Class sketches

I've told you before about my great Tuesday night class
at the Brick Works with the Don Valley Art Club, and
how it keeps me sane when I'm on deadline with a
commission, or up to my eyes in term papers. Before I
broke my ankle, I'd sometimes drop in when I felt
rushed and try to grab a painting in an hour. I can't
really do it -- I'm a very slow painter. Sometimes my
portraits take months to do, but when I'm determined,
and the model has presence, Boom -- it all comes together
pretty quickly for a not bad sketch.

Urban Cowboy Sketch
acrylic and charcoal on canvas
18" x 30"

This is a painting I did in the Tuesday class. The model
was a small man, in cowboy mode, and I loved his look,
and energy.

Our class is actually not a class. Nobody teaches
officially, but some of the best painters in the room
get sidelined and asked a lot of questions about
technique. I guess you'd call it peer teaching.
Most of us come in, say "Hi," set up, paint until
the break, talk to one another over a cup of tea,
then get right back to it until we have to go. Then we thank
the model, say goodbye to our friends who are still
painting, head down the stairs and out to the dark
parking lot carrying at very least something
scratched on paper, and at best work that can be
refined and enhanced to be framed and sold.

I have never produced the latter. For a long time I
thought of class as just like movement classes
for dancers. I'd move my arm, and use paint,
so my arm didn't stiffen, and I'd remember
how. Or I'd return to my project of the moment
after an hour or two in class, with new ideas about
how to light the sitter, or where to put a stripe of colour.

Artists, are always devouring art, looking at each other's
work, in class, online, and in the heavy art books that line
our studios. Class is just another place to train the
eye to see in a new way, to learn how other artists see.
Visualize along with me that when this cast comes off
next Tuesday, I don't need a new one. If so, I may be able to
figure out how to get across the parking lot, up the elevator,
and into class to sit, instead of stand, and join
the group of artists I enjoy so much again.

Have a learning-from-the-best night.

The Mostly "Staycation"

A couple of months ago I was watching Jon Stewart
joking about the new phenomenon the "staycation."
At the time I thought 'how ridiculous! Why would
anyone stay home when they could get away?' And then,
as you know if you follow this blog -- I broke my ankle,
and our planned trip to Nova Scotia was off.

Aside from five days in Ottawa we've spent the biggest
part of this holiday -- right here in our own house.
Wow! Here are more shots of my son Christopher's
holiday in Korea. Thank you to everyone who sent
images, called to report from the four corners of
the earth, and described in delicious detail what we
might enjoy in summers to come.

Megan completely lost. Let's keep walking.

I'm glad that other people are doing fascinating things
with their time off, and emailing me their pictures,
and writing about it on their blogs, because this
year I am an armchair tourist for sure.

Megan enjoying the beautiful view on the hike from hell.

Today -- the last day of our holiday we had two
adventures. Steven brought home delicious
Thai food from Bua Thai for supper, and we
ventured to Indigo at Yonge and Eglinton to get
books. That Indigo store has an elevator to
transport people in wheelchairs between the
first and second floors, but no ramp to let you
into the store if you get off the elevator from
the parking garage, which
only lets you out at the second floor.

The story of how we got into the store is long
(as in it was a long way, and very round about)
and dull, so let's just say we ultimately
triumphed and I have two new novels for when
I get back to work painting, writing and
preparing my courses tomorrow.

Christopher, and a big ol' volcanic rock.

These pictures are from the album:

"Korea, Korea. Vacation, Vacation."
by Christopher Muir

City of art

If this were any other summer in the past 13 years we would be
heading home from our holiday in Nova Scotia right now.
No, I'm not crying about it. I think we fared pretty well
considering what we were working with here. But I do
have to mention that one of the highlights of the trip home
is staying over night in Quebec City.

The boardwalk in old Quebec City

In my opinion Quebec is one of the most beautiful cities in
Canada, so if you're not from Canada, or if you haven't been
there you should check it out. Art is integral to Quebec
culture, not some sort of add on, or after thought. So
there is a lot of art to see, be immersed in, touch and even
buy, in town. Plus the whole place - especially the
the old town and downtown is picturesque -- magnificent
window boxes spilling over with flowers decorate every house.
Painted doors and windows in every colour, add to
the beauty. Style, history, culture and elegance are
everywhere as you walk through the town, or hitch
a ride on a horse drawn carriage.

I love the place, and if I sound like a travel brochure, it's
because I've been there at least 26 times, and you do
get to know what to be fond of in that time. I haven't
even mentioned food yet -- which is almost always
good, and so important that even the lesser
restaurants serve delicious meals. Yum...

We always walk from our hotel, through old Quebec,
along the boardwalk, up the steps, across the Plains
of Abraham and home. That works out to 8,000
steps. Not bad. But you still have to wander around
for 2,000 more to get your day's total in.

Have a thinking in French evening.

The real deal

I'm on holiday -- and I have a broken ankle --
so I spent the day very pleasantly being driven around
the countryside outside Toronto, on a short road trip
to Keswick on Lake Simcoe. When we looked at
the incredibly lovely waterfront houses, I confess that I was
fantasizing about winning the 43 million on the Lotto 649
draw, so I'm putting it out there -- I'm ready to win. I am
ready to win in every area of my life -- although I feel
certain that I already am a winner in the great life I lead.

