The Colour of Light show is up at the Heliconian Hall

Let's go to the beach

Acrylic on canvas

3 x 4 feet
Barbara Muir © 2026
(I hope to get a better photo tomorrow.)

The Colour of Light show is up at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave.,
Toronto and we can't wait to show you the exhibition.  If you're in town
come out tomorrow April 3 between 2 - 5 p.m. Goodies, cookies,
snacks, so many beautiful photos and paintings to see.  So please come on
over. Free of course.

Our thanks to Trish, Catherine, Simone, Nola, Maria, Steven and Peter.

You are all amazing, and we are very grateful.

Have a loving your life day!

Please come out and celebrate with us

The textured dream of the school house

Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2026

The Colour of Light show featuring the work of the painter Vivian East,
the photographer Henrietta Walmark and me goes up tomorrow,
and the first opening is Friday April 3 from 2 - 5 p.m. at 35 Hazelton
Avenue in Toronto.  The show is free, there will be treats, cookies,
snacks, coffee.  We would love to see you there.

Friday is a holiday, and if you're downtown in the Yorkville area please
drop in. The Heliconian looks like a church, but is not, it's an art club.

Have a loving your life day!

It must be spring

Last spring at this time I was getting ready for my solo show,
this year I am almost finished my paintings for the 
Colour of Light, show at the Heliconian Club, opening this coming
Friday -- April 3, 2026mfrom 2 - 5 p.m.  Looking at the paintings
of course I see some things that need changing. 

Thankfully it's all coming together. And as usual more list making,
checking, packing, planning.  Some of you (many of you) have
done shows with two other artists and know it's a busy time.
You inspire me, and Steven is singing in the kitchen -- so
dinner is ready, and I will staypositive.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Have a loving your life day!

Finishing things up for The Colour of Light

 

Paris Afternoon

(work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

3 x 4 feet

Barbara Muir © 2026

This is one of the paintings I'll be showing in the Colour of Light show opening
this Friday from 2 - 5 p.m. at The Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto.

Yes I'm still working on it. I hope I'll see you at one of our four openings.

I will put the invitation on tomorrow.  It's been a great day painting, and I've
handed our invitations to people who are looking forward to seeing the show,

so that is wonderful.

Plus the first pansies were for sale at a local store, and I bought three pots of
them.  Soooooo beautiful.  A week or so ago we were coping with snow
drifts. Today it was like instant spring.  

Have a loving your life day!

A very happy day

 

It's a fine day sweetheart

Acrylic on cradled birch panel

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 

This painting seems right for today. As well as getting ready
for the Colour of Light show opening in Toronto on Friday at
35 Hazelton Ave. from 2 - 5 p.m., it was a family

art day.  So much fun.  We sit around the kitchen table covered

with art paper, and draw.  The best.  Bright coloured
markers combine with short messages to create something so
vivid.  

So I hope you had a very happy Sunday.  We did.

Have a loving your life day!

Saturday night is movie night -- memories from Stuttgart

 

Four Trees

Claude Monet

Oil on canvas

1891

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 

New York City

(The paintings at the

Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart were similar. I remember

crying telling Steven about them, and

how thick the paint was, and how Monet

went back as many as 60 times to

get the mood and lighting right!)

I found this wonderful post I wrote about seeing one of Monet's
paintings in a beautiful gallery in Stuttgart, Germany. It seems
perfect for tonight.  I've been painting all day, and everything
is "almost" finished.  So I will show you the pieces in the
next few days. Meanwhile here it is updated in places for
the current reality:

"I've been working on a large painting (currently working on
several large paintings)for most of the past week for a show
next weekend.  For me sometimes painting is a back and forth thing.  
This is one of those times.  But I came upon this image today,
which reminded me of the time Steven and I were in Stuttgart,
Germany because he had a work assignment there, and I went to
visit the Staatsgalerie alone. It was a beautiful gallery, with an
incredible collection.

I love the work of Monet, in fact we named our cat after
him (a girl cat), and I am always blown away when I see
his work.  But when I saw his poplar series (this is one of them)
in Stuttgart I was deeply moved.  The description on the wall at
the gallery said that Monet had returned to the sight as many
as 60 times to get the light and colours exactly right. The paintings
were very thick with paint, and I was so touched at his devotion.
I just read now that the trees were going to be cut down, and Monet
had to pay for the trees so he could finish his paintings. Amazing.

So back to my project(s).  Yes I can do it. Thank you Monet."

Have a loving your life day.

