Identity -- who are you?

 Claiming identity

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I drew this young woman the other night,
and she liked the drawing, so sent me another
image tonight, so I could try again.  I think
a lot about identity. Mine is as an artist, teacher,
wife, mother, pet owner, friend in no specific
order, depending on the day.

And this young woman is holding up her work
badge, which she's proud of. But as a friend she
is also helping me produce for my identity.  She
knows I teach on Wednesday afternoons,
have hurt my leg, and want to blog.   Why
you ask?  Because.  I thank her for the
pleasure of getting to draw her again!

As soon as I have my full vigour back I
look forward to fulfilling the honour of
being nominated to post 3 paintings on
Facebook for five days.  My friends
Flora Doehler, and Kim Rempel have
nominated me to do the challenge.

Flora does amazing bright floral
and landscape paintings.  Her colours
sing.  Kim is a stunning abstract painter,
who can paint a realistic landscape that
will take your breath away.  These are
two of my all time favorite artists, and
I thank you so much.

Have a thanking-the-friends-who-get-your-identity day.

First hand -- the Quick sketch

On the Triage team

Black marker on 

Fabriano paper

8 1/4 x 6 1/4 (cropped)

Barbara Muir © 2015

In Canada we are blessed to be able to spend six
hours visiting a top notch hospital emergency
ward with zero fees. That's where I did these
sketches today  -- waiting.

 First waiting room

Black marker on 

Fabriano paper

8 1/4 x 6 1/4 (cropped)

Barbara Muir © 2015

I've hurt my leg, and no one knows what I've
done. Two doctors and a lengthy ultrasound
later. No answers. Take pain killers. Rest the
leg.

Second waiting room

Black marker on 

Fabriano paper

8 1/4 x 6 1/4 (cropped)

Barbara Muir © 2015

Don't sit so close to me

Black marker on 

Fabriano paper

8 1/4 x 6 1/4 (cropped)

Barbara Muir © 2015

The up side -- the pain is expected to dissipate, And
I have these very quick sketches that document
the day.
The Cloisters
But I promised to tell you more about our visit to
The Cloisters.

Last May when I exhibited in New York City,
I told my gallery director about the series I
spoke to you about yesterday.
She suggested we go to the Cloisters,
a beautiful museum which had Unicorn tapestries,
like the Medieval tapestries in the book
The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier.

 Tapestry at The Cloisters
wool, gilt, silver, gold
1495 - 1505

Our cab driver was shocked that we wanted
to go all the way to the other end of Manhattan,
but we did.  Up the Hudson River, on a gorgeous
spring morning.

New York is always filled with warm, helpful
people, so when a fellow in the museum,
dressed a bit like the guards started
explaining the Unicorn tapestries to me
I assumed he was a guard. "Nope he
explained, I just like helping people get through
university.  I never did. I couldn't afford
to go." He  cheerfully walked
me through the symbolism, and the story
of the girl in the tapestries.

"Know how I know all this?," he asked.
"I wrote an essay for my sister about it.
It was really good. She got an A. "  I asked if
his sister got her degree. "No," he laughed,
"But it wasn't my fault."

 Yours truly at The Cloisters, May 2014

Have a happy-to-live-where-you-are day! 

 Start again

Black marker on 

Fabriano paper

8 1/4 x 6 1/4 (cropped)

Barbara Muir © 2015

Tanya in the studio -- the slow evolution of art

 Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches 

Barbara Muir © 2014-15

Last winter I began planning a series, and then
knew I had to prepare for my spring show
in New York.  It was obvious early on that
the large 3 x 4 ' paintings would be too
ambitious for the short April deadline.

I was painting a woman I saw in the art
gallery, who gave me permission to paint
her with her baby.  I love the idea for
the series, and this year I want to complete
it, but it hasn't become any easier.

Tanya came to visit me in July with her
two children and her husband.  It was a
hot day, an enormously kind gesture,
and the photos I took in the excitement
weren't good enough.

 Tanya in the studio

Today I've had sharp pains in my right leg,
and couldn't paint. Tomorrow the doctor. 
But the paintings still form, move and
create themselves in my head.  Soon I will
get in my car and go and see Tanya, and together
we'll get this first painting in the series
done.  In the meantime I researched
tapestries (my inspiration) at The Cloisters
in New York City, and I'll tell you more
about that tomorrow.

