Barbara Muir Paints

Grey's great

2012-01-30T17:17:00.000-08:00

What a smile

Black marker and watercolour

on Arches watercolour paper

3 x 5 inches

David Lobenberg is an artist whose work inspires
me again and again. He's great with acrylic, fantastic
with watercolour, and can paint anything -- but is
especially captivating with portraits. Lately he's
been doing spectacular work in watercolour -- dazzling
portraits.

David is a big believer in grey scale. Working on value.
I have spent most of my life in value aversion therapy,
and find I do love thinking about value when it's attached
to a colour, but I want to free myself from all hold backs,
so why not plunge in I thought.

On the weekend I bought a tube of Payne's Grey, and
the other night did this small portrait of a friend, using
that colour exclusively (as David recommends) with
a black marker drawing underneath. There will be more
of that.

In the late afternoon today we had real winter, and I drove
home from my long day at school clutching the steering
wheel. We've been beyond lucky this winter -- I think
this is the first real snowfall yet, and only the second
day of freaky driving. That's probably a bad sign for the
planet, but it has been a treat.

Have a working-on-your-values day.

Remember to notice the light

2012-01-27T15:28:00.000-08:00

The lane in winter

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

In some ways it's been a somber day. Friends and
family members having some hard times. But outside
nature was putting on a spectacular show -- first of
all a snowfall that coated everything in that perfect
sugar candy coating of snow -- every branch, every
leaf still trying to grow in the garden. Then the sun
came out and melted most of it. And at the end of
the day wispy clouds against a azure sky. Winter
you sure know how to shake things up.

I looked up a photo I took of a lane near my house
that I love, and decided to do a drawing on my iPad.
The colours are so glorious -- pure pleasure. And
that matters. So here it is. Another little iPad drawing.
I'm heading back down to the studio now to mess
with some paint. My sister-in-law Lina pointed
out that the light's returning to the land. Now
that is joyous news.

Have a rollicking-in-the-light day.

Is happiness real?

2012-01-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

Dreaming of Maine

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Once again I've had a great day. Not much time
to paint, but I had fun thinking about Maine and
parts of New Brunswick with this one, where you
come upon buildings that run into one another, and
go on and on because some new addition was needed,
and unlike our tiny city lots the room was there,
so Bob's your uncle, ipso facto, lets add another
section on. Some of them are my favorite white
clapboard, and that's what I was thinking about
in this little dreamscape.

I met a friend I hadn't seen for a long time today,
and we had the greatest talk. I am such a firm
believer in happiness and always enjoy
good conversation in a lovely setting. I walked
away with a rich feeling of delight colouring
my day.

But by contrast it seems that so many people
I've talked to recently are leary of the idea
of happiness. They ask -- is happiness real?
Substitute possible, achievable, valuable?
Is this just winter acting on the collective
mood? Maybe it doesn't matter. Apparently pessimists
are classically conservative, and optimists more liberal.
I have no idea whether or not this is true. I do
know that it feels infinitely better to think you're
happy, than to know that you're not.

Steven and I went out to Ikea, for our Thursday
night supper. The people behind the counter
there recognize us because we've been following
this strange, predictable pattern for almost
two years. We eat practically the same meals, and
sit where we can watch little children and families
playing. Tonight a mother was spoon feeding supper
to her six year old girl, so that the child didn't have
to stop playing to eat. Both the mother and child
were happy. I think. And we were happy watching
them. I think. We also seemed to be happy in
the car listening to a wildly funny radio show
and laughing our heads off.

Maybe it's those new vitamins Steven's been giving
me, because despite reasons for sorrow that are
always present, I have been feeling overwhelmingly
content. Even happy. Maybe you're the reason for
that, and you and you and you. Thanks for that.
I think it's real. And if I'm living in some
Descartian/Augustinian duality for now I think
I'll chill, and say WooHoo! Today life is good.

Have a having-a-great-day day

What's up?

2012-01-25T21:31:00.000-08:00

Jesca (Work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Wednesday is another long day for me. On my break
I went to a nearby mall and walked for an hour. Then
I downed a Starbucks coffee, wondering why it tastes
so good when a barista makes it, and not quite as punchy
when I make it at home. But I was revved enough, that I
taught my class, drove home and worked on this
portrait of a little girl named Jesca. She's an African girl
and an orphan who needs help to be able
to go to high school. The orphanage where she now
lives is a school that can only help the children
until they reach high school age. So for high school Jesca
needs sponsors to raise the $8,000 her high school
education will cost.

I'd meant to finish this painting for the show I had
in the fall with Gill Cameron, who is trying to raise
funds for Jesca, and another little girl, Mary,
but it was an insanely busy fall and I didn't have
time. So now I'm going to get it done.

I wanted to wait until it was getting there before
I showed it to you. For me a portrait is starting
to come together when I start to talk to the
person in the painting. That may sound crazy,
but I'm willing to bet that other portrait painters
say the same thing. Unless she feels present, she
has no chance of being lively. So she's beginning
to feel present to me. There are many things I'm
working on in the portrait, and I'll let you see my
changes as I go along. At this point I'm painting the
painting for me, so I have no idea whether it will
help contribute to the charity or not.

Meanwhile thank you to everyone who made this
day a great one.

Have a-getting-along-and-enjoying-your-life day.

For the love of houses

2012-01-24T18:40:00.000-08:00

Nova Scotia Dreamscape

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

When you drive out to the Maritimes from
a central industrial city like Toronto, the pleasures
of getting away are many. It's a long, long drive,
but the air gets cleaner, and cleaner the whole
way -- until you reach Moncton, New Brunswick
where it smells like clover in the summer. But another
one of the huge anticipated treats of getting back
"home" to the Maritimes is the sighting on the
horizon of a white clapboard house standing
at the top of a hill, or in a field. When I come
upon a bunch of sweet buildings in the classic
child's drawing house shape, I feel like a kid in
a candy shop.

Today's painting is a very loose, abstract view
of a cluster of clapboard buildings. Mmmm.

Have a loving-your-favorite-landscape day.

Just miss you in the mist

2012-01-23T20:03:00.000-08:00

Fog in the woods

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

I am working on a sustained portrait and it's not
ready for a first viewing. I will show it to you
when it's ready to be a work in progress.
Today is Monday, and it's been a crazy long work
day at school for me. But driving to and from
school today was incredibly beautiful. The
roads were shiny with rain, and closer to school
a thick fog blanketed the fields, and filled the
woods with gauzy grey. I told Steven how
gorgeous it was and he asked ,"wouldn't a famous
artist like Georgia O'Keefe, or A.Y. Jackson
make a sketch?" So I did -- on my
iPad. Paintings will be here soon. I just missed you
and thought I'd share the impression of "mist"
or in this case, very thick fog.

Have an enjoying-the-warm-mist day.

Dreaming of Nova Scotia

2012-01-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Schoolhouse in the snow

Acrylic on wood panel

5 x 5 inches

I got thinking about my little school house in
Nova Scotia today. Normally because the
temperature is warmed by the waters of the
Northumberland Straight there is not a lot
of snow there. But I think this winter they've
had some impressive snow storms. So I
imagined my little school house right against
the highway surrounded my snow. The wavy
piece is the highway that runs right by her
front door. I showed the painting to Steven and
he loved it, so it must evoke our little home away
from home. It is strictly a summer place, heated
by a woodstove, and no insulation. On a bigger
canvas I'd put in the crows and the red squirrel
who inhabit our acre, but realistically I didn't have room.

This little painting is on a small wood panel,
self-framed in wood. Many of my painter friends
in Europe paint amazing scenes on little boards
just 5.9 inches square. This structure is 5 inches
square, and painting on it left me filled with
admiration for my friends.

Have a painting-your-dreams day.

Spring on a snowy day

2012-01-19T20:50:00.000-08:00

Daffodils in the kitchen (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

We got some snow today, and I worked on
this little painting of daffodils. Our
good friend John gave me a pot of daffodils
on New Year's Eve, and they have just finished
being beautiful. I took a shot of them at their
best and worked from that today. I'm not quite
finished, but almost. It felt great to get back
to painting. This weekend the Christmas tree will go
outside and become a bird sanctuary until
its needles dry out in March or so. So I will
get my whole studio back again. I'll miss
the tree, but love a bit more space.

Have a getting-back-to-the-work-you-love day.

The need for action

2012-01-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

Working day face

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

I am a firm believer in what we've done here --
on the internet -- created a community of
artists that stretches across the world. We've
shared so much, and directed one another to
all kinds of fascinating information, entertainment
and experiences. Please go to Avaaz.org and
sign their petition against the hyper control
of the internet. This affects every one of us
who loves this medium. I am not usually
political here, but this one matters too much.
Click here to read about it.

My drawing today was done mostly in my
break between classes at work. It was a long
day today. What I didn't finish at work I added
to at home. My face changes between the two
places. A lot. But I am a ready model.
So here's today's offering.

Have a keeping-what-we've-got day.

Thinking of peonies

2012-01-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

Peonies in a Victorian jug (Work in progress)

Black marker on bond paper

12 x 14 inches

I walked my dog today in a chilly rain. We walked
by gardens missing their snow covering, green
leaves that have grown, frozen, grown -- and
have no idea what's going on. This winter is an
odd one so far. Tomorrow we should have snow again.
But I started working on a drawing
of peonies, from a photo of the glorious flowers my
neighbour lets me cut every year -- the perfect shade
of pink, the smell like heaven. This is not an iPad
drawing. And it may turn into a coloured pencil
rendering, but I haven't had time in the past few weeks
to go that deep. For now, I like the line.

Have a following-a-glorious-line day.

The whole point

2012-01-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

Calling home

iPad Skype drawing

8 x 10 inches

(For a non-techie I thought this was funny -- a

double barreled tech attempt, Skype and iPad in one

fell swoop)

It may not be the entire reason for being on the
planet, but I think it's an important one -- and that
is loving people. Rock bottom we need to learn
how to love ourselves first, but then it's family,
friends and so on. This face is the center of
my loving world, my dear one, Steven. He has a great
face, and a great tenderness for me and our sons.