Flowers for you -- almost finished

 

Flowers for you
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 18 inches

Barbara Muir © 2026

Every day of the week before an art show is a busy one. I work from a 
long check list, and today has been a very good day.  Plus despite the
cold it was sunny out, and Steven and I sat out on the back porch 
drinking a coffee during his lunch break from work. (He works at
home.)

This painting is of a beautiful bouquet I bought from the farmer
at Marvellous Edibles at the Brick Works market last summer.

It will be one of my paintings in The Colour of Light show
at the Heliconian Hall, opening on April 3, between 2 and 5 pm.

I'd love to see you there.  Cookies, coffee, snacks,chocolates and it's free.

Have a loving your life day!

What do artists do?

 

Pansies welcome spring
Acrylic ink on
watercolour paper
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 

I'm using this painting as my image tonight because it made me
happy to see it, and it was a good day.  We do a lot behind the
scenes. My great helping friend and I made a list of the paintings
nearly ready to go in the Colour of Light show opening next weekend
on April 3 from 2-5 p.m., and April 4 from 2-5 pm., and April 8 from
4 - 7:30 p.m. at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue in Toronto.

And as we organized the paintings (most need a bit more work), I
felt so happy to see how they look together even though they are
all unique.

I look forward to seeing you there.  I will show you the work here when it's
ready.

Have a loving your life day!

Thank you everyone for your support -- The blog has passed 3 million views!

 

For David Lobenberg

Self portrait
acrylic on canvas
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 

The news tonight is simple and short.  Today I reached the
milestone of more than 3 million views, which in the blog
world is a big deal.  And I just want to thank all of you,
who have read and supported my blog. 

You can see me on Instagram too, but I do write a daily blog

here.  So this was exciting, because I think it took more than 16
years to get to 1 million views, and in the past 2 years it's gone

up to more than 3 million.  Thank you!

Have a loving your life day!

Super busy day for the Monthaversary of our wedding

 

Small is beautiful

Watercolour and marker on

Arches watercolour paper

6 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

Today was a busy day for our wedding Monthaversary. Steven was working
away in his office, and I was in the studio getting art ready for our
show (Vivian East, Henrietta Walmark and me) at the Heliconian Hall,
April 3, 4, 8 and 24.

Luckily it was a productive day, and I had a short, sweet meeting with a
friend. Then back to painting.  I do feel happy about the work, which
is great.

Steven and I celebrate the Monthaversary of our first date, and the
Monthaversary of our wedding day two days apart.  Today it was a
beautiful day.  We went for a short walk under the stars and were 
quite delighted that the snow, at least for now, is gone.

Have a loving your life day!

Getting ready for the show -- 10 days to go!

 

The King's Breakfast 

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(I put this painting up today because it's

one of my favourite paintings --nothing
sweeter than room service breakfast in a hotel

with the one you love. Sold now,
but it might be loaned to me

for The Colour of Light show.)

The count down to an art show is both exciting and worrying.  You
paint like crazy, and make list after list.  Those are super helpful,

except at the end of the day when you just want to go and watch
TV with your mate, and there are still so many things not

crossed off on the list.  Reason enters like a gift, and says,
"Don't worry we'll get those done tomorrow."  

I hope you are having a super time.  Today was both moody grey,
and brilliantly sunny. Such contrasts.  The sun made everyone happy.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Monthaversary of our first date to my sweetheart

 

A favourite photo of me and Steven 

Happiest monthaversary of our first date to my wonderful
husband, Steven. How did we celebrate today? We had a quiet
day doing chores in the house, went out for takeout  lunch at our
favourite café, then went for a great walk in a historic neighbourhood
with magnificent century-old buildings.

Tonight, we’ll hang out with our cat and our dog and watch our
TV show – a detective series.

I couldn’t be more happy that we fell in love on our first date, and that
we are still in love. 

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Spring

 

Spring tulips

Three versions in acrylic on

watercolour paper
© Barbara Muir 
(I'm revising one of these for our
show The Colour of Light)

Boy do we need Spring! Just the word makes people happy.  It
was a grey, rainy, snowy day today, and people were walking 
around in their down coats looking like Spring (happiness) had
just arrived. It is 2 degrees Celsius now (35.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

And some people were wearing their winter coats with shorts.
That is pushing it

It's a good time to immerse yourself in nature.  The birds are 
singing, the trees here in Toronto have not produced leaves, but
they are so ready. I feel particularly lucky to be up to my 

eyes in painting.  There are lots of reports at the moment 
about the destructive nature of social media.  That has
never been my experience.  For me it is friendship, learning,
kindness and opportunity.