Thank you Tanya for your patience.

On my team

Breath of fresh air

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

When I was getting ready for my last show
this beautiful young woman called me
up to invite me to another opening,
happening as she spoke.  I was up to
my ears in paint and couldn't go, so
she insisted on visiting me.

What a treat!  She loved my paintings,
our house, enjoyed meeting my husband.
Our cat Timbah loved her, and balanced
himself precariously
on her shoulder with one of his legs on the
back of her chair, the whole time we
visited drinking coffee and laughing
at our kitchen table.

When she left I was happy and felt
more confident about my work.  Her
visit was like a breath of fresh air.
It made me feel so joyous today
drawing her and remembering that
evening.

Have a welcoming-upbeat-guests day.

I hope you know I love you!

Catherine Scott

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches

Barbara Muir © 2009

Dear friends,
Spending time with your family and people
you love, matters every bit as much as
spending time drawing and painting.  Yes
there are lonely souls who work at art,
and art that is anything but happy.  But
to my mind, our lives with people who
love us, or cats and dogs, or people we
work with, are what give us the juice to
create.  And that matters.

Apparently purpose according to every
sage happiness writer I've read, is what gives our
life on this planet meaning.  My purpose here is
partly to be a loving wife, and mother,
and friend, and artist and teacher, and
person in the supermarket, and wherever
I go.

Two posts I've seen and read today moved me --
one to tears, and one to near tears.
Read this blog post by the renowned writer,
Rona Maynard.  And watch this video by
Lilou Mace, who graciously let me paint
her for my November show.

It has been a rough week in the world.
I grew up in a generation that believed
love is the answer, but I really didn't
understand what that idea meant until
I had my own family, and understood
that loving takes work, a continuous
back and forth of great times, poor times,
with rewards of joy and laughter in store
that are unimaginable until we experience
them.

So I did not paint today because I wanted
to spend time with family and friends,
 but I will post one of my favorite paintings
of all time. This was painted as a gift to a woman
dying of cancer from her dear friends
who knew she wanted a vivid record of
herself left behind.

Portrait painters get commissions to record
every stage in life.  I felt both honoured and
overwhelmed with this assignment, but
Catherine, the subject loved it so much,
and felt her friends' profound love when it was
unveiled on her birthday. That day I really
understood my purpose on the planet.

Have a knowing-I-love-you day!

Getting to Yay!

The Fruits of Love

Work in Progress Stage 6

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I am reading Shawn Achor's, Before 
Happiness and was excited to learm
about the finish line phenomenon.  Apparently
when we know we're close to finishing a
project or a race, our brain kicks in
accelerants that give us the physical and mental
energy we need to finish.

We all know how this is in art, especially painting.
The start stems from an idea, or the visual stimulation
of a theme or model, or event in our lives.  So
we are all fired up when we begin, and then there is
the middle, when we flag.  The painting seems
too hard and we think we'll never finish, or it's
stupid anyway, or we were wrong to begin, or
we're all off.  If we stop there we will stay
in limbo with that work.

But what Achor says is that if you can convince
yourself that all is going well, and you're nearly
finished -- bang -- brain resources flood your
system with endorphins and your creativity and
thinking juices up, until -- aha!  Wonderful
-- the finished product.  Yay!

Working today on finishing a work I started
last year, that was getting there, but not done.
What stopped me? Whatever it was -- it seems
a perfect subject today for a very cold winter's day.
I haven't made that many changes so far, and it will
mostly be just shadows and a bit more detail, but
it felt so wonderful to paint!

Have a feeling-the-Yay! day

Brilliant exuberance!

Brilliant Exuberance

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I worked all day today with wonderful women.
I painted one of these friends recently, and
today had a try at drawing my friend
Courtney.  She is helping me work on
web development, and while she questioned
me and worked I drew her.

Make that three tries.  Her joyous expression,
huge, gorgeous eyes, intelligent kindness and
humour are hard to define with a pen and
paper.  I came the closest by photographing
her and drawing the photo upside down.

Mike Dooley says to "expect miracles every
day."  I think the companion to that idea
is noticing them.  The two women who helped me
out today are miraculously fantastic.

Have a noticing-miracles day.