But of course in between humming the songs on the radio,
and chatting with Steven I was also musing about the
work I need to get back to and start next week, and
about the fall shows.

People looking at my painting
In the garden
a portrait of my friend, Carolee
at the Don Valley Art Club Fall show

I like the picture I'm putting in today, because it
highlights one of the real reasons I paint. I know there
are artists who never want their work to see the light of day.
I am not them. I paint for you, and you and you --
my audience. That doesn't mean I change my
style for you, or paint in a way you dictate. It
means that it gives me great pleasure when you
enjoy my art.

In art circles (and I used to write for an art
magazine) there are great debates on
decorative art versus serious art. I am a
serious artist -- that is I care about what I
do, but my art like my life is based on
the search for pleasure and joy. It's not
always easy to accept the joy life has to
offer, or even to see it. But I try not to get
sidelined by little things like breaking my
ankle. I believe being buoyant is helpful
in even the most difficult of situations.
And I send my audience my love. It's
there in the colours I choose, in the
subjects I decide to paint, and in the
incredible pleasure it gives me to do
what I do.

Have a loving your audience day.

Visual Generosity

All the photos in today's blog are by
Christopher Muir, my son, taken
on a recent holiday in South Korea

Beautiful Rock

A couple of my landscape paintings this year were inspired by
my friend Flora Doehler's beautiful photographs of Bear
River. True my work looked nothing like her photographs,
but I really appreciated the spirit of generosity, which allowed
me to work from them.

Inside the Beomosa temple

My son Christopher, has the same spirit of generosity. He
is a trained pro photographer, but is currently teaching
English in Korea. The other day he sent me some
spectacular images from a recent vacation he took with
his girlfriend, Megan. I'm on vacation myself right now
and not creating any paintings for my blog. My artistic
soul like the rest of me, needs the rest. So I asked if
I could use some of Christopher's beautiful shots on my
blog, and he emailed me back right away to say go ahead.

The south gate

I'll include some today, and some another day. I really
think blogging is about sharing, and that visual
sharing is a good practice for artists to engage in.
We can't be one another, or ever produce identical
work to one another, once we know that we can
definitely learn from one another.

The beautiful Buddha lined walls along Seokbulsa.

Christopher and Megan
at the Udo Island lighthouse

These pictures are from the album

From the album:
"Korea, Korea. Vacation, Vacation."
by Christopher Muir

Have a sharing the bounty day.

Loving loving animals

Most of the people who I love, love animals. If
they don't actually live with any (and I don't know
many who don't) they certainly tolerate the fact
that the rest of us are besotted.

My friend Mary with her poodle, Maggie

Art can be a lonely profession. When I'm painting
portraits, the subjects are the entertainment. I
do love talking to people, which makes the
business I'm in (painting them) ideal. You have
to get to know people to paint them with spirit.

But there are many days when I paint alone.
My three animals are my main companions then.
They bring me their toys, rub against me, beg
for food and games, demand and get my attention.
For anyone following a career in any of the arts
I recommend getting a pet. Cats and dogs are
probably the best because they are easy for your
clients to accept, and clearly affectionate.

One of my cats, Timbah wants to be in
every portrait. As soon as I turn on the
bright spots to light my subjects, he's up on the
armchair, lying behind their heads. I've painted
people who were wildly allergic, and then
the house is vacuumed excessively, and the
cats and dogs are banished to the basement.

Fiona hanging out in the laundry room
window today

But most of the time our animals entertain
my clients too. I love animals, and the
people who love them. I feel sorry for my
friends who weren't brought up to be
comfortable around pets, or are too allergic
to own any.

Tonight we watched our cat Fiona pounce through
a neon pink and orange Ikea cat tunnel at our big
dog Zoey. Zoey seemed to be in on the game, moving
from one end of the tunnel to the other so she could be
pounced on from both directions. Hey --
when you have a broken ankle, cast
and crutches, you take your fun where you
can get it. Our animals make every day
a pleasure.

Have a warm and fuzzy day.

Travelling view distractions

Home sweet home is a true state, but sweetening my
homecoming is something I need to work on. Last week we decided to
spend a few days in Ottawa in the fine Westin hotel. That
was all good, but the re-entry back home is less than idyllic.
I miss the great staff at the Westin, who brought us our breakfast
every morning. I miss going out and coming back to see the room made
up, with clean sheets and clean towels, and everything
perfect.

View of the changing of the guards ceremony
taken from our room
in the Westin Hotel in
Ottawa, Canada

I miss my family and the delightful experience of not being
home. To be fair I go through this every time I leave home
even for a weekend. And the longer the stay the bigger the pull.
To bring this back to art, I miss the great view out my window --
watching the changing of the guards. Ottawa in summer is
a beautiful place.

And a great hotel is a fine choice for a person with a broken
ankle, wearing a cast and moving on crutches. Tomorrow we'll
head out again for a few hours to points north of town, and
by tomorrow, my friends, the cats, my novel, the dog, and life in the
city will have pulled me back again.

Have a loving where you are day!