Drawing with the iPad reminds me of the contour
drawing exercise teachers start you on at art
school -- only then you were feeling the face with
your pencil. With the iPad, you are feeling, and
drawing with your finger (you can get a stylus), and
that is cool, because it really is like feeling the face
as you draw.

Have a drawing-the-people-you-love day.

Wonderful weekend

2012-01-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Self portrait Sunday

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

It's the end of a great weekend -- beautiful weather, if
incredibly cold, and great fun. Last night Sam, my
youngest was home from university briefly, and
today we went down to the hotel where his class was
staying to say good-bye. He had just performed
two monologues for an audience, which might include
agents, and he was so excited. He knew he'd been
good. We hugged, and then let him go -- me a bit
teary as I always am on good-byes even though we'll
see one another soon.

Here's a little self-portrait on the iPad, done at
home. Got to go. It is going to be another gorgeous,
sunny winter day tomorrow.

Have a loving-the-winter-sun day.

More from the iPad

2012-01-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

Chelsea house in snow

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

I've been meaning to do a little sketch of this house
since I found the photo reference. This is a house
in Chelsea Quebec, near my brother's house. His
neighbourhood is rural and charming and looks
good in all seasons.

I'm working on a drawing and a couple of paintings, but don't
have anything to show you yet. Today our son Sam
came into town with his class to meet people in
the business. He's in his final year in acting at
university. So we spent the evening with him, and
it was wonderful to see him.

I promise I won't be on the iPad exclusively much
longer, but it does a nice job with snow. And hey! We
got some yesterday and verrrrry cold weather. So
all of Toronto is back in costume again, black
down coats with hoods, mittens, hats, great big boots.

Have an enjoying-your-season day.
High five to you Sam.

Self in Techie style

2012-01-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait at work

iPad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

I taught today, and felt blessed to have a very long break
between classes. I had fun talking to my friends
at work, and helped some students. I could even have
gone home, and come back. Just. But instead I worked
at a self portrait on my iPad. The result is less than stellar
-- I am essentially finger painting on plastic, or glass, or
whatever the screen is made of. But I like it anyway.
The colours are a treat to work with.

I might get back to painting tomorrow. Don't know.

Have a feeling-blessed-to-be-painting day.

The 5 second rule

2012-01-10T18:12:00.000-08:00

Portait of a woman

iPad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

Henriette Sonne posted a link on Facebook to a
woman called Mel Robbins at TED today. Mel
Robbins says that we are hard wired Not to do
anything different from our standard routine,
even if that routine doesn't serve us, if we take
more than 5 seconds to make the decision to do
something different. While I was watching her,
I tried to do her portrait. It is really hard on
an iPad with your finger, but I decided to be happy
with a portrait at all. Because I like the happy
errors I make with my awkward use of this medium.
Now before I change my mind I have to get
ready for tomorrow.

Have a deciding-to-change-quickly day.

Dog tired like Zoey

2012-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Zoey hides her head

iPad drawing

8 X 10 inches

Long day teaching today, but so much fun.
Still leaving the house at 7 a.m. and returning at
7:30p.m. -- pretty much jumping and talking
and carrying on all day -- Whew! Tired.
So I decided to draw Zoey sleeping on her
Winnie the Pooh quilt on her doggie bed.
She pushes that quilt around until it's just
right, then shoves her head in so the light
won't bother her.

For the aficionados of the iPad drawing.
I will probably stick to the finger for
my virtual art for awhile, because I can't
wait to get back to the paint/paper/canvas
equation. As the song says -- "there
ain't nothing like the real thing baby."
Still this sure is fun.

Have a getting-back-to-the-real-thing day.

Flora's challenge

2012-01-08T20:28:00.000-08:00

Chelsea in the snow

Ipad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

I start school in the morning and talked to
famous Canadian artist Flora Doehler tonight
via telephone while I made dinner. She challenged me to
draw something real with my iPad. I explained
that I'm just using my fingers, but she wouldn't
back down. I decided she had an intriguing thought.

So here it is. It is a house near my brother's place
in Chelsea, Quebec, in the snow. Still learning
Flora, but it certainly was fun completing your challenge.

Have a following-friends'-ideas day.

My first ever iPad drawings

2012-01-07T21:46:00.000-08:00

Blue Spring

Sketchbook Pro drawing on an iPad2

8 x 10 inches

Okay -- tonight I crossed the line into techno wonder.

How could anyone hearing about David Hockney's
wonderful work with the iPad, not be tempted to
try it out. Last month Hockney had a show here, all
displayed on iPads and I get it now.

Tonight I got the Sketchbook Pro app and started playing.
I have no idea what I'm doing, but the possibilities seem
to be endless.

Will I do this from now on? No. Of course not,
but from time to time, or maybe even every couple
of days I may show you what I've been doing.
We are meant to enjoy what's out there I believe.
And we are!

Just Messing With Ya

Sketchbook Pro drawing on an iPad2

8 x 10 inches

Here's my first effort. Clearly I had no idea what I
was doing.

Happy New Year!

I missed you, but I've had the flu this week.

Have a drawing-with-whatever-you-can day.

The whole thought -- simple but valid

2011-12-30T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is it -- so have fun whenever it's possible.

There's a tendency in art to worry so much about

whether what we're doing is worthy, or will

it stand the test of time. Ultimately does it

stand the test of enjoyment? Did you have

fun creating it? Does it make you happy looking

at it? The test of time happens after this party

is over. Meanwhile enjoy the dancing. It's a

short ride on this little planet. That's my cat

Timbah. He works hard at having fun. A good

plan.

Well this is where we were going

2011-12-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

Possible!

Ah the delicious agony of the one word video fest

2011-12-30T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's

Imagine if you had to have every conversation word
by word. Wouldn't we slow down a bit. Maybe that's
the point as we end the year. Slow down and think.
Here's the next word.

I promise this one's nearly finished

2011-12-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

Whenever

Aha -- you knew this was coming!

2011-12-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

Fun

Closer, and closer -- stay with me

2011-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Have

Getting to closer to completion

2011-12-30T19:02:00.000-08:00

Another new word

2011-12-30T18:54:00.000-08:00

Next word

2011-12-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

Next word in the new thought.

The next set - another little thought in one word video

2011-12-30T18:26:00.000-08:00

This

First video in another thought stream.

The whole thought

2011-12-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

What's my point? You can't follow someone else
in art. Of course you can -- but only you are you
in the whole world -- and however you paint, draw,
sculpt is right for you. I have a feeling there will
be more advice along these lines coming from
yours truly. Hope you're having fun.

Take your own direction.

Have a taking-your-own-direction day.

The Last word in this thought

2011-12-30T17:13:00.000-08:00

Coming up -- the whole thought in one giant video.
Wait for it. (No I have not suddenly gone crazy. I
have just had an idea. That's what we're all about
right?)

Direction

And another

2011-12-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

How this works, scroll back through time, and start
with the first word video. Patience is a virtue I hear.
Glad you're here.

Own

Another word

2011-12-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Be patient. It all adds up to something. Just
like each day in the year, adds up to a year.

Your

Much love to you.

End of year one word video fest

2011-12-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

First one word video -- Take
Hi everyone. To finish off the year I am trying something
new. Yes! Another idea that hit me in the middle of
the night. Was I sleeping. Probably. If so sleepwalk with
me. This is the end-of-the-year one word video fest.

Here's how it works. It's a conglomeration of a bunch
of thoughts I've had during the year watching you, and
watching myself through the blog -- and life. So I'll
post one word videos adding up to a thought, then the
whole thought.

Expect a lot of them. And don't worry, in a few days this
whole fest will be over and we'll start a new year. That will
be fun eh?

(Canadian for that will be fun -- won't it!)

On the road home

2011-12-29T23:48:00.000-08:00

Farmland near Kingston

Watercolour and black marker on watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

The trip from Toronto to my mother's house in
Ottawa is so carved in my soul that I feel like
I know every house, every tree along the way.
Of course I don't. And one of the great things
about traveling, even a familiar route, is that
everything changes all the time, and there are
wonderful surprises along the way. This is
a scene on the road from Kingston to Ottawa.
The entire trip takes about five hours with stops
for coffee, and food. But it always feels so good
to be moving towards the familiar.

Have a going-home-to-see-Mom day.

The fun of it

2011-12-29T23:47:00.000-08:00

Joking with friends

Skype drawing

10 x 12 inches

Sometimes Sam Skypes me when he's
at a friend's house and even at a party.
Then I get to see a very different guy --
his social side. I may meet people at
the party, and enjoy this so much.
I can't imagine calling my mother from
a party when I was that age -- let alone
letting her see me on video. But we live
in different times. All good.

Have a life-is-good day.

Complex feelings

2011-12-29T23:46:00.000-08:00

Talking to home

Black marker on drawing paper

10 x 12 inches

Human life has its ups and downs. An
understatement if ever there was one. Sometimes
when I see Steven on Skype when he's
traveling for work -- he is so upset at the
end of the day. Work with all its rewards
can be challenging and frustrating.

This must have been one of those days.
At home you hug in the kitchen, sit down
to dinner with flowers and candles. Apart
none of that calming reassurance is available.

Have a loving-seeing-each-other day.
P.S. As I write this I hear Steven washing
dishes in the kitchen -- a lovely sound.

Shhh!

2011-12-29T23:44:00.000-08:00

Silenzio!

Skype drawing

Black marker on drawing paper

10 x 12 inches

Okay, so I know I'm going on about Steven.
Sorry. The good thing about being separated
so much is missing one another. The bad
thing? Same. We laugh so much together.
I don't have a quiet laugh. Perhaps I was
being told to laugh, but softly.

Have a laughing-with-your-mate day.

