Darling baby goes home and Happy Victoria Day!

See my doggy?

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014
SOLD ♥   

I haven't been posting much lately because
I've been working on this commission.  This
is the fifth grandchild in my collector's family
that I've painted.  I fell for her right away.

Today my client came and took the baby home.
What sweethearts -- both my client and the baby
who I met only in the many wonderful reference
photos my client sent.  

Babies are a joy to paint -- I can't help thinking
about what the future will hold for her.  She
lives in a loving family with two older brothers,
and has grandparents who dote on her. So I
wanted the painting to be filled with the feeling
of happiness that I wish is always part of her
life.

In Canada it's Victoria Day, and we will go
and see a fireworks display to celebrate the
long gone queen's birthday.  The holiday
marks what some of us hope is the beginning of
summer.  It is a little warmer today, but still
pretty cool.

Have a joyous Victoria Day, and love 
what you're painting.

Great opening in New York at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery and Belated Happy Mother's Day!

 Baby it's you
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2009

Looking for paintings for Alyson Stanfield's Mother's
Day paintings on Facebook I found this older painting
which sums up the feeling of loving children for me.
Saturday we visited the Amsterdam Whitney gallery,
in Chelsea where I'm currently in a group show, and had
sherry and cookies with Ruthie Tucker the gallery
owner and her husband Ambassador Alton Louis
Amsterdam III.  That was fun.  I had come to New York
for the opening on Thursday, May 8 which was
a gala affair, with champagne, and everyone in a party
mood.

On opening night at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery

with my paintings Wonder Water Image #1, #2 and #3

I am on the left with Steven van Schaik (my sweetie) and

Ambassador Alton Louis Amsterdam III, gallery owner

Ruthie Tucker's husband.

U.S. Federal Justice Elizabeth Lamb and I talk 

at the opening party. My painting Wonder Water Image

#3 is to the right, and the work of Philip Catania can

be seen behind us.

It was raining off and on so we visited some
galleries in Chelsea then headed for central park where
we almost got soaked.  Sunday was delightfully
sunny so walked to the Skylight Diner,
had a super breakfast, then cabbed to The Cloisters, an
astonishing museum.

I was delighted to speak to the artists, Angelica
Kahl from Germany and Andrea Harris, from Chicago
whose work I loved.   Andrea and I have been
in group shows at the gallery several times, and
it's always a treat to see her.

Have a planning-to-go-to-New-York day.

Loving the city and how a painting develops

 

 Water Image #1, #2 and #3

at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery

in New York City

Acrylic on canvas

90 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

This has been a busy couple of days.  The opening
at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery was wonderful,
but I'm sorry to say I didn't get clear photos with my
work.  The atmosphere was delightful.  Great
paintings, super talks with other artists in the
show, and from New York, champagne,  super goodies and
Ruthie Tucker, a most warm and charming host.
Tomorrow I plan to get some more photos at
the gallery, and then I'll include some of the
cellphone shots I took at the show.

It's very late, and I hope to write a longer blog
tomorrow.  I just came across these progress
shots for the painting Wonder Water Image #1,
and I thought they might make you smile.  It's
a long way from the beginning to the finished
painting.

 Wonder Water Image #1

(drawing charcoal, starting to

block it in on the canvas)

Barbara Muir © 2014

Wonder Water Image #1

(More blocking in. Starting on highlights

and dark areas (still no teeth!))

Barbara Muir © 2014

Wonder Water Image #1

(More decisions about shapes and

highlights.  The teeth begin, and

the ocean begings to come in

 behind her.)

Barbara Muir © 2014

Water Image #1

(And here she is on the kitchen counter

just before I took her to be shipped

to New York.)

Have a realizing-that-anything-is-possible day.

Arrived!

 Sketch -- coffee on Avenue of the Americas

Black marker on Moleskine paper

4 x 6 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

Tomorrow is the opening of the group show I'm
taking part in at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery in
New York City.  I am so impressed with artists who
easily travel and set up shows everywhere.  Just
getting out of my house felt like a huge deal.
Even though I'm frightened of flying -- lift off felt
like exactly that.  All of a sudden the worries of the
past few weeks and the long, hard winter fell away.

WestJet is an awesome airline, and the staff were
so cordial and funny.  The best experience I've had
flying in a long time.

