First pansies and chilly nights

 First pansies

Acrylic on canvas

6 x 6 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

The weather is beautiful out today, but tonight
 the temperature in Toronto is expected to fall
to zero degrees Celsius or 32 Fahrenheit and it
could go lower, because we have frost warnings!

I have some pansies in pots, (not planted yet), and
 I have to bring them inside.  Cold springs happen,
but this is really cold.  Imagine searching for
your winter gloves in May. And yesterday as Steven
and I were coming home from shopping it was
snowing!  Snowing!  On May 12th in Toronto.

I finished my little painting of pansies today, and
I hope we don't get frost tonight because I've been
dreaming of those peach trees we saw Saturday
and the peaches in August.  Such a treat.

Have a keeping-warm-and-creative day. 

Earth hour -- beautiful stars and still [sic]

 Celebrating Earth Hour

Black marker on Fabriano notebook paper

6 1/2 x 8 1/4 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

I'm going to keep it short and sweet tonight.
Steven is a bit better, and I am dragging around.
Tonight was earth hour, and we had dinner
(made before the deadline) by candlelight,
then stepped outside for a minute to see the
night sky not marred by human light.  Many
people had their lights off.

We missed going out to dinner with friends,
and this has got to end.  Dear art universe --
poof -- make me better.  Thank you.

Have a feeling-wonderfully-well day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Lucky Shamrocks

acrylic on birch,

5 x 5 inches

 Barbara Muir © 2012

Some small part of my family on my mother's side
immigrated to Canada from Ireland and settled near
Perth, Ontario.  They had originally been French Hugenots
and fled France because of religious persecution.  So...
is this why my family celebrates St. Patrick's Day?
No.  We just like festivities.  The house is decorated,
the champagne is cooling in the fridge, we're getting set
to buy groceries for dinner, and the children (all grown
up now) will come over and get silly treats.  Then
we roll on through the calendar to the next celebration.

I did this little painting last year.  It was so warm last winter that
we could purchase this fragile flower in March.  I didn't see any
this year, and it is freeeeeezing out today.

Have a Happy St. Patrick's Day.
P.S. We did have a lovely dinner and toasted the day.

Left to my own devices, and shovelling all day

 Snow girl

iPad drawing
(drawn with my finger)

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

I am working on a painting that's taking me too long.
I like it, and I know it will be fine, and at first it was
flying off the brush, and then -- whump -- it started
to slow down, and now we're taking the scenic route
to the finish line.

Speaking of devices -- so I thought after shovelling
the driveway, and front walk, and back stairs so the
dog could get out to pee, maybe I'd do a quick sketch
on my iPhone to show you something.  Aha.  So I
did a not-so-quick sketch of tulips that was beautiful,
and I was thrilled.  Here was my first iPhone sketch.
And it was so pretty and I tried to export it anywhere
on my iPhone, and it wouldn't.  So it said New Sketch?
And I touched that, and lost the first one.  Argh etc.
So I started again.  Did another lovely sketch. Was as
happy as a cat with an ikea moose (my cat's favorite
-- not actually it's the little shark, but we can't find it.)
And -- same problem -- no way to import it.

So...I got out my iPad, thinking maybe it will magically
zoom over to that device if they are linked through
my computer. Wrong!  So I left that drawing there,
and chose this drawing I already had on my iPad --
updated her for today with a scarf and fake fur hooded
parka, and Voila.  I can go back to my painting, and
you can laugh at me for my insanity.

Meanwhile the driveway, walk and back stairs and path around
the house were tackled by Steven and Sam, and then I
took another go at the job.  Why?  It snowed, and snowed
and snowed, and snowed, and snowed, and is still snowing.

Bundle up and buy high boots.  Invaluable.

Have a trudging-through-snow-happily day.