Goodbye School house

2011-12-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

At the door

Black marker on Charvin paper

8 x 8 inches

One of the highlights of our year is
going to our school house in Nova
Scotia. Saying goodbye is a ritual.
We take our pictures in front of the
school house front door. This is a fast
sketch from this year's photo. In this
shot there are tears in our eyes. The
holiday is always wonderful, and
always too short. We miss our friends,
the ocean, the food, the beauty.

And we love Toronto too. So there
you go.

Have a being-where-you-are day.

The plan someday

2011-12-29T23:30:00.000-08:00

A pause

Black marker on bond paper

8 x 10 inches

Henriette Sonne, the fabulous Danish artist who
lives in Norway with her brilliant filmmaker
husband, and two little children, was showing
her series Buy Two get One Half Price
at the Louvre in early December. We met in
Florence when we were both showing at
the Florence Biennale in 2009. Since then
I have painted and drawn Henriette via Skype
quite a few times.

In our conversation last spring about Skype
I told her that I photograph my conversations
with Steven while we're talking. Afterwards
I go through the photos and it feels like having
the conversation again. Henriette said that when
we have a show together sometime I must
place these photos all around the gallery wall.
I could probably also fill a gallery with my
drawings of Steven from those photos.

Here is another one.

Have a covering-the-walls-with-art day.

Oh my darling

2011-12-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

Steven takes a break

Black marker on bond paper

8 x 10 inches

When I first started drawing from Skype
and screen capture photos from Skype images
I could not have imagined how vital Skype
would become to me. Yes my Skype images
changed my art career, but in the past year
and a half, Skype has been one of the main
ways I get to see my sweet Steven. His work
has meant he's had to be out of town a lot,
and Skype lets us see one another. Every mood,
every daily joy, the animals on my end, and
all the sorrow of missing one another (which
we do to a painful extent sometimes) comes
through the computer when we're apart.

Here's a drawing of Steven taken from one
of the many photos I take of him while we talk.

Have a thanking-technology-for-being-there day.

An artist's companions

2011-12-29T23:13:00.000-08:00

Zoey and Steven in the park

I found an old journal entry from last year
when I was worrying myself sick about a
painting. I wrote a note to self saying go
for a short walk. These are my walking companions
Zoey the dog, in the red coat, and Steven
busily hunting for appropriate sticks to throw
for her. We live minutes from a gorgeous park.
They take me there. In a short walk with them
I forget everything else. This is how they looked
today.

Have a walking-for-the-joy-of-it day.

The Studio dresses up

2011-12-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

Holiday studio decor

My studio is just like yours -- filled with paint,
paintings, reference material. I try to corral my smaller work,
and many art books into bookshelves and baskets,
but productive artists (and I guess I am one) create.
But can my studio change her stripes, dress up,
transform and go to the party? She can. Here she
is as she looked shortly after the Christmas present
opening, showing off her newly decorated hearth.

Have a loving-the-space-where-you-create day.

What was left behind

2011-12-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

Too much work

black marker and coloured pencil on bond paper

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches

Alyson Stanfield asks today what we would
leave behind or shred from the past year. Here's
an image that makes me laugh, even though I
will no doubt see a similar sight again. It's
my bed where I retreat to mark papers, and there
they are piled all around me. I can leave that
image behind, or share it with you here -- because
it is funny, and in high contrast to my bed now --
a novel, a cup of chamomile tea -- pure pleasure.

Have an appreciating-what-you-do-day.

I understand the tree bit

2011-12-29T22:37:00.000-08:00

Oh Christmas Tree

Photo © Barbara Muir, 2011

Today we went walking in our local park. I wore
my icers and held onto Steven for dear life in
the slippery spots. But this is one small sample
of what we saw. When I see a tree like this one
in the park, I get why we haul them in at
Christmas. Aside from the delicious smell,
the look is spectacular.

Have a loving-the-trees-you know day.

Favorite carrots of all time

2011-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Carrots on a blue and white platter

Black marker, watercolour and watercolour crayons

on watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011
I do love carrots, but not the tired, metallic
tasting carrots you get at the store in the middle
of winter. This year at the market I found a
farming family who took great pride in
having strange carrots. They sold carrots
shaped like round orange balls, carrots in
red, yellow and sometimes a dark purple,
and all of their carrots were delicious.
We ate them in stir-fries, soup and salad
and were entirely delighted.

This little watercolour features bunches
of their beauties on a lovely antique blue
and white platter. Fit setting for these
carrot jewels.

Have an eating-your-carrots day.

A year of wonderful market flowers

2011-12-28T23:43:00.000-08:00

Home from the market

Watercolour and watercolour crayon on

drawing paper

8 x 10 inches

The flower lady at the Brickworks farmer's
market creates wonderful bouquets from
flowers she grows in her own sizeable
garden. Thinking back on 2011 I wanted
to include a quick sketch of one of them.
I did this with watercolours and watercolour
crayons on drawing paper. The paper
wasn't really designed for water, but I
am still happy with the painting's exuberance.
That's how I feel any Saturday that I carry
home one of Pegann's bouquets.

Have an enjoying-the-flowers-in-your-life day.

At the computer

2011-12-28T23:28:00.000-08:00

Concentrating on the script

Black marker on Charvin paper

8 x 10 inches

I asked Sam to pose for me, and he
is incredibly obliging. The light in the
room was poor, so I did a quick sketch
of him here working on his computer.

I am happy with this one. It captures
Sam's kindness -- sometimes I make
him look fierce, and that's purely an
act. But then he is studying to be an
actor, so that ability will stand him in
good stead.

Have a loving-kindness-in-others day.

Time together

2011-12-28T23:25:00.000-08:00

Sam reading

Black marker on Charvin paper

8 x 8 inches

It's so rare for Sam to have time at home when
he's at school so far away. He is very busy
this holiday learning his lines for the parts
he'll play next term. First he is the father in
Emma, and he's been reading Jane Austen's
novel. One day he read aloud to me and it
was wonderful.

Have a spending-time-with-your-kids day.

Clutter

2011-12-28T23:01:00.000-08:00

The phone is here somewhere

Black marker on notebook paper

7 x 9 inches

(Can you find the phone, and the glasses?)

One of the few demons in my life is clutter.
Combine a lack of time with many interests
and the result can be clutter. I was thinking
about it the other day, because it's a scramble
when the wonderful women who clean for
us come to make everything supremely
tidy. Most of the problems result from art -
creating paintings in a home studio, and reading.
We read so many books and magazines.
This drawing is of my bedside table, with the
drawer open.

Today the cleaners cleaned the entire house,
not just the two floors they normally handle.
(We have three and they do the main floor and
the upstairs one time, and the main floor and
basement the next.) It was a special pre-New Years
clean sweep.We are looking very tiddly here --
even the bedside table. Just don't inspect our
cupboards and drawers -- aieee. Too funny.

Have a getting-things-tidy day.

The Christmas house

2011-12-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

Decorated for Christmas

Black marker on Charvin paper

9 x 8 inches

I did this very fast sketch of the house
we visited for a dinner party last night
while Steven cleared the snow off the
car's windows. By Toronto standards it's
a big house, but we were in Hamilton,
where real estate is much more reasonable.
This is a side view of the very lovely
house.

Have an enjoying-your-visiting day.

More faces please

2011-12-27T23:17:00.000-08:00

Watching

Black marker on Charvin drawing paper

8 x 8 inches

This gorgeous girl is much more beautiful
than what I could possibly capture in
a quick sketch. There is a defiance in
her face I like. At this point in the
evening I think I was probably
delivering a boring speech on the
value of higher education as I drew.
Of course I believe what I was
saying, but I'd much rather be
funny than be a pedantic bore. Ah well.

Have a drawing-the-beauty-you-see day.

Thinking about it all

2011-12-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

To a thoughtful New Year

Black marker on Charvin paper

8 x 8 inches

This young man, David, seemed deep in
thought as people talked around him. Drawing live
in the soft light of a dinner party is a challenge,
but also such a pleasure. I was so glad
I brought my sketchbook along.

Have an enjoying-your-thoughts day.

Future talk

2011-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

A world of plans

Black marker on Charvin drawing paper

8 x 9 inches

There is something so endearing about
young people like the wonderful guests
tonight -- so engaging, so passionately
involved in life, so funny and so with
it. This beautiful girl showed us a slide
show of her trip to Korea and India that
blew me away. She is studying among
other things, Hindi at university. Awesome.
Her friend is a musician. What a talented
bunch.

Have a loving-the-company-you-keep day.

Sam quick study

2011-12-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

Against the grain

Black marker on Charvin paper

8 x 8 inches

As Sam was at the party I asked him
to stay still for a minute. That's about
all I had because he was in the middle
of a great conversation, and has inherited
our family trait of moving a lot while we talk.
Thanks to Sam for the minute or two he
stayed still.

Have a thanking-the-models-in-your-life day.

Alignment

2011-12-27T22:41:00.000-08:00

Sitting in a fat chair

Black marker on Charvin drawing paper

8 x 8 inches

From across the room it struck me that
this thin man was in a fat chair. In actual
fact the chair was probably thinner, and
he may have been more substantial, but
my eyes were seeing what I drew. I
suppose in the final analysis hauling out
your sketchbook at a party, is a bit like
talking on your cell phone. I hope that
my fellow party goers didn't think I was
being rude.

The jury is out on that one.

Have a working-on-the-work-you-love day.

Confident line

2011-12-27T22:35:00.000-08:00

Conversation with a confident line

Black marker on Charvin drawing paper

8 x 8 inches

I was at a party tonight and wanted to sit
in a corner and ask people to come and let
me draw them. As soon as dinner began
I knew my idea wouldn't fly, so instead
while people talked after dinner
I grabbed a beautiful sketchbook from
France my friend Jennifer gave me, and began
sketching as fast as I could. Everyone was
having such great and engaging conversations.

Sheila Vaughan suggested drawing with a
confident line. I loved that advice
and throughout the party my niece kept saying,
"use a confident line." I hope I did. I did
have a wonderful time.