 Water Lilies by Claude Monet

at the MoMA 

We have already visited the MoMA today -- very briefly.
The fellow on the admission desk was unimpressed that
we arrived a half hour before closing -- but hey,
we got to our hotel, a good 25 minute walk away
at 4:30, so I was impressed that we strode our
exhausted selves over there.  I said "I'm pretty
sure I could see the Monet in half an hour,"
and we ran up the escalators to the fifth floor and
saw the Monet Water Lilies paintings, which never cease to
amaze and dazzle me.  Plus I see something new
every time.  I also saw the room of Matisses, which
fills me with joy, and a Derain I have never seen,
which was huge and magnificent.

 Sketch #2 -- coffee on Avenue of the Americas

Black marker on Moleskine paper

4 x 6 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

Then we walked more miles, and I sketched
very quick sketches wherever we went -- (as
in 30 seconds maybe).  I'll show you some tonight.
Had a great conversation with a fellow in the bookstore
at the MoMA, who is also a portrait artist.  I do
love this town more than I can ever say.

 Sketch #3 -- coffee on Avenue of the Americas

Black marker on Moleskine paper

4 x 6 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

The Bathers by André Derain at the MoMA

I saw the man from the front desk when I was leaving
the MoMA and thanked him, and said the Monet room
was so great. He smiled and that was that.

Have a loving-where-you-are day.

Wonder Water Image #1 Takes flight

 Wonder Water Image #1

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

For the last while I've been working on the series
I showed you yesterday -- Wonder Water
Images #1,#2, and #3.  So much in these
portraits depends on the super people who
model for me, and on the location on one
of the oceans where the person would
like to be.

Here it is my final painting for New York,
Wonder Water Image #1. I'm really happy
with how she turned out, and added to
the series.  She is winging her way to New
York City, and I'll join her next week.
Thank you to the fantastic women who
worked on this with me loaning me their
time, their lovely faces, and talking with
me about oceans. 

Now back to work.

Have a loving-the-work-you-do day.

Nearing the finish line

 

Wonder Water Image #1, #2, #3 

Acrylic on canvas 

90 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

April is a busy month, and one of the reasons
is getting ready for showing in the Amsterdam
Whitney Gallery in New York in May.   I held
this treat out for myself through the long, very
cold winter, and it made me happy the whole time.

The series Wonder Water Image #1,#2, and #3
came out of this period.  It is about the world's oceans
and the people who love them, and would want them
to be enjoyed and saved.

I read a piece on Alyson Stanfield's blog about
galleries needing a series and decided to continue
the ocean series I started in 2010 for this year's
show in New York.  Some day I will fill a gallery
with these pieces -- so far I've painted six.

This year's pieces seem much happier, quite
different from the first three, in ways that
make me happy as a painter.  The bar that
runs across all three represents the beach,
or sand bar in every location.

So here's what it looks like, although in
this picture Wonder Water Image # 1 is not
complete.  The first two went off to the
shipper ahead of this one, while I made
final changed to is, which I'll show you
tomorrow.

Have a wondering-at-nature day.

Missed sixth anniversary and catching up!

Untitled (works in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

60 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

I can't believe I missed my blog anniversary on
February 18, 2008!  I've been blogging for six years!!!
Wow!  That time sped by in a flash and has been
 filled with exciting and incredibly enriching artistic
 experiences.  Thank you to everyone.

I think it is fitting that the day before my annual
bloganniversary I was was in Ottawa selling one of my
favorite paintings ever.  So I was on the art beat, just
not focused on this important occasion.

What a fantastic ride it's been!  New friends, super art to
read about, and to create, wonderful travels to great art
sites and friends, TV shows! Woo Hoo as some of my
friends say.  And now as Alyson Stanfield would
remind me -- it's time to get back into the studio.
But do this for me first.  Have a glass of whatever it
is you like to drink, and toast to blogging, to our friendship,
to art, and -- if you like -- to me. And I'll do the same --
I'll toast to you!  Thank you for everything.  It's been six
awesome years.

And if you like come on the blog, add a comment, and
I will write you back. Woo Hoo!

 No time for painting today, but I plan to polish these
two paintings tomorrow.  Today I wanted to show
you how they go together.  They are part of the
ocean series that I started in 2010.  Going back
to an older theme is fascinating, because my "eye"
or artistic thinking has changed quite a bit.

 To give you an idea of the scale -- 

Here are the paintings on the kitchen cabinet.

Happy Bloganniversary to you!