But the news is there and it is grim.  We can hope that
sanity will come back to the world soon.  We can do 
all we can to help that happen, and we can create work
filled with joy, to give people a break.

Have a loving your life day!

Inspiration from past blogs on the International Day of Happiness

 

Eighteen years ago on February 17, I started this blog.

Tonight I'm including a painting from the archives 

-- A woman and her cats. I painted

this in September of that year, 2008.

I was lucky to teach Positive Psychology for 10 years.  I learned so
much about how to be happy. One thing that makes me happy is
creating work that collectors love. The painting above was certainly
one of them, and a great source of enjoyment for me.

Here are some words from a former blog that are helpful 
as I paint for a show opening April 3 from 2 - 5 at the
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. in Toronto, Canada.

I loved the richness and pattern on the silk collar of the
subject's blouse.  It was a beauty. Such a pleasure to paint.
And of course I loved the cats. Here's what I said in 2012:

"So what have I learned?  Sometimes in life we
think we're going nowhere.  That's what's so
wonderful about the blog world.  You can see
how far you've come, all the things you've learned
and in my case the great excitement that's come into
my life since I began this happy process.  My blog
was born during a hard time in my life, with relatives in
poor health, and my son going to Korea. The blog
and the people who read it became a source of
delight and strength for me.  When I painted this
portrait I had no idea what was going to happen in
the next months, when my blog would be discovered
by Howard Wolinsky, the Chicago journalist, and
subsequently by Oprah.

Steven was saying today, "your thoughts create
your future," one of the key philosophies of
Louise Hay.  And sometimes your future is
created by thoughts other people have that
are beyond your wildest dreams."

Have a thinking-yourself-into-a-joyous-future day.

Canadians and weather

 

Spring in the yard
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 

I like this painting from early on in the blog, of a wonderful 
model -- my friend's daughter -- Claudia. The year I painted
it the weather was even more erratic than this year.  A couple
of weeks ago we had weather so warm, that there were 
literally some joggers (men) wearing just shorts and their 
track shoes.  Then the next day we had a huge snowfall, and
strangers on the street were asking each other, "what's going
on?"

Of course the answer was "Canada man!" This is March.
Today the weather is what Canadians would call warm 
(6 Celsius, 42.8 Fahrenheit). Tonight it will be cold again,
and there is snow in the forecast for the next couple of 
days. 

We need to enjoy the variety. Because bonafide spring
weather won't be here for a couple of weeks.

Have a loving your life day!

Keep on editing, then be happy!

 

An inside look at journal pages
I created when I taught an art journal
course. This is a collage of a mix
of images, coloured stars
sign maker's gold, marker and
watercolour crayon
(The message reads, "It's funny
this preoccupation with angels
because I don't believe in angels
except in the way of, "Be an
angel will you darling and
bring me a cup of coffee
please.") 

I got a kick out of finding this piece about teaching art journaling 
to an art group.  The advice I shared is particularly helpful to
me right now. I have been working on paintings for our April
show today, and am happy to share what I said in my former post
with you.  There are so many art journal writers.  One of my favourites

is Austin Kleon, who has written many books on the subject of
creativity.  And the young woman who helps me with my tech
and studio issues is an amazing art journal maker, but hasn't gone public. 

Here's what I said in the former blog:

"As a college professor I've taught writing and presentation.  The
 key in both cases is somewhat the same as in painting
-- edit, edit, edit.

In writing try something, if it doesn't work, delete and
write it in a different way. In art try something, if it doesn't
work, rub it out, or paint it over. Try something else. Part
of it works, part doesn't?  More editing on a visual plain. 

Back and forth.  And fingers crossed -- eventually you get
it right. If anything making art is harder than writing, which
would surprise people."

Have a loving your life day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

Steven and I dancing with

glow sticks in our

 kitchen St. Patrick's Day party

I love this photo from years ago of me and Steven dancing in
the kitchen with glow sticks we bought for the St. Patrick's Day
festivities we have whenever possible with our family.

Today we had dinner with each other, and our son Sam was on the
phone.  We drank a little bit of green champagne. As different
as it was celebrating alone, we had so much fun talking to Sam
as he wished us the luck of the Irish.

I love how this photo is like abstract art.  We put  up a garland of
large Shamrocks last night, and the kitchen looks very festive.

If you like celebrating St, Patrick's Day, I hope you had a great time.