Here is sample one.

Have a using-a-confident-line day.

Marathoning for art

2011-12-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

Stop a farmhouse!
(work in progress)

watercolour on watercolour paper
8 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011
Does it seem to you that I'm going overboard with
the multiples. Not to me. Actually the delights
of family, plus a really busy holiday schedule
are getting in the way of my real plans. Perhaps
those were ambitious. On second thought they
were. But I wanted to draw small sketches all
day, and have an art marathon with myself right
up to New Year's Eve. I should probably never
sleep, because that's when my truly crazy ideas
surface, and I wake up certain that whatever
I imagined is a really, really good plan.

Today I got back on the track of delights of
the year. Our recent trip to Ottawa was both
great and difficult. But I took so many
reference photos going through the countryside
on the way there, that I could go on forever
just painting scenes. One of my favorite
things in Canada is the white farmhouse. I'd
actually like to build one right in the middle
of Toronto if I had the space and funds. That
is my ideal house. Mine would have gingerbread
trim circa 1880, and a wide veranda. Plus it
would be in my neighbourhood, so I could
still see all of my friends here.

This house as it turns out is an extension on
a much larger stone house. I still loved it as
I snapped it from the window of our moving car.

Have a following-those-arty-dreams day.
P.S. I have a couple of details to finish
on this one. The title is based on what I
say to Steven when we drive by one of
these white clapboard beauties.

Cursive with your coffee

2011-12-26T23:02:00.000-08:00

Cursive B mug of coffee

Black marker on bond paper

4 x 4 inches

A sad fact of modern education in Canada
is that children are no longer being
taught cursive handwriting. I argue this
one back and forth with some of my
elementary grade teacher friends, but
cursive matters -- because sooner or later
we have to write notes, sign our names,
write in a journal, and without cursive
handwriting we're reduced to printing.
So I bought myself and Steven some
cursive lettered mugs. Steven brought
me my wake up coffee this morning in
this one. The lettering is more lovely
than I've captured here. I do need
two coffees to be fully awake.

Have a relishing-handwriting-and-coffee day.

I come back to the face

2011-12-26T22:52:00.000-08:00

Morning Face

Black marker on bond paper

5 x 7 inches

Whatever else I draw or paint, I always
return to the face. My son Christopher
teases me because he finds me too
friendly -- but I do really love people.
And I am endlessly fascinated by
faces. This morning I grabbed a beautiful
sketchbook I bought in Florence, Italy,
and did a quick sketch of a happy
face.

For me a smiling face is a wonder --
a person's whole being seems to
light up with a smile.

Have a spreading-happiness-with-your-smile-day.

Shopping is not hard

2011-12-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

The hype around shopping this holiday season

was over the top -- dire warnings about long
line ups, mocking last minute shoppers -- you'd think
you needed a PhD. in marketing to hit the
malls. Compared to painting, drawing,
or teaching the truth is shopping is sooo
easy. Plus if you're not a millionaire,
it's soon over. See, think, buy.

This little fast sketch is of one of the
bags I stashed Steven's presents in. He
was very happy when he opened it.

Have an shopping-is-so-not-hard day
P.S. That doesn't mean I would like
to spend more time shopping. Enough
is enough -- but all in all a pleasure --
great sales people, security staff who
directed us to shorter lines, and boom
all done.

The Christmas Tree

2011-12-26T22:21:00.000-08:00

Sam's tree

Black marker on Ikea paper

4 x 6 inches

Getting ready for Christmas has changed over
the years. This year we've felt so lucky to
have Sam at home with us. He is a great
guy -- loves baking, and while we were
out shopping he decorated the tree.

Christmas dinner was a fabulous finish to
a great day. When the guests were gone, and
the kitchen cleaned up, Steven and I sat by
the tree admiring Sam's work.

Have a thank-goodness-for-family day.

The Christmas studio -- lights, camera, action

2011-12-25T15:37:00.000-08:00

My father's light

Black marker on Ikea drawing paper

4 x 4 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011

This old light was one of the few things I
inherited from my father after his death.
It is no longer the higher tech light. It
has a red wooden handle, but I love it.
In fact I bought another older light from
a lady this summer that clamps onto
my art table. But that's gone away until
Christmas is over -- it's too fragile for
the holiday fray.

Have a loving-inherited-equipment day

A passion for roses

2011-12-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

Oceana roses in a Victorian jug

Black marker on Ikea drawing paper

4 x 4 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011

In our house roses are part of the celebration.
We buy roses for one another every weekend,
and could hardly miss stocking our house for
Christmas. There are wonderful inexpensive
flower stores in Toronto and our favorite is
Yang's on Avenue Road, where the staff in
the family run business are our friends. They
know that our favorite roses are Oceana for the
gorgeous smell of a rose garden.

At Christmas we put a big antique jug of
roses on the coffee table. Mmmm.

Have a filling-your-house-with-flowers day.

Breakfast for Christmas

2011-12-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Breakfast table today

Best wishes to everyone whatever holiday
you celebrate, and my warmest wishes for
peace in your world. After the flutter of
present opening, and the running around
before Christmas -- there is a delicious
lull before dinner, dressing up and welcoming
guests. It is indeed all good.

In this photo Steven lights the candles on the
breakfast table. On offer, French toast, with
blueberries, strawberries and our own frozen
peaches, champagne and orange juice, and
coffee cake. Fresh coffee in the coffee pot
kept us going. Years ago we decided that
everyone should eat before we opened
presents. It doesn't seem to calm us down
but it does make the day start in a wonderful
way.

Have a loving-your-traditions day.

Merry Christmas and Multiples

2011-12-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Hearth and garland

(after the stockings.)

Black marker on Ikea drawing paper

4 x 4 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011

Merry Christmas everyone. We are having a lovely
one. Our son Christopher and his fiancée Megan
were here for Christmas morning, opening stockings
and presents after a beautiful breakfast which Steven
has started making as a Christmas tradition. The house
filled with carols, and the animals were permitted to
come in the studio -- which is for the next few days
back to being our living room and dining room.

What a happy day. Right now the turkey is cooking
and I've been starting on an idea that's been in my
brain each time I try to sleep at night -- how to do
many, many small, very fast drawings. I will be
doing short blogs (yes more than one) every day
until the New Year. Here's the first one. Merry
Christmas, Happy Holidays -- thank you for being
a gift to me all year.

Have a-wonderful-day-with-great-food

End of year wrap up -- a Great Year

2011-12-19T15:59:00.000-08:00

Matisse at the MoMA

Watercolour on watercolour paper

with black marker

8 x 10 inches

All of the news outlets, TV and radio stations
are doing end of year summaries now. It
will be a count down until the New Year, and then
Poof! All over and we start again. I think we're
brilliant at summarizing and moving on because
of this 12 month calendar invention. Good for
us. I was scrolling back through the year
in photos, and thought -- it's been miraculous in
many ways. So I thought I might paint some of
the highlights until 2012 crests over the horizon.
My son is making cookies in the kitchen, the delicious
smell is filling the house.

We do have Christmas to create, so here's
tonight's offering. I'm thinking that if I really
get inspired by the theme I may do more than
one post per day. The studio is our Christmas
Central -- the tree goes in there, so it's unlikely
I'll paint on canvas until the new year.

Today's highlight, is from our trip to New York
last May when I was showing there in the Amsterdam
Whitney Gallery in Chelsea. Steven and I were
in a hotel five minutes from the MoMA, and visited
it several times. This is a painting of people taking in
one of my favorite paintings, Dance (1) by Matisse.
What a thrill it was to be in New York City, and to
be able to cross the street and walk a block and be
at one of the best galleries in the world.

Have a remembering-your-great-times day

"What big eyes you have"

2011-12-13T22:59:00.000-08:00

Through my mother's eyes

Watercolour on watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

I can still hear my mother's voice acting out all
the voices in Little Red Riding Hood.
"But grandmother what big eyes you have"
"All the better to see you with my dear," said the wolf
my mother would growl in a low, gruff voice,
then switch easily to Red Riding Hood's high,
little girl tone. I picked up the love of literature
from my mother, who enjoyed reading
bedtime stories to us, and put her heart and
soul into it.

My mother is going blind, and after a hard
work schedule like the one most teachers
face at the end of a term when I feel at all like
complaining, I remember her. My mother's
courage and strength are a marvel to me.
And the gift of sight, plus a passion for
art, seem even more of a blessing, after
spending a weekend with my mother who
sees that gift diminishing.

My father was the artist in my parents' marriage,
but my mother taught me to see, and to love
what I'm seeing. This fall when I talked to
her about discussions I was having with my
students about the power of the imagination
she quoted most of Wordsworth's
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud to me and
ended with this final verse:

"For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils."

Tonight I'm showing you a quick sketch
I did of the two of us. It isn't
an accurate portrait, but has the feeling
I was trying to capture. I may do a more
finished painting of this subject later.
Meanwhile I am more than grateful for
my mother, and for the eyesight she's
trained me to have.

Have a loving-what-you-see day.

Fan of the Poinsettia and run off my feet

2011-12-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Poinsettia with red tinfoil and plastic wrap

Watercolour and black marker on watercolour paper

8 x 10 inches

I want to post something just so you won't think
I've forgotten you. Not so. But the pre-Christmas
run around, end of term, plus social occasions
have made it hard to get time to blog.

Tonight in a mall run, I ran into an art store, and
picked up some watercolour paper and a new pen.
The complexity of even the smallest Poinsettia
plant, and its punch wows me. So I quickly drew
a small sample that the cat has not destroyed (so
far) and did this watercolour. Merry whatever
holiday you celebrate. I hope that you are discovering
peace on earth. Steven says in 25 days it will all be
over -- it will be New Year's Eve and then 2012. Boy
can we pack those 25 days no matter who we are.
Wherever you are -- I wish you time to paint and draw.

Have an enjoying-the-rushing-about day.

