. When we knew the
words we sang along, and felt so happy — ecstatic. Mark
accompanied us almost to the end of our walk beside the
sparkling lake.

Thank you Mark. That was a moving experience.

Have a loving your life day.

Please bloom Morning Glories

 

Morning glories on the back fence

Photo 

Barbara Muir © 

In many ways it's been a strange summer.  June was great
from our point of view, because it was unusually cool, and
we got to take long walks.  In July a family member was 
going through harsh, but effective medical treatments, and 
the heat was intense.  

For most of August it was too hot to sit on the back porch, 
and we barely got our garden planted.  Every year since
we've owned the house we've had amazing, beautiful
morning glories covering the fence between us and our
next door neighbours. This year we could not find the
blue ones we love, and eventually gave in to a
multi-coloured variety. Purple seems to dominate when
they come out -- small, and nothing like our favourites.
Plus they have not liked the heat, and have been reluctant
to bloom. I am hoping they will get going when the cooler
weather comes. (update -- after
I wrote this -- a purple and a pink bloom came out.)

So if you have morning glories, please enjoy them.
Today I am painting and getting ready for a yard sale.
I will have work to show you soon.  Have a great weekend.

Have a loving your life day!

Lake Ontario is Lake Ontario -- Smarten up Google

 

Sunset on Lake Ontario

Photo

Barbara Muir ©
(a winter photo)

Most of my American friends cannot go along with their petulant

child leader who wants to rename land and water and stamp it
with America, or worse T#@)p. But hey the other Americans --
that's not power, it's immaturity, like the woman behind us in
extremely thick traffic today who got mad, when my husband
let someone into the traffic ahead of him.  She honked for
3 blocks, and then gave my husband the finger.  

Actually letting someone into traffic is the polite thing to do.
We share the road, and we also share the planet.  Mine, mine,

mine isn't working.  In Canada people either don't want to talk
about this, or they think it's inane.  (And true we have the odd

super immature person here too -- that woman is proof of
that fact, but she was a very rare example). Lake Ontario is Lake
Ontario, and we would like the petulant leader to see what
his role should be -- kindness, concern for others, cooperation.

Have a loving your life day!

Great things about September

Art Group Sketch 
from several years ago

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir ©

In a former post I wrote that in some ways September is
like New Year's.  It's a fresh start for many people after
a summer break.  We have not had our holiday yet, and
I really am ready!  Soon.  Meanwhile I love that my
art group will start sessions soon.  Here's what I said about
it before:

"I love it when I can go to my Tuesday night art group.
My husband drops me off, I paint for and hour (actually less
counting set up, breaks and clean up.) And it makes me feel
so happy. Then my husband picks me up, and we go home and
have dinner. The sessions will resume soon. Tonight
I’m sharing one of my favourites. This guy could pose
and hold a movie quiz. Impressive!"

Have a loving your life day!

Essential travel

 A Perfect day
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 
SOLD ♥ 

As much as I love our home, and our neighbourhood, I love travelling
and finding a new neighbourhood to enjoy.  Wherever we go we
find places to love.  In the Maritimes it's hard not to love everything 
-- so many beautiful views that have inspired so many of my 
landscape paintings.  We absolutely marvel at the beauty on the
entire drive from Toronto to our little school house in Nova
Scotia.  Canada is a beautiful country.

If you haven't gone exploring in Canada yet, I hope you do so
soon (before winter).  

Have a loving your life day!