Here's a quote from a former blog:

"No I am not Irish, but way back some of my ancestors
fled France for Ireland, and then Ireland for Canada.
So in fact I'm more French than Irish.

One year when my children were small we bought them 

green toys and hula hoops, and green candy and had green

ginger ale, and green champagne for the adults, and a tradition

was born." So Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Have a loving your life day.

Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day and Painting

 

Lucky Shamrocks

acrylic on birch,

5 x 5 inches

 Barbara Muir © 

SOLD ♥

Today I've been painting like crazy, and picked up our beautiful
invitations to the Colour of Light exhibition in April at the
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. I will be handing those out
wherever I go until the are last opening is over.

Meanwhile Steven and I are also getting ready for a Happy St. Patrick's Day.
It will be a small dinner this year -- just Steven and me, but we're decorating 
tonight. This painting (sold) shows shamrock flowers which are delicate,
not the hearty, shiny green people decorate with for March 17--

St. Patrick's Day.   My mother said that the Poindexters, our "Irish"

relatives were Huguenots, who fled France for Ireland, and then fled Ireland 

for Canada settling near what is now Perth, Ontario. By that time they were 

Pounders. I don't know any relatives with this name. 

Those ancestors lived in harrowing times fleeing persecution and famine.  
Our family made up of Scottish, English, Irish, French and Italian on my side,

and Dutch and Indonesian on Steven's side started celebrating this

day when the children were little.  And because children have

fabulous memories you can't have a special celebration once, so

we continue to celebrate every year. And will again tomorrow!
Green champagne and some green food -- salad or broccoli. I hope
you have a good one.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow..  

Bedazzled again

 

Boy in a red tie on a starry night

watercolour quick study

watercolour on Arches watercolour paper

10 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(I think it was the quick part of

Laura Starett's idea of the

20 minute study that appealed

to me. Time is so short this week.)

I posted this painting in 2010. That's 16 years ago, and a lot has
happened since then, but I like the fact that I did the painting 
in 20 minutes.  So cool.  My beautiful older son as a kid.

I am working on something that's taking weeks. Maybe that's
appropriate, but the speedy person inside me is impatient.
I will get it finished.  So much detail.  

Sixteen years ago in this day I was dazzled by the night sky. 
Today Steven and I went for a long walk by Lake Ontario. 
There was a very strong wind, and the waves were magnificent
-- leaping against the shore.  Magnificent.

Have a loving your life day!

Happy Pi Day

 

 Stand Back for the Pie

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

So happy to realize that it's Pi Day, because I love featuring this painting.

Today we went to the market and enjoyed getting our various tasks 
handled driving and walking through sunlight on brand new snow.

Yes it snowed again yesterday. Tonight is movie night, so I wll happily

quote a former blog for Pi day:

"On this date I usually feature this painting, because not being a 
math freak, Pi reminds me of pie, and Steven makes the best
cherry pie I've ever tasted. I may forego having pie today. 
Tempting though.  We had a little conversation about the
math behind Pi at lunch today.

In 2022 this painting won first place, and I won $500 
(American) in a contest with the San Fernando Valley 
Arts and Cultural Center in California in a virtual exhibition.
That was fantastic. So exciting!

In a former post I shared this information on Pi Day:

Last night Jimmy Fallon did funny routines about his
audience reciting all the numbers of Pi. And they were
still at it 20 years from now -- it's a long number.

"According to the Huffington Post Pi Day is named after the
Greek symbol π which is the ratio of the circumference of
a circle to its diameter. The first three digits in Pi are 3
 (this is the third month) and 14 (the fourteenth day)
= 3.14 or Pi.  What better day to eat pie if you get the urge.
 And any way you slice it you will not be alone in your
pie indulgence.

I live with a mathematics fiend, (Steven) who has been
known to sleep with a Calculus text beside his bed at the
ready should he feel like reviewing it with his morning coffee.
He also makes a mean cherry pie -- the point of the
painting. The pie."

Have a deliciously-happy-Pi-day. 

Here's our invitation to the Colour of Light show in April

The top piece is the front and the bottom the back of the invitation we'll be 
handing out next week.  The show is free and in a beautiful space -- The
Heliconian Hall, at 35 Hazelton Ave. in Toronto, and runs fromApril 3 - April 29.
The opening dates, with food, coffee, and beverages are listed above.  Please
note the building is not a church. It became a women's art club in 1909.