The need for joy in darkness

2011-12-01T14:50:00.000-08:00

Evening conversation

Watercolour and black marker

on watercolour paper

10.5 x 13.8 inches

When I look out my upstairs back windows at
night I see such a cheerful sight. Two of the
neighbours on the next street over have strung
colourful lights in their backyards. Just a looped
strand of brilliant blue and deep magenta in one,
and in another multi-coloured lights nestled in a small
tree. When I first saw them their beauty and simplicity
took my breath away -- and something else warmed my
heart - the kindness of offering this beautiful sight to their
backyard neighbours.

Making plans

Watercolour and black marker

on watercolour paper

10.5 x 13.8 inches

Today is December 1. The sun began to set at 3:30 in
the afternoon. We are heading towards the darkest days.
And I think how brilliant we are as creatures to create
a lot of song, dance, and colour right now when the
world is at its darkest here in the Northern hemisphere.
The whole notion makes me proud of us. I don't mean
the crowds in the stores, and the gifts. But the ceremony,
the parties, the singing, and lights everywhere. Brilliant.
Zoey the dog featured in my last post, is practicing
Jingle Bells. When people sing, especially Happy Birthday,
she joins in (with the reward of a cookie in mind).

Today I'm showing you a couple of watercolour Skype
sketches I did of a recent talk with Sam. One of the
great things about this time of year, is that my family
will be together again soon. And they are a gloriously
kind and funny bunch. Happy December.

Have a singing-because-you're-happy day.

The pleasure of your company

2011-11-29T16:30:00.000-08:00

When I don't blog I miss you -- but you must know
that. I haven't been feeling top notch for the past
few days, and there's a lot of catching up to do at
this point in the semester. So I've been taking it
easy aside from marking and a bit of teaching.

Nap time

watercolour on watercolour paper

and black marker

16 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011
(I'll take new photos of these
tomorrow in daylight.)

Basket nap

watercolour on watercolour paper

and black marker

16 x 12 inches

It's a very rainy day today. Quite beautiful on the ride
to school. All the colours deepened and brightened by
the grey, mauve background of the sky. I am a major
fan of rain, but at this time of year it does add to the day's
darkness -- so my animal family take the sensible strategy
of sleeping long and hard. I thought I'd do some very quick
colour sketches of them while they slept. But Timbah the
black cat became too intrigued by all this action on the
kitchen table, and prodded me to get on with it, and paint
him so he could have his dinner. By the way animals are great
for the short pose because they change positions every few minutes.

Holding the pose

watercolour on watercolour paper

and black marker

16 x 12 inches

As soon as my supper's done, I think I'll take Zoey and Fiona's

advice and have a nap myself. Meanwhile the rain comes down in

sheets. A lovely sound.

Have an-enjoying-all-kinds-of-weather day.

Happy American Thanksgiving -- A super closing party and meeting Hannah's Dad

2011-11-24T21:08:00.000-08:00

Outside Studio Vogue Gallery

with Eben Creaser,

Hannah's Dad trying to

get a decent shot with the

painting in the gallery window.

Too dark and too cold.

On the road in Fredericton

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

A shout out to my American friends. Happy Thanksgiving!
In Canada we have ours in October and the only things we
shop for on that weekend are turkeys, pumpkins for the
pie, cranberry jelly, potatoes and the rest of the groceries
for the meal -- so we don't have Black Friday.

The story of my painting of Hannah, the girl on the motorscooter

has been a bit magical from the moment I decided
to ask a girl in the parking lot of the Superstore in
Fredericton if I could photograph her for a painting.
Steven and I were listening to a book in the car,
called The People of the Book as we drove home from
Nova Scotia. The central character was Hannah, and when
I asked the girl her name she was Hannah. Well tonight
there was a fellow at the opening I didn't know. I thought
perhaps he was one of Gill Cameron's friends, but then he
introduced himself as Eben, Hannah's Dad. How exciting.
He'd been working in Toronto this week, and was driving by
Studio Vogue Gallery on Avenue Road when he saw Hannah's
portrait in the window. It was freezing cold outside, and very
dark, but we tried our best to get a shot of us in front of the
painting, and this is the best we could do.

We were so delighted to meet Hannah's father. He was a
lovely person, and so is his daughter. To me the whole
story around the painting underscores how amazing
and great people can be. And it is also astounding that
five minutes photographing someone lead to her
portrait in the window of the gallery, and to her father
coming to see the painting in the show all the way from
Fredericton. Wow is all I can say. I feel grateful to the
universe and to everyone who came out tonight to our
really super closing party. Thank you to my incredible
friends and collectors. You rock! And thank you
Eben for coming to meet us. Please say Hi to Hannah.

People having fun at the opening tonight.

Have a life-is-amazing day.

Big News -- New baby across the street and come out to Faces and Places Closing Party

2011-11-23T21:38:00.000-08:00

We were quietly returning from supper at Ikea
and picking up a few things at the grocery store
when the fuss began. There's nothing like a fire
engine with sirens blaring stopping at your neighbour's
house to get your heart beating faster. Follow that by
two Ambulances and it seemed clear that Cathy
across the street was having her baby. I stood in
my winter coat watching all the lights flashing fervently
hoping that all was well, and quite a few

neighbours came out -- some in nightgowns with
ski jackets over top.

A few minutes later the firemen emerged cheerily from Cathy and
Pat's front door raised their arms up in a jubilant gesture
and said -- Baby Number Two -- a Boy. Pretty exciting stuff.
In fact I'd say the most exciting news in the hood for all of us
who have known Cathy could have her baby any day.
Here's to Pat and Cathy and their new baby boy. Here's to
Mathias who is the older brother now at two. Pat is a great Dad,
Cathy a sweet Mom -- all is well.

Faces and Places Closing Party is today -- November
24 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Studio Vogue Gallery, 216 Avenue
Road, Toronto. Come on out and have a glass of wine.
Gill Cameron and I would love to see you there, and
would love for you to see a really great show.

Have a-Thursday's-a-great-day-for-an-art-show day.

Quick drawing -- giving in to instinct

2011-11-21T20:45:00.000-08:00

Ready to draw

black marker on Moleskine paper

9 x 6 inches

Practicing drawing

black marker on Moleskine paper

9 x 6 inches

I haven't painted much in the last two weeks.
For me that's a long time away from my passion.
But I painted so solidly, and intensely
for the two months before the show opened, that
I thought I could use a break to pull back and
decide what was next. Still it's almost impossible
for me to stop drawing. I draw when I'm sitting in
a car, every single time I'm waiting, even in between
chapters when I'm reading a book.

So here are a couple of small sketches from
today. I know I held my tiny Moleskine at
an odd angle, but I like the results. Painting
will resume again tomorrow. I'm sure I learned
a lot in the break.

Have a-drawing-for-pleasure day.

Selling for my friends

2011-11-19T23:35:00.000-08:00

Me with my paintings Peaches for Lunch,

and More flowers from Ken's garden

both are Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

(I'm afraid I was so busy

selling, that I didn't get a chance

to photograph more work from

the show. But it's a great one,

so head on over if you're in Toronto.)

I love the Don Valley Art Club. I think I've been a member
since 2002. So almost 10 years. Today was the opening of
the Large and Small Picture show at Todmorden Mills.
I was on roving sales, which really means walking around
talking to guests at the show -- held in two huge, and
very beautiful rooms -- the former home of the mill.
In my two hours on sales today I sold 11 paintings for
my fellow artists, and had a wonderful time doing so.

I beat my former record of 8 on roving sales by 3 paintings
and felt super by the end of my shift. My friend, Josephine
came to see the show and took this shot of me with my
paintings. My paintings didn't sell yet, so if you hurry
down there Sunday you might still be able to grab one.
Don't be discouraged by signs that say the road is
closed. You can still turn onto Pottery Road off the
Bayview extension and get to Todmorden Mills and the
show. And the parking is free. The prices are incredibly
reasonable, and collectors recognize this.

A shout out to Josephine for taking my picture. Steven
and I took in the movie Tower Heist tonight, and laughed our
heads off. All in all a fabulous day.

Have a selling-your-friends-work day.

Second opening coming up and a busman's holiday

2011-11-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

Watching you paint

30 x 30 inches

Acrylic on canvas

Our second opening of Faces and Places is happening on

November 24th -- two weeks from yesterday between
6 and 8 p.m. at Studio Vogue Gallery, 216 Avenue Road,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 416 659-9809.

It is close to Christmas, and near the start of the holiday season,
so it's fitting that part of the purpose of our closing
party is to raise money to give a high school education
to two little girls, currently living at Peace Matunda in Africa.
Peace Matunda is an orphanage school in Tanzania where
Gill Cameron volunteered for three months last winter.
Gill is raffling off tickets to win one of her glorious watercolours,
and I am giving a portion of the proceeds from the sale
of two paintings to the girls' high school education fund.

But the main reason for the second opening is to give anyone
who didn't get a chance to come out to the first wonderful
party, an opportunity to see the show and talk to the artists.
Please come out if you couldn't make it earlier, or come
again if you like -- we'll be thrilled to see you.

A Busman's Holiday
Thursday was my first full day off in two months. I couldn't
wait to get out of my studio to see the great show of
Marc Chagall's work on at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Double Portrait with Wine Glass

Marc Chagall

On view at The Art Gallery of Ontario

As part of the Chagall And The Russian

Avant-garde exhibition on loan

from the collection of the Centre Pompidou, Paris

After visiting the show with a friend, I hurried home,
made supper, then Steven and I went to see Valda
Zoben's show at Propeller Gallery. Valda is a wonderful artist
and gets inspired by her travels around the world.
Her paintings in this show have a deeply spiritual feel based on her
travels last winter through Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Check it out at Propeller if you get a chance in the next
two weeks.

Valda Zobens discussing

her work with visitors to

Propeller Gallery

Her painting is on the left.

My head spinning with images from Chagall, Kandinsky (my
favorite in the Russian painters show), The Group of Seven,
(which we can't leave the gallery without seeing), and Valda
Zobens I slept like a happy baby. Clearly art is my working life.

