Great to be with my art group and Magnolias in trouble

 

 This place needs you

Acrylic on canvas

14 x 18

Barbara Muir © 2012

People who care about the planet are very worried
about the latest weather upsets.  Magnolias in Toronto
in March are out too early.  Last night we had 7 below
Celsius here, and the flowers on many Magnolias are
brown and ruined before they'll ever get to bloom.
I went to my art group tonight, and the model looked
fierce.  She wasn't, but this whole scene came into my
mind instantly looking at her -- as though she was
worried about the earth too.  I liked the spare angular
quality of her face, much thinner than I made it.
I've been painting all day on a big painting, and
I only had an hour or so, so couldn't go Cubist or
Art Deco on myself like I wanted to.  But it was fun
being with my friends and watching them paint, even
for a precious hour.

Have a taking-care-of-the-planet day.

The strange sketch

 Evening nap

Art Group Sketch

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

(I'll try a new photo of this in the

morning.  The red isn't right.)

At my art group I am lucky to be able to admire
my fellow artists as they paint so skillfully.  One
of the artists I love to watch is Frank Pasian, who
normally paints three, or four gorgeous, powerful and
quite abstract portraits in a three hour session.
His process is amazing to follow, and I am always
inspired seeing his bold brushwork and clear,
strong images.  The other night at my art group
Frank stopped painting.  Unheard of.  I started teasing
him about the Monty Python skit about painful
childhoods, where each person keeps trying to
outdo the other in misery.  My favorite word
in the skit is "Luxury".  So Frank could not
get inspired, and I said "Inspiration is Luxury."
Of course I was joking.  But I turned out this
strange alternate sketch to the one I posted the
other night, mostly so I could surprise Frank.

It does show how differently the same subject
can be portrayed in one session.

Have an enjoying-fun-with-your-fellow-artists day.

Inspiration is everywhere

 Spring thoughts

(Art group sketch)

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

When I walk my dog in the park I see a dog who
is a life lesson in himself.  The dog runs like the
wind, faster than any other dog.  His owner carries
a throw stick with my dog's favorite, coveted
orange ball, and throws that ball like a pro, so far
that his dog races away for minutes at a time, and
hunts for the ball in the long grasses, or bushes. 
I am always so intensely impressed with the dog
-- a large, graceful brown and white spotted short
haired dog, with floppy brown ears.  I'm impressed
with his owner too, who walks the dog quietly,
kindly and respectfully and with pride.

The dog has only three legs.  I've asked why, but
I admit that when the owner was answering me I
was captivated by the sight of that gorgeous, speedy
creature, and missed the answer.  Maybe cancer.
I think about that dog when I think it's too
hard to paint, or I'm too tired, or any of hundreds of
excuses that can pop into my head and take me off
track.  I think the dog does not know he's different than
the day before that leg was removed.  He is just enjoying
life to the absolute maximum.  And I know he's got
the right idea.

Now I'm going to walk my girl, Zoey (the dog) maybe
I'll be lucky and see that other very special dog.

Have a-knowing-how-blessed-you-are day.