Vivian East is a fantastic painter, and does wonderful drawings.  Henrietta Walmark
is a photographer who captures breathtaking images.  And you can see my work here,

and on my website -- barbaramuir.com.

I hope we'll see you at the show.

Have a loving your life day!

What does the blog give me?

 

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

Writing my blog is one of the things I do every day.  I'm not on Substack,

and so far I don't have a podcast.  Writing my blog is one of my daily practices.

I've posted for 4,402 days, so it's a pretty constant process.

Today I worked all day, and could work all night on a complex scene. So I'm
grateful to the blog for popping this beautiful image up as I scrolled through.
No idea where this is. For a while I did a lot of small paintings, inspired by 
Edward B. Gordon's magnificent daily works.

I consider the daily blog to be one of my best practices. It certainly makes
me happy. And you make me happy when you read it. So Thank you so much.

Have a loving your life day!

Kindness is key

 

The cards  --
(some of the cards
I've written every night
for 1460 days --
which Steven has saved.)

Alyson Stanfield says talking about being busy is not important, and
I agree, but sometimes the reality is work takes up a huge percentage
of our time.  And that's a good thing.  Today I am still working on my
big painting, and it is not ready for me to show you.  So talking to
some of the kindest people I know got me thinking about kindness.

Scrolling through my blog I found a former post that is still significant
 now. I am still writing these cards, and Steven still wants me to
continue.  So I do.  Why?  I love the man.

"Kindness hit me as a principal requirement in my life when I
experienced such high levels of kindness at the 2009, and 2015 
Florence Biennales. I've been lucky to be treated kindly for most of my
life, but people at the Biennale, as one of my friends described
it, raised the bar. They did everything they could to help
each other, and life long connections happened.  We all still care
about the people we met there.

So I wondered -- what are your kindness practices? One of mine
is to write a note for my husband every night to leave in our middle
bedroom where my husband gets ready for work in the morning. 
Because I was a night teacher for almost a decade, I am in the
habit of going to bed much later than my husband, and he gets
up much earlier than I do.

This practice started in January 2022, when both of our cats
-- the 14 year old Tortie point Siamese, Fiona, (who has since
died sadly) and the three month old Tortie point Siamese kitten,
Monet, stopped eating. The kitten had gastroenteritis, and the
older cat had a gum infection.

I started writing the notes to let Steven know whether or not
they'd eaten their night snack, and then as they got better, I'd
write about what happened in the day, and thank him for all
of the nice things he'd done for me.  And guess what happened?
He didn't want me to stop -- so I haven't. And he has saved every
one of these notes that I write on cards that feature my art.

What are some of the things you do to add more kindness
 to your life?"

Have a loving your life day!

Some women I admire

Some of the important women
in my life that I've
painted and drawn. 
Plus a portrait of
my mother by Chris Muir (my son)

I didn't even realize I was one
of the faces. (Super tired) I'm not
important, but I do like my 
portrait.
© Barbara Muir
(To do this properly I need 1,000
more of these at least. Thank
you everyone!)

Talking to an artist friend today, and it was such an enjoyable conversation.

All of us have trepidation about our work.  But the support we get from 
family, friends, and clients makes a huge difference and helps us to keep
being creative.

I know so many wonderful women, and meet new amazing women every
day. I hope you know that you all make my day -- make my life an awesome
experience. You bring light, art, humour (humour is huge to me), kindness,
understanding, support, and inspiration.

If you're not in this blog photo, come and pose for me, or send me a 
photo, and you will be one day.  I am slow at painting and drawing,
but I'd be happy to paint you after I get this April show together.

Have a loving your life day!

Thank you!

 

Another shout out to wonderful women!

 

No Question about it -- one of my top sheroes is Oprah

Oprah Winfrey Skype Sketch

(from the show Skype Around The World)
I am the 7th photo.

Willow charcoal on 

Canson Mi-Teintes paper
11 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

Me drawing Oprah on 
The Oprah Winfrey show

It feels right to add to my International Women's Day post.
Last year I talked about some of my Sheroes. What I wrote
seems even more appropriate with what's happening now.
"This year I feel like every woman alive who is kind and
loving is my Sheroe. Women stay strong through unbelievable
hardships, tragedy and loss. Through war and
illness. Hugs to all the women living through hard, or
impossible times.

And to all the women who keep their families, and friends happy
because of their love — you mean the world to us. 

So Happy thinking about Sheroes Monday. 

Stay safe, strong, courageous and confident. We need you! And
any time we can help, we will.

Have a loving your life day.