Green and Happy St. Patrick's Day

 The green teapot

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

A friend asked me the other day if I was getting over
my dislike of green.  "Yes," I said.  Then
when I thought about it, I realized that I've
probably always loved green.  Not in clothing
so much, but who would not love the green of
leaves, of my cat's eyes, of grass covering a
hillside, and the cedars and pines giving a white
farmhouse its definition.   Today I saw
green everywhere, including in my house, where
we'd decorated for St. Patrick's Day, one of my
favorite celebrations.

Our friend Luigi Benetton (foreground) 

with left to right, Josephine Pica, me and Steven

Photo by Luigi on Josephine's phone

What's not to like?  Green Veuve Cliquot (a
drop of food coloring) and mini green icing
cupcakes.  We had friends over to drink a
toast, and all of us, including the dog sang
"When Irish eyes are smiling"s over the phone
to my mother, who is a wee part Irish.  Her Irish
descent, and of course it follows mine too, comes
 from French people who immigrated to Ireland to
escape persecution for their religious beliefs.  No idea
beyond that.

Zoey wears a garland and sings

She thinks her cookies taste great

at a party.

I did this little drawing on my iPad to go with
the theme of Green.  That green teapot, is really
a plastic watering can.  But I love the shape.

Fiona and Zoey think it's time the party was over, and Zoey

wants that garland off.  But Fiona has to admit it makes

Zoey look pretty.

Have a loving-of-the-green day.

Too nice to dream of summer

 The red cottage

iPad drawing

(based on a photo by Richard Semik)

Barbara Muir © 2012

On International Women's Day today, I painted
all day, then went to an art store, and then to a party
for women in my neighbourhood.  We talked about
men and women, and worked really hard at being
sensitive and kind about gender differences. I love
that great group of women, and thoroughly enjoyed
the discussions.

You've probably heard that Canadians are nice.
Some of us really are.  We bump into each other's
carts in the supermarket, and it takes five minutes
to move on, because we're so busy saying, "I'm
sorry." "No, no, no, it was me, I'm sorry."
So global warming is a talking point challenge
for us.  In Toronto not having a cold winter really
is a boon.  Who wants to wake up in the morning, and shovel
first a path to the car, and then clean the car off, then
shovel the car out, or ask neighbours, or perfect
strangers to push you out of a snow bank like I
had to last winter?  No one.  But we are nice.  And
some of us even read, so we know about the idea
of global warming and see it happening -- evidence
all around us.

Being able to go out in shorts on March 7 -- albeit
in what was really jeans and sweater weather is
so wonderful.  But we can't help knowing that this isn't
right.  We stand on our back porches saying sorry
to the squirrels.  We put our parkas on anyway.
And tonight we were rewarded with cold temperatures
again that make us long for the place I've drawn on
my iPad.  A balmy tropical paradise.

Have a being-nice-to-Canadians day.
(Especially Canadians living in cold, wintry conditions.)

March Madness

 View from Highway 401

iPad drawing

8 x 10

Barbara Muir © 2012

Here's an iPad drawing of a scene on the 401
on the way to Windsor from Toronto.  I snapped
a shot on our last trip to see Sam in the play
Emma, based on Jane Austen's novel.

March started out with dinner with two very funny
 friends who get along famously.  So much fun.
 So many laughs.  It feels like March.  The winter is
almost gone -- so there's so much to do to
get ready for spring events.  Yikes.  Got
to go and sleep and then work, work, work.
But I can feel that spring madness coming on.
Yay!  I love that feeling.

Have a-getting-into-spring-madness day.

Watch out for purring cats

 Timbah in the roses

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

At the end of the working day I got my novel and thought
I'd read for a minute.  Along came my sweet cat Timbah
probably wanting dinner, but purring up a storm, and
urging me to let him stay with me while I was reading.
A cat's purr I'll warn you is hypnotic.  Listening to Timbah
I felt more and more relaxed, and woke up two hours later
because I was hungry.  It was past supper time, and there
I was happily sleeping beside my lovely cat.

The drawing tonight is an iPad drawing of wonderful Timbah
sleeping on my rose covered comforter.

Have a loving-a-purring-cat day.

Road trip to Windsor

 

Considering the future

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

Yesterday we headed out bright and early
in the morning to visit our son Sam in
Windsor.  He's playing Mr. Henry Woodhouse
in the play Emma.  The performance was
delightful -- very pro, and Sam was perfect
in the role of a hypochondriac fussy father
who is against marriage.  It was very funny.
Christopher and Megan came along and we
all had a great time.

The weather in Windsor today was balmy.
We visited the marvellous Art Gallery of
Windsor, went for a walk, and had a super
(though long) trip home.  Here's a little
drawing I did of Sam on the iPad this
morning while we chatted briefly before
he headed off to do the early Sunday show.

It does not do him justice, but I like the
drawing anyway -- that's Detroit in the
background out the hotel window.

Have an enjoying-your-family's-talents day.

Be the voice you want to hear

 My TV Tuned to Jon Stewart

iPad Drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

We all know the comfort of a loving voice,
the person you can count on to lift your spirits,
laugh when you're happy, and understand.
Here's a revolutionary and life transforming idea
-- how about being that voice for yourself.  I
asked some people today whether or not they
talked to themselves.  Of course they do doesn't
everybody.  But opinions range on the sanity
of the proposal.  What am I getting at?  I mean
when you're alone and talking to yourself,
or listening to that internal bank vault of all
the negative, unkind, just plain mean, and
even brutal things ever said to you -- shut
it all off, and be the kind voice.  Talk to yourself
gently, and tell yourself how amazing you are,
what a great artist/person/mate you are, and
help yourself to the best you have to offer.

Tonight my kind self allowed me to watch TV.  I
was sitting with my iPad when I got the urge
to draw.  I was too tired to switch brush sizes,
or to attempt anything but what was in front of me.
And what you see is what I got.  The basement is
exactly that red, and the rest is just the side of the
fireplace mantle, the edge of a painting, and a bookcase.
Brad Pit was on Jon Stewart tonight, and the women
were swooning.  That's why the figure on the tube
has blonde hair.  I know it's more finger painting -
my kind inner voice says that's my gift to you, and
I'm going with her for now.  Yeaaah!

Have a being-the-voice-you-want-to-hear day.

Remember to notice the light

 

 The lane in winter

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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.

Just miss you in the mist

 Fog in the woods

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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.

The whole point

 

 Calling home

iPad Skype drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

(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

 

 Self portrait Sunday

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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

 

 Chelsea house in snow

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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

 

 Self Portrait at work

iPad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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

 

 Portait of a woman

iPad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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

 

 Zoey hides her head

iPad drawing 

8 X 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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

Chelsea in the snow

Ipad drawing on Sketchbook Pro

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2012

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.