A beautiful day

 

Cloud Magic #2

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

This is my second painting in the Encounter Show at the Heliconian Hall,

at 35 Hazelton Avenue, which opens tomorrow (Saturday September 6).

If you're in the neighbourhood in Toronto, please drop in and see the show
between 2 and 5 in the afternoon.  I won't be at this opening because I'll be

out of town tomorrow.

Today we had a lovely day.  We accidentally came upon an antique car
show when we were picking up wraps for our lunch.  Then we had a 
delicious dinner with family.  Amazing.

I hope you had a wonderful day.

Have a loving your life day!

One painting in the Encounter show

Summer Leaves

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

This is one of my paintings in the Encounter show at the Heliconian opening
Saturday, September 6 from 2 - 5 p.m. The Heliconian Hall is at 35
Hazelton Avenue in Toronto. The Encounter show features a variety of
work from this year's new members.  Plus some members are joining the
show, and I am one of them.

It's very late, and it's been a busy day.  I hope you get out to see the show.

Have a loving your life day!

Check this out

 

Collywobbles (upper image)

Mixed media sculpture

Dimdum (lower image)

Mixed media scupture
Matthew Pazzol © 2025

"Every Time a Bell Rings
(An Angel Gets Its Wings)"

Mixed media
Rachel Parry © 2025

If you’re down near 222 Spadina check out gallery 222. It is in the basement
of the very cool Chinatown Shopping Centre at 222 Spadina, and currently the
gallery features works by an artist Steven and I met on our evening walks
in the Bathurst Saint Clair area. Matthew Pazzol makes a wide variety of artistic
creations --including huge masks, in this case of clowns. Matthew is concerned
about the environment, and builds his sculptural faces out of pieces of cardboard
boxes that he finds in recycling bins. I know he wants every part of his work to
be made with recycled materials. So he may even use paint that has been discarded.
I’m not sure.

We were sorry that we just missed Matthew when we visited the gallery recently.
Gallery 222 in Toronto is open Wednesday through Sunday from 2 PM to 7 PM.
The gallery is located on the lower level of the Chinatown Centre at 222 Spadina
Avenue. And we were happy to meet the gallery Manager Rachel Parry, a wonderful
artist too. Her paintings in the show were magnificent. The show is on now, so if you’re in the area, make sure to check it out and give yourself a special moment.

Have a loving your life day!

Ready for the Morning Glories

 

Morning glories on the back fence
photo © Barbara Muir

Today we were delighted to have wonderful visits from friends.
And my back felt infinitely better than yesterday. I have done some
painting today, but I'll have to catch up tomorrow. 

Our garden, though incomplete in terms of planting, is quite 
beautiful.  I asked our Mandevilla plants at the front of the house
to please bloom, and they have.  Now I'm working on the Morning
Glories, who did not like the extreme summer heat, but are covering
the fence as they're meant to do -- just still not blooming.

So this blog is a call out to those dear plants to give us some flowers.
And they will bloom.  In this crazy current weather they have 
sometimes still been blooming in December. 

Have a loving your life day!

It's true September first feels a bit like New Year's Day

 

Coffee at 8th Avenue and 23rd Street, NYC

charcoal on bond paper

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 

To quote a former blog on this topic:
"I'm posting this drawing, because other than writing my blog and my
Instagram posts, this is a day off.  September feels brand new.  So I'm
thinking of what I'd like to do in a dreamy way.  I'd love to show in 

New York, but probably won't go to the states for a few years. I love the
city, and this drawing sums up the happy feeling I get there perfectly."

It is Labour Day today. And in Toronto most businesses and stores were
closed.  We visited dear friends to return a painting they loaned me for
my April solo show.  Their kitchen had a wall of my work. Very touching.

I am still in rather bad pain in my back.  Getting slightly better. Fingers
crossed.  I hope you had a great long weekend, and that you have a 
joyous week.

Have a loving your life day!

The end of August

August road trip

Acrylic ink on 

watercolour paper

and pencil

Barbara Muir © 2022

I'm following doctor's orders and my back feels a bit better. Good 
because it's got to. No pressure. 

For the last couple of years at the end of August I've showed
you this little painting, which honours our trip across Canada
to the Maritimes.  This year that prospect awaits us. Which is why
my back must get back on track! I wish you a very happy September,
and yes we had a wonderful August despite the crazy heat.

So soon we'll make that trip and see all the wonders Canada can
offer.  It is a beautiful country.  For now concentrating thinking 
positively.  I wrote in my journal that joy is a powerful force. And
I just had dinner with Steven -- therefore. Yes.  Joy. 

Have a loving your life day!

 

Friendship and movie night

Carol Anne and me

(Journal sketch)
Marker on bond paper
6 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2022

I love this sketch of me and my friend Carol Anne, who was my next-door
neighbour when I lived in Ottawa as a child. Carol Anne was feisty, funny
and always had cool ideas. 

I am decidedly not cool, and obviously shy in this image taken no doubt from
one of my father‘s beautiful photographs of the time. One of the things I like
about it is the palm tree brooch that’s holding my sweater together.

I had a very sweet aunt who always brought home gifts when she travelled,
and that enamel pin of palm trees was one of those presents. She was a
sweetheart, and I’m sorry she’s gone.

I have no idea what happened to Carol Anne. I lost touch with my childhood friends in Ottawa for the most part when we moved to Toronto. I hope she’s having
a wonderful life.

Have a loving your life day!