The art of enjoyment

Hi there,

We're all tired here. Maybe it's the snow, or the scurrying around to
finish the last details on our show, or the work deadlines layered
over and under art deadlines. But we are. Three coffees later the
mood changes, and a hyper tired, but determined, witty vibe
surfaces. What to do with that? Prepare show handouts? Paint some
more? Mark English papers? Escape? For an artist thick with
paint under her fingernails, dark circles from burning the midnight oil,
and too much to do -- Allure Magazine http://www.allure.com/offers
about the fluffiest escape route possible -- beautiful women teaching
the rest of us how. Maybe the next time I crawl out my front door I can
look like I know how to behave. The magazine offers that hope -- and
in the current world (another snowstorm coming) hope seems to be a
vital commodity.

Here's a glimpse of what I'm working on today.

Have an alluring day!

Hanging in

Well it's been quite the push, but the show's almost ready. To tell you the truth, the animals are sick and tired of all this painting. They want a break. Who cares if the tulips are at the perfect stage. Don't we know that another winter storm is coming? Put away the brushes, snuggle in by the heater, and have a siesta for goodness sake.

Now it's back to the marking. Have a friendly day.

The golden mean

Yesterday I bought some gold leaf to use on the gold jewellry and accents in my
paintings. The real gold leaf comes in very thin sheets, set into a book of thin
orange paper. First I lay down a layer of paint. I use acrylic paint, in this case
metallic gold, then when the paint is slightly tacky to the touch, I apply the gold.
And the close-up image on canvas gives you an idea of what it does when light
hits it. I love both the look and the feel of the gold. No wonder people have
been insane about this precious metal since it was first discovered. You
too can get your hands on some and apply it to things in your house. Some
people decorate cakes with it, and it's completely edible. A bit of a waste I think.

Have an illuminating day.

The Joy Train

Steven and I laughing in the living room -- sometimes we dance
like crazy teenagers.
If you know me at all, you know that I am a big fan of soul music
and rhythm and blues. This winter through all the snow,
and cold I've stayed cheery by singing soul music as loud
as possible in my car. Not a new habit, but certainly
intensified by the endless grey days. Check. Today again we
get to appreciate the subtle palette of a Toronto winter. Grey, grey
grey. Inside I'm painting tropical fantasies as I listen to soul.
As James Brown said, "Get up offa that thing,
and dance 'till you feel better."

Have a dancing day.

Art and Sanity

Sometimes painting is the surest route to sanity for me,
but I love the humour involved in language too.
My brother and I got a kick out of the word
"sesquipedalian" applied to William F. Buckley Jr., lately deceased,
which means long-winded. Colbert flagged the word ironically on
The Colbert Report, his fake news program.http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/index.jhtml
I love the Report (pronounced Repor). It's incredibly funny,
and I thoroughly enjoy his gloss on world events, especially
American politics.
This is a photo of a painting I did a few years ago to capture
the awkward moments before a big date. Perhaps
the girl is going to meet the boy's parents for the first time,
but to appear cool she's reading her book while they wait
on his living room couch. Or they could be at her parents' place.
It would be nice to inject more humour into my paintings,
but I seem to opt for colour and form first. The cat is
Simone, who was a wonderful Siamese blue point.
I have to paint, so I'd better go.

Have an uproariously funny day.

The pull of the sea

It's Sunday and I head back to school tomorrow. My mother warns of freezing rain and I hope she's wrong.
Let the weather gods give us a nice clear day with dry roads all the way to King City.
It's a Pieter Brueghel kind of winter day, grey skies, but brilliant light. Here's a little image from my shoreline series. I notice I still need to work on the face. This is the beach in Nova Scotia I spend as much time as possible roaming looking for shells and blue starfish. It's always a pleasure to think of those warm, late afternoons with the tide rolling out, and tide pools emptying into the great, navy blue ocean. We watch hermit crabs scurrying along like creatures out of a fantasy video game, and crows happily squabbling over what variety of seafood to have for dinner. Part of my heart is always there on that strip of red sand, splashing through the warm waves, and throwing shells for the dog to pretend to fetch.

Have a dreamy day.

Pre show buzz

The Swan is Josephine's, the Vacuum cleaner woman, Christopher's
The woman in the black dress, Peter's, and the woman in the white dress, mine.

Hi people,

It's Saturday and the palest suggestion of sun slides along the newly
fallen snow. It's the last weekend of my Reading Week and then
back to school -- which I must admit I miss. Right now the four artists
who are taking part in our show at the Northern District Library are
all getting ready. I am painting as much as possible -- with a number
of things I like almost completed, and a few pieces ready to go from
a former show. Peter Adam is deciding which of his great oil paintings
to include. Christopher has a selection of amazing shots that he'll print
on his giant printer, and Josephine is printing her wonderful images
and framing them this weekend.

If you're in Toronto, I hope you come out. We will be so happy to see you.
The opening with wonderful coffee, home made pizza, cookies,
and other goodies is on

March 9 from 2 -- 4:30 p.m.

At the Northern District Library Skylight Gallery
upstairs at 40 Orchard View Boulevard
(one block north of Yonge and Eglinton)
Featuring paintings and photography
by Peter Adam, Barbara Muir,
Christopher Muir, and Josephine Pica

Have a memorable day.