Huge week in art!

Thank you to C. U. Slater for taking this video of his friend, sculptor

Bert Jackson doing the 22 day challege in front of my painting

Breakfast in the Hotel at the MUSE Show opening at Super Wonder

Gallery on Saturday night here in Toronto, Canada.

It has been such a week of art adventures!  Thank you to
everyone who came out to the MUSE art exhibition at the Super
Wonder Gallery, 876 Bloor Street West (near Ossington)
in Toronto.  And if you haven't seen it you owe yourself
that pleasure! It's on until Wednesday night from 2 - 8 p.m.,
and it is spectacular.

Breakfast in the hotel

Acrylic on canvas

6 X 8 Feet

 © Barbara Muir 

The show opened on Friday and Saturday night and
my large still life Breakfast in the hotel, and two landscapes
Magic Day in the Neighbourhood, and Across the Highway
were given a place of honour -- the front wall in the exhibition
designed by the brilliant curator, Daniel Anaka.

A Magic Day in the Neighbourhood

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24

Barbara Muir © 2016

Across the highway

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

Last weekend my painting In the right place at the right time
was featured in a gorgeous exhibition in a church/
restaurant in The Netherlands as part of the Worp show.
Mid week my portrait of the supremely beautiful Regan began
its journey to France (more on that tomorrow), to be displayed
at the Louvre.  Whew!

There are so many exciting, excellent, significant paintings
in the MUSE exhibition that I was delighted that my big still
life attracted a lot of attention and seemed to energize people --
like the super sculptor, Bert Jackson who is doing a 22
day, 22 push-ups-a-day challenge in support of first responders
suffering from PTSD.  His challenge aside from push-ups,
is to find someone new to take on the 22 day/22 push-up
challenge, for each of the 22 days.

Have a letting art give you an energy boost day.

For my father on 9/11

Under the beautiful window, on the left you see my painting

In the right place at the right time, which is in the right place

as part of the Kunst in Drimmelin exhibition,  in the Netherlands

Thank you to Kunst in Drimmelin for the photo, to Miranda Brouwers,
Rolf Leemeijer and Vittorio Dorigo for everything.  You all mean the world to me.

Another photo of the Kunst in Drimmelin show in the Restaurant Onze Kerk,

from the exhibition photographers, showing my work on the left and 

and to the right you see half of my friend Miranda Brouwers' gorgeous

landscape diptych, plus many other super artworks.  

My dear father,

I think of you every year on this date because you died on 9/11 some
years before the tragedy in New York City.  For me your death,
and the devastation and sorrow New York experienced blend together
in a cloak of sorrow.  But this year something else is happening.
Computers -- which you were fascinated by, and the internet
have lead me to be invited to partake in wonderful exhibitions
(something you as an artist would have so enjoyed), and also
brought me some truly delightful friendships.

My friend, Miranda Brouwers' beautiful, large diptych of the Worp 

One of these -- my friendship with Miranda Brouwers who I met
in 2015 at the Florence Biennale -- has resulted in me being part of
an exhibition in the Netherlands this weekend, in a show called Kunst
in Drimmelin. I know that even if you would have had trouble telling,
me so, you would have been proud of this event, of its focus on the
environment -- something you cared about.  You might also be
surprised that I paint landscapes now too -- something you were
known for in the creative part of your life.

I think of you lost to ill health, and of the losses of all of the families
all over the world who have lost people they loved because of war, violence and
terrible and pointless hatred.  And I wish for all our sakes that
we turn to peace and saving the planet in time for our children,
your grandchildren, and mine.

I love you and miss you Daddy.

In the right place at the right time

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

Have a loving your family and friends day.

Inspiration wins

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

Coming down the home stretch on this one.  I don't like to show works in progress,
but this is so close.  I was moved by Amy Hillenbrand's shots of the development
of her painting of orchids.  I liked her brave discussion of the middle part in creating
a painting, when you can't see the end.  And I love what Elizabeth Gilbert said in her
book Big Magic about fear being allowed to come along for the ride, and how fear could have
sandwiches, but fear would not get to drive, and fear would not get to give advice.
So brilliant.  At this point I can see where I'm going, and fear is not on the journey
anymore.  (Probably out hitchhiking). So I don't mind showing you how it's going.

I will of course give you all the details when it's done.

Have a taking the driver's seat day.

The land of my greatest inspiration

 Across the Highway

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

This painting will be on display and for sale in the MUSE

show that opens at Super Wonder Gallery on Friday September 16,

and Saturday September 17 in Toronto from 8p.m. to 2 p.m.

Here I am in the place that fuels so much of my landscape
art -- vast horizons, oceans, rolling hills, forests, farms,
endless beauty -- Nova Scotia.

And I did not bring art supplies -- thinking that I could
get them at an art store in Moncton on the way.  But it
is for sale!  Is that the universe telling me to take some
time off? For me art is both a passion