Have a can't-get-enough-of-art day

More pictures from the show

2011-11-10T19:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday night's opening was a blast. Joyce Fournier,
the Gallery Director at Studio Vogue Gallery, sent me
some pictures today that will give you a bit of the feeling.

Me (left) with Mick van Leur and Raylea Lambert

Here's a picture of me with Raylea Lambert and Mick
van Leur who feature prominently in my painting Love
on the High Line. It was great to see them and many
collectors, friends and family at the show. Really fun.

Fun at the opening of Faces and Places at Studio Vogue Gallery

In this picture people are having fun talking, and drinking the
wonderful wine the gallery served. Two of my paintings are in
the background.

Guests having an animated chat in front

of Gill Cameron's beautiful paintings.

Gill Cameron and her husband Bruce Harbinson with some of

Gill's lush paintings of Tanzania in the background.

Me in front of my painting On the Road in Fredericton

On the Road in Fredericton

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

In this shot I look like I felt last Saturday -- tired

from painting hard and delighted to be there.

Thanks again to everyone who came out. If you

couldn't make it we're having another party at the

gallery on November 24th from 6 - 8 p.m.

We would really love to see you then.

Have an-enjoying-art day.

Great show and my son's birthday

2011-11-07T21:16:00.000-08:00

Gill Cameron (right) with me, Barbara Muir just before the opening

The show opening the other night was awesome. If
you missed it and live near or in Toronto, please
come out on November 24th for a second reception.
My shots of the opening did not turn out, so I'm
waiting for other people to send me theirs. But we
were very lucky and had a good and happy crowd.

Here's a shot of Me with Gill Cameron in front
of her painting of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Today's my son's birthday, and it's the first time we haven't
spent either the day, or the day before together. It's a very
strange feeling all 'round. But he's in school 5 hours away
by car, and I had an opening this weekend. It's a wrench at
the heart when you can't be together for your children's birthdays
even when they're growing up. So next weekend we'll have
a little party when he comes home and make it up to him.

Happy Birthday Sammy.

My painting, Watching you paint,
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30
Barbara Muir © 2011
as seen in the gallery window across
the street.

Have a living-the-life-of-an-artist day.

My friend Ken

2011-11-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

Pugwash's Garden Man

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Here's the final version of my painting of Ken Lander
the fantastic gardener in Pugwash. I added in the
ocean bay you can see from Ken's driveway on Highway
6, also known in Nova Scotia as The Sunrise Trail.
Ken lives there with his sweetheart Maxine Johnson,
and Maxine sent me super reference photos for this
painting to add to my own. I've know Ken almost since
we began visiting the province when Sam was four.
I hope that my delight in our friendship with Ken and
Maxine comes through in the painting.

If you're in or near Toronto, and would like to see a great show,
please come out to Studio Vogue Gallery, 216 Avenue Road,
on Saturday between 5 and 7 p.m. We'd love to see you.

Faces and Places

Paintings by Barbara Muir and Gill Cameron

Studio Vogue Gallery

216 Avenue Road, Toronto

Opening November 5,

November 5 - 24

Have a going-to-an-art-party day.

What else is new? An art show and a glorious day

2011-11-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

On the road in Fredericton

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Check out last night's post to see the entire show that
opens this Saturday between 5 -7 p.m. at Studio
Vogue Gallery. Gill Cameron and I are showing
paintings I think you'd love. So if you're in town
drop by to take a look and say Hi. For the
rest of the week I'll post paintings that are in the
show.

Here's one that you haven't seen. I met this young
lady in the parking lot of an Atlantic Superstore
in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. We were
on our way home, and travelling on to Quebec City --
about a 14 hour trip from our place in Pugwash.
On that glorious day we were listening to a great
audio book in the car, The People of the Book by Geraldine
Brooks. It was one of those books you wish would never
end, and we were transfixed. You can find out what inspired
the author here.

So we stopped for coffee and a bathroom break at the
Superstore and were off. Just as I got back into the car
I saw this great looking girl hop on her bike beside us,
and I asked if I could photograph her to paint her for an
upcoming show. She said "Yes!" eagerly, I took the photos,
gave her a postcard of my New York show, and here's the result.

It's a big painting that I've dreamt of painting ever since
that day. What was wonderful was that the girl's
name was Hannah, and the central character in the
all consuming book was also Hannah. Plus the girl was
just the epitome of youthful confidence and joy -- a
subject I love painting.

Thank you Hannah.

Have an-enjoying-the-kindness-of-strangers day.

There is so much to tell you! The show opens on Saturday

2011-11-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

Our show at Studio Vogue Gallery

Barbara Muir and Gill Cameron

Watch, enjoy, and come on out.

Life has been crazy, busy, wild exciting and hard
work in the past week-- but the show is up at Studio
Vogue Gallery, and our opening is Saturday between
5 and 7 p.m.. Please come out if you're in town.

Today my dear friends Davide Tonizzo and Sandra
Pacitti worked on a video for Gill Cameron and me that
gives you a good idea of what you'll see when you come
to the opening (we would love to see you there!)
Sandra is a wonderful writer, and Davide a superb designer.
So Davide put the film together and Sandra helped suggest
improvements. Thank you so much to both of them.

Sally Chupick and I ham it up in my kitchen

The other day Sally Chupick who runs The Gallery
at the Porch Door in the lovely stone porch of her
farmhouse was visiting Toronto and dropped in for a fun
talk about art over coffee. What a treat. She was so kind
about my messy, little house, my art everywhere and my
work. It was just a delight to see her. One of the nicest things
about being a blogger is that we create delightful mutual
admiration societies based on our work, our writing,
and the commentary.

My thanks to Joyce Fournier at Studio Vogue for doing
a beautiful job hanging our show, to Gill Cameron for
showing her beautiful paintings with me, to Davide Tonizzo
for creating this little film, to Sandra Pacitti for her help, wisdom
and humour. And my thanks to Sally Chupick for showing my
work, being a kind, supportive friend and for her wonderful
art. Oh and most of all my thanks to Steven loving me and
for understanding and tolerating the upheaval and mess of
an artist preparing for a show.

Enjoy the video. I will be showcasing (pardon my pun) work
from the show for the next few days.

Have an the-world-is-an-amazing-place day

Halloween is the greatest

2011-10-31T21:57:00.000-07:00

Love on the High Line

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

It's been a stressful day. So much going on, and many things
that could go wrong, doing so in a kind of domino effect.
Lack of sleep from excitement could be part of it. I love
Halloween. I think it's brilliant of us, especially in northern
climates (for goodness sake there was snow in the Maritimes
this past weekend) to designate a day for silly. Some people
get their trousers in a twist (get upset) about the message,
but the message here is incredibly simple -- let's have fun.

So we have orange pumpkin luminarias lining the walk to the house,
and a big pumpkin carved with a cheerful smiling face. Our next
door neighbour jumped out cackling at me in her perfect witch's
costume, complete with green face and hair and surprised me. Then I
laughed so hard. Her porch is super decorated, skeletons and lots of cobwebs,
carved pumpkins all down the steps.

I was walking along earlier today dashing from one errand
to the next, my neck tense when I saw a woman
walking along with a young boy in a giraffe costume.
The boy was so blissfully happy, and his mother beamed at
him in delight. Suddenly I caught the mood, started smiling
and couldn't stop. It's been a lovely day ever since.

The painting I'm showing you today is called Love on the High Line NYC.
You can come out and see it in the wonderful show Gill Cameron and
I are having at Studio Vogue Gallery 216 Avenue Road. The opening is
this Saturday between 5 and 7 p.m.

I don't have any Halloween pictures to show you, but I'll put some
in tomorrow.

Have a loving-the-idea-of-a-day-for-silly day.

Coming down the home stretch on the High Line

2011-10-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

Love on the High Line (detail)

(work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Painters working on large projects are not
necessarily good companions. Obsession is
certainly part of what powers the bigger stuff.
You go to sleep and wake up consumed with what
is next? Wonderful and terrible things happen in
the world, and they are secondary. The main
thing is the work.

I like to think of myself as a kind friend, a caring
person, but I admit -- I can inhabit another world
at times, and that's the world of painting. I am
lucky, but those around me might want to wave
their hands in front of my face to check that
I am present. Thank goodness for walks with
the dog and Steven in the brilliant autumn, for
excellent novels to pull my brain away. For
friends and their calls, visits, stories, interest.

Here's what I've been working on -- still needing
changes here and there -- but clear enough that
you can see what's happening. It is 4 feet by
three feet. I have loved every minute of painting
it and began thinking about it the moment
I saw this photo of my friends sitting on
the High Line in New York City. It has the
conviviality, and little cosmic high you feel
visiting New York, as though just by being there
you're part of something bigger -- and you are --
you're in one of the most vibrant cities in the
world, and feel a bit like you've just had the
best champagne. You are happy, giddy, goofy
and plum pleased with yourself for getting there.
All of that is in my painting, loosely interpreted
from the Facebook shot I was given permission
to work with.

Have a loving-what-you're-working-on day.

More work on the garden man

2011-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Pugwash's Garden Man (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Today started off so gloriously. A golden light hit the

backyard trees, just turning, part yellow, part green,
but filled with promise and beauty in that light. Good
I thought. Later I'll take the dog for a little walk. But
then a whipping cold wind lifted our heavy planter of
gorgeous Lavender Sky off its hook and threw it down
the stairs from the back porch. The sky turned a sullen
grey and the day shifted. Thank goodness I was painting
this sunny scene. I've made some changes to this one -- a
portrait of Ken Lander, of Sunrise Greenhouses in Pugwash,
Nova Scotia. Here he is holding the bouquet I bought from
him, that turned into the flower painting Flowers at the cottage.
I wasn't happy with the mauve flowers -- they didn't do
justice to Ken's incredible talent, so I decided on this
solution. I will be adding in the ocean in the far distance,
and refining the painting a bit more, but wanted to show you
my progress.

