36 x 48 inches
Acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2011
(One year ago today I finished this painting.
Thinking about the work I'm planning to start
tomorrow -- this painting, which I haven't seen since
it went home to Chelsea, Québec, is on my mind. I was
very happy with the final result -- a beautiful painting
of a truly gorgeous and talented woman.)
There is a thunder storm happening right now and
I only realized it was happening because my dog
started shivering and shaking. Earlier I was dancing
in the kitchen with the cat to the song "I'm walking
on sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. She likes that
quite a bit, but protests in her talkative Siamese way.
So I put her down and she stands at my feet while I continue
to dance for a minute, and then I swoop her up to hang over my
shoulder again and the whole dance starts over. (Too
bad Pam, the dancer in the painting couldn't have been
here to improve our steps.)
The truth about Fiona the cat is that she loves music, dancing
to it, listening to it, and on the piano and keyboard in
my son's room, playing it. So does my other cat Timbah.
He loves being held while we dance -- fast or slow -- it
doesn't matter. I often think we underestimate the
intelligence and understanding of animals. Zoey the dog
just proved it -- because she's right it is thundering,
but our house is so brightly coloured inside that all
I do on gloomy days is turn on the lights. She's right
though. It's thundering and my neighbour's deck is
soaking wet. Whenever this happens Steven and I
joke with one another and say, "I watered the garden,
you don't have to water."
Later: The rain dried up, the dog and I went for
a walk. And at the end of the walk as we went up
the hill in the park we were graced with a spectacular
sunset. We were "walking on sunshine."
Have an enjoying-the-animals-in-your-life day.