Have a running-out-to-enjoy-the-sun day.

End of the week/ side of the painting

2011-10-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

On the High Line (detail right side of painting)
(Work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

When I don't blog for a few days, or longer,
most of the time I'm either working on a large painting,
or thinking a painting through. Right now my slowdown
blogging is linked to working on a large scene of the High
Line in New York City (It's three feet by four feet).
The High Line is a park and gardens
built on an abandoned railway line, and it is ultra cool.
The view of the city is great, and it's a lovely green
space. The scene I'm painting is in a section that is
like a wading pool, with water underfoot. Last summer
in the high heat New York endured this mid-city retreat
must have been a life saver.

I'm having a great time painting this one. What I like
best about it at the moment is the people disappearing off the
edge of the painting. I haven't at all finished this section, but
I love the baby's foot.

More to come...

Have a busy-working-and-thinking-of-you-day

A summery Thanksgiving

2011-10-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

Flowers at the cottage

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

This past weekend was Canadian Thanksgiving and
we had a great one. We spent the time with our family
and extended family, eating so much turkey, stuffing,
roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, salad and pumpkin pie,
that it was hard to get back to normal today. In short we
had a really wonderful Thanksgiving.

Steven makes the best pumpkin pies ever

I've said it before -- the great thing about our Thanksgiving
is that it isn't religious. Everyone can take part -- because
it's about the harvest. So we went to the market and bought
flowers and fruit, and the end-of-season tomatoes. It was
so lovely. And so warm that many people celebrated in their
shorts -- a first in my memory.

Flowers from the market and the garden

My painting today is the flower painting, modified again.
I think it's in its final version, but I'm not sure. With a show
coming up in three weeks, anything is possible.

The Japanese Anemones in our garden

in the afternoon light.

The days are definitely shorter.

Have a being-thankful-for-the-harvest-and-family-and-friends day.

The flower guy and a salute to Steve Jobs

2011-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

Pugwash's Garden Man (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

I'm writing this on my iMac, and have been working
on Macs since I got my first computer. For my purposes
they have always been more intuitive in the way
they operate, and more beautiful looking in every way.
I watched Steve Jobs' address to the graduating class at
Stanford in 2005 again today, and was struck by the
way he explained how the beauty of the Macs had come
about. But the main part of his message that matters
for all of us, was that he had always done what he loved
to do. And he said that when you do what you love to
do it just gets better and better. That certainly applies to
painting. I have loved painting since I held my first
brush at about four, but I love it more and more all the
time. Steve Jobs died yesterday, and my son phoned me
today on his iPhone to tell me how sad he was about this
news.

The painting I'm showing you today is a portrait I'm working
on of Ken Lander, the owner of Sunrise Greenhouses in
Pugwash, Nova Scotia. Two of the varieties of petunias
Ken developed in the greenhouses behind his house on
the Sunrise Trail (Highway 6) in Nova Scotia, are now sold
all over North America through a company called Proven Winners.
One of them, the Supertunia Bordeaux is shown on the left side
in this painting. At first Ken's business mostly attracted American
tourists, and people visiting Nova Scotia who wanted
flowers. His are especially gorgeous, and he is incredibly
knowledgeable about plants. Now his lush, dramatic hanging
baskets decorate the businesses and centers around the town of
Pugwash. But even though his flowers have appeared in
all the major Home magazines, including Martha Stewart
Living, Ken is still a guy intent on making sure you love
the flowers he's selling to you, and living in the moment.

He is a super guy, and someone Steven and I look forward to
seeing every year when we go to Nova Scotia.

Have an-enjoying-your-life-today day.

The summer of the peach

2011-10-02T20:45:00.000-07:00

Summer's glory (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

(The colour isn't quite right.

I'll take another photo

tomorrow to give you a

better idea of how it looks.)

Yesterday was a perfect Saturday except for one small
fact -- it was c-c-c-c-c-c-c-Cold! This weekend but the brrr in
Octo-brrr. But dressed in a warm sweater, jeans and jacket,
I headed out with Steven to get some market goodies.
The lady at the fruit stand had some of the amazing,
organic peaches we've been eating since we got back
from Nova Scotia in August. There she was in a ski
jacket, her deeply tanned face turning blue from the cold.
She said this is the last day for peaches -- not because she
couldn't sell more delicious, peaches, but because Canadians
don't want peaches anymore in October.

Really? Well I do. I am not a crafty person, and I don't
have a big freezer, but the sad state of our cherry tree this
year (no cherries for some reason) made the peaches,
which were the best in my memory in a long time, even
more special. Lets face it the peach is a juicy, sexy fruit.
Beautiful to look at, gorgeous to eat -- make that almost
dangerous to eat because the juice will stain your clothes if
you're not careful. So I have been freezing them, because
when these last two baskets disappear in the next few days,
I will feel like a really good friend has left town.

Freezing the last of the peaches

for that fresh peach taste in the winter.

The beautiful roses are the flowers

Steven and I buy one another

almost every weekend from

Yang's Fruit and Flower Market on

Avenue Road. They are wonderful

people and our friends.

If you live where peaches are plentiful, enjoy them for us.
As for me -- I know that Steven will be baking a delicious
peach pie in February, when there is snow on the ground
everywhere, and I will wish I could invite you over for
a slice.

Have an enjoying-the-bounty-of-the-universe day.

A big show at Studio Vogue Gallery in Toronto

2011-09-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

The invitation

Hi everyone. If you are in Toronto on November
5th, I'm delighted to let you know that Gill Cameron,
the wonderful watercolour artist, and I are having
a show together at Studio Vogue Gallery. The show
is called Faces and Places. I will be showing a
variety of work focusing on both figurative work,
land/city scapes, and still life.

Gill's work will feature her love of the Canadian
landscape as well as exciting new work that
developed out of her time working in an African
school and orphanage in Tanzania.

I would love to see you at our opening, so please
mark it on your calendar. Gill and I always have
wonderful opening parties, and Joyce Fournier,
the gallery Director runs a very beautiful,
harmonious and welcoming gallery.
So the whole experience will be a pleasure for
all of us.

I can't wait to see you there.

Have-a-marking-this-show-on-your-calendar day.

Flowers go big and the coffee dilemma

2011-09-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Flowers at the cottage(work in progress)

Current version

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Flowers at the cottage(work in progress)

With the coffee cups (now removed)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Here's the painting I'm working on right now for an
upcoming November show with my friend Gill Cameron.
It's a larger version of yesterday's painting. I am close to
finishing it, with a few details here and there to
decided on.

Since the outset I have tried putting cups
on the table twice. First it was espresso cups, but
they looked silly. So small with the giant bouquet.
Then today I tried coffee cups, but I just could not
get them to do what I was hoping for. In the end
I removed them, and we'll see what tomorrow will
decide. I may just go for a simple shadow, and leave
it. There will be more to come.

The bouquet was from my friend Ken's garden in Pugwash,
Nova Scotia. Ken is one of the best gardeners I've ever
met. He has created three varieties of petunia which are
in every hanging planter I've seen. I even have a planter
with one of his flowers in it, here in Toronto, where it
is extremely popular. He's also a super nice guy. And he
wanders around his garden talking while he picks the blooms
for me. The whole experience is awesome.

Have an enjoying the flowers in your life day.

Painting more flowers, and acting in a movie!

2011-09-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

More flowers from Ken's garden

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Today I worked on a small painting, that I'm doing on
a larger scale for an upcoming show. I may add a few
touches to it tomorrow, but I'm pretty happy with it.

Our big news today is that Steven and I played a Mom
and Dad in my son Christopher's movie "Bye".
The movie will be a short film, and we play the
parents of the girl in the love story. Our afternoon
was a small version of the big time. We sat in a
modified bus (a bit like the trailers the stars have)
and waited to be called. Then we went into hair
and make up, and watched a few scenes until it
was our turn.

Christopher on the set of his new movie today.
You can see the microphone coming in over his head.

Megan getting adjustments to hair and make-up. We didn't

actually count the crew, but there were probably between

15 and 20 people involved including the actors.

It was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to see the final
product. Our family is pretty arty, what with Sam
studying acting at the University of Windsor, Christopher
a graduate of that program, a full time photographer,
now starting to direct films, my nephew John
Rannells in Pasadena, who just had the first showing
of his new movie, Ruby Booby in Los Angeles, and a
niece who is a jewelry designer, maternity clothing designer,
and has just launched an awesome and artistic
play kit for kids called KidKits. It seems like
everywhere we turn something exciting is going on.

If my father were alive I'd tell him what he'd started
with his fabulous photographs, and love of art. We
are hooked to the third generation, and beyond.

Have a supporting-your-family-in-their-creative-acts day.
Action!

Doggie is done, and family fun

2011-09-22T21:20:00.000-07:00

Barney

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches

My painting of the dog is done, and ready to be
shipped out. I will actually miss the painting, like
I would a real pet. The dog has become so real to
me, and...but he belongs with his owners and the
model for the painting -- a gorgeous dog.

Last weekend we went to the university of Windsor to see
my son, Sam in the Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing.
Sam's role was the evil brother Don John, and he was magnificent
at it, even though in real life he is one of the sweetest people I know.
For sure. (Everyone tells me this skill is called "acting". Good
because that's what he's studying at university.) His costume was
spectacular, black pants, and leather boots, a long flowing black coat
lined in dark red, and a silk satin brocade shirt that gleamed
in the light in red and black. At 6'4" he was an impressive
figure on the stage, and we were excited to see what
we knew already. The boy has the chops.

Happy together

Left to right: Sam, me, Megan, Christopher and Steven, who is

taking the shot.

It was an especially wonderful trip because the whole

family was together, Christopher, our oldest, and
Megan his fiancée came with us, which made the
weekend even more fun for Sam.

Have an enjoying-your-children's-success day.

After the fall-- At the art show goes to the art show

2011-09-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

At the art show

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

I come from strong stock and if you knew
my mother you'd know that that's true.
This is a good thing, but sometimes the confidence
that comes from being pretty hearty leads
to errors in judgement. Last night we were tired
from a very busy and frustrating day,
so we went to bed early. But I got up in the
middle of the night and ran downstairs because I'd
forgotten to take medication I'm supposed to
take twice a day.

Unfortunately I sped downstairs, straight out
of a sound sleep and missed the last four stairs.
Why? Because I was running in the dark.
Luckily perhaps I was holding onto the bannister,
and my arm went through at an odd angle.
Life lesson? I am not a cat and I need to turn
on lights to navigate stairs at night. I am
quite bruised, but fortunate to be fine.

Today I taught all day, then drove home and headed
straight for the Don Valley Art Club Fall show
opening at Todmorden Mills. I was on sales and
walked around marvelling at the work and enjoying
myself, but I was very tired, and sore. Steven snapped
pictures of me and the two paintings I entered, but
those with me in them look like I should be packed
in ice and shipped off in an air ambulance, so I'll
just show you the completed version of At the art
show, which shows a member of the DVAC with
her daughter.

Have a turning-on-the-light-to-descend-the-stairs day

My funny art group gives us presents

2011-09-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

In a new light

(art group sketch)

Acrylic on canvas

14 x 18 inches

I've told you the sad saga of how our art group
lost its home, and the happy story of how we've
found a new one. On Tuesday night I try to
make the time to paint at the new location, and
have found it thoroughly enjoyable. True I miss
the old place, in a picturesque setting with
excellent facilities. But the new place has new
members and our group has not lost its sense
of humour. It seems to me that it's more fun
than ever going to the portrait and figure evenings,
because everyone has fun. I can't stay long because
my current work commitments mean that all of my
time is tight.

Woops I meant to mention that we all got fantastic
portfolio cases the other night. It was some kind
of wonderful result of the move. What a lovely
surprise.

A shout out to my friend George Shane, who I miss
terribly. George is not up to attending at the moment,
and it was one of the distinct pleasures of Tuesday
night to watch his skillful and joyful paintings
develop.

Here's the painting sketch I did last night.

Have an enjoying-your-wonderful-friends day.

Summer Fling

2011-09-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

Summer's glory (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Here in the north we've been told it's the last
full week of summer, and there's an air of desperate
merriment as a result. When we sit out to eat our
meals in the evening we hear week night
revelers having meals outside, letting kids stay
up too late. I love those summer sounds, the sounds
of adult laughter, children at first giddy and giggly,
and then the younger ones crying and being
carried off to bed. Summer is delightfully social
in the city, even when you are sitting alone reading
a good book. Through the dark wall of trees you
hear the evidence of other lives playing outside.

Even weeding the garden these days feels like a
profound, almost spiritual exercise, as each
venture into the green and flowering garden reminds
you of how much you'd love to see even the green of
a wicked weed during the long months, of cold, grey
and snow. That colour is like a glorious song.

So we went to the farmer's market on Saturday and
bought peaches. Lots of them. Some were the colour
in this painting and some not. I've begun to freeze them,
and felt I must paint their delicious bounty before they
are gone for 12 more months. I'm not quite finished this
painting, but close.

Have a loving-the-last-days-of-summer-day.

A sad and beautiful day

2011-09-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

My father died on September 11, years before
the Twin Towers fell. So the day was filled with
sober memories for me before that horror.
Every year I talk to my mother about our father,
how dignified and caring he was as he died, how
valiant. He died of lung cancer, following years
of emphysema, he no doubt picked up as a seaman
in the navy, exposed to excessive radiation
through early radar, or from the few years he smoked
serious cigarettes.

On 9/11, 2001 I was driving to school on a beautiful
day thinking about my father, and planning to call
my mother when I got home. I was listening to
my own music -- it was the first day of a new term,
and I felt happy and optimistic about the work
ahead. I switched on the car radio to get the time,
and the first plane hit. After that like most people
I know I remember days of TV and crying. Calling
friends who had people in New York, checking.
Hearing stories of people lost in my own small
circle, and all of this under quiet skies, because
the planes were down.

10 years on, the results of this tragedy still ricochet
around the world. Any of us alive at the time will
never forget. And most of us will never fully process
it. For all of those who lost their lives, for all of
those who lost loved ones, for everyone feeling grief
because of war and destruction and loss of loved
ones across the planet, I send out love, peace, and
understanding.

We watched a documentary last night on the Pugwash
Peace conferences begun Pugwash, Nova Scotia
near where we have our summer place. That conference
is attended by scientists and politicians around the
world, trying to put an end to nuclear weapons, and
to war. They've accomplished a lot, and I wish them
the best in their continued work.

Have a dreaming-of-peace-in-our-lifetime day.

Poem by the Don hangs out

2011-09-10T20:01:00.000-07:00

Poem by the Don (diptych)

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

I think it was in June when my friend Maureen
Morrison asked me to be in a show while I
was away in Pugwash, Nova Scotia. She very
kindly took my Poem by the Don painting to
place in the show. Aside from the large space
vacated by the painting on my studio wall,
I hardly thought about the work. It seemed there
was so much going on this summer.

Because I was out of town for the opening, I
saw it last Sunday for the first time and it was
an excellent show. The exhibition, Views Along the
Don featured paintings inspired by the landscape
near the Don River. The river runs right
by Todmorden Mills, which houses the beautiful gallery
that hosts our club's shows.

I was blown away by Maureen Morrison's work --
three pieces on a spring theme. I loved her palette
of warm yellows and rich blue skies. So here they are:

Spring

20 x 30 inches

Oil on canvas

Spring over the Brewery Hall

20 x 30 inches

Oil on canvas

Spring at the Papermill Gallery

20 x 30 inches

Oil on canvas

Have an honouring-your-fellow-artists day.

Sunday smash ups and funny friends

2011-09-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

At the restaurant

Black marker on Moleskine

6 x 9 inches

Last weekend -- especially Sunday
seemed to be about collisions and pain.
My older son was biking and got hit by
car going slowly in an intersection. He
saved himself by jumping on the car's bumper
and is fine thank goodness; my younger son was
having arguments with friends: one of my friends
broke a bone in her foot going up the stairs in her
house... if I believed in horoscopes (I don't), I'd
think the planets were colliding. But in reality
it was too many people in the back-to-school
supplies lines, unbalancing the city.

We decided to go out for dinner to our favorite
Thai restaurant. I did what I always do -- try to
draw as much as possible in the short waits
between ordering and eating. As I was drawing,
very roughly and quickly, some friends came
up to the table. They were sitting in another
part of the restaurant watching me drawing.
They tried to get my attention by waving and smiling
and calling to me. The people at neighbouring tables
thought they were crazy, but they didn't care.
The restaurant is large and lit by elegant chandeliers
dimmed for intimacy. And my friends were not in
my sight lines for the part I was focusing on, I totally
missed them carrying on.

Texting at dinner

Black marker on Moleskine paper

6 x 9 inches

(The dragon's tail smeared when I

wasn't paying attention.)

Still I laughed about that on the way home -- it was
the levity the day needed. Usually people in public
places do not want random artists to draw them --not
those two. And the dinner was delicious.

Have an art-can-be-surprising day.

Crazy city and Happy art

2011-09-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Pat saves the day

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011
(the model Pat came to us last night
on very short notice. Someone was
suggesting I model, and I was
explaining why that wouldn't be
a good idea -- and Pat walked in.
Thanks Pat. You did save the day.)

Today was the first day of school in Toronto.
Suddenly there were about three million more
people in my neighbourhood than I can ever remember
being here. Maybe that's because I can't remember
time before the summer. A good thing. So trying
to do any single thing was arduous. All adventures
in cars were an experience. And to top it off my
engine light came on on the way to school to teach
again, and I created so many horrific scenarios, that
I probably should work in film.

At last, a great class over, errands run, animals fed, I
hurried to my art group at the new location, and enjoyed
a wonderful model, and a super time with friends who
are excellent and inspiring artists. Did I mention funny?
That's almost the most important thing. I painted
this picture of Pat, and I'm delighted with it.

Have a liking-what-you're-doing day.

Carol Marine lost her home and everything in it

2011-09-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

Carol Marine

Carol Marine, the wonderful American
artist lost the home she shared with her husband,
David, and little boy in a massive fire in Bastrop, Texas.

They managed to escape with their computers, a
few small paintings, and are now in a campground
trying to figure out where to go next. They will get
insurance, but they've lost everything. The main thing
is that her family is all fine.To make a
donation and read more please go to this blog
site , and lets help our fellow artist out in a terrible time.

It's easy to make a donation on PayPal, and I'm sure
any amount will help, and your support will mean
a lot to the family. I have never met Carol Marine,
but admire her work greatly, and I feel horrible for
her losing the paintings in her home and studio in
the fire.

Have a helping-a-neighbour-across-the-world day.

Just peachy

2011-09-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Peaches for lunch

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

It's the first of September and Toronto's heading into a long
weekend tomorrow. It's impossible not to look back on
the summer -- almost gone -- with deep nostalgia. Meanwhile
our backyard grape tomatoes keep yielding up quite a daily
harvest from their tiny garden patch by the back steps.
The plants climb up a fence and have grown so thick that
I have to be careful reaching in to harvest them, not to
damage the thick stems.

Steven says that I'm a seasonal kind of girl, meaning I paint
what's in front of me, and for the most part that's true.
This week he bought two 7 litre wooden baskets of
peaches, and they are a captivating fruit. The taste is
one of my favorites -- just the best, and the fruit looks
like it should be eaten. So last night I sat down and began this
little painting.

Fall will come, and our world will get colder, but for this weekend
at least, the neighbourhood boys are whooping it up in the park,
acting silly and doing impossible skateboard tricks. Sam will come
home from his early start at school, and life will be just peachy, as
it is today.

Thank you Marcia and family for a lovely visit tonight. That was
a great treat.

Have a getting-ready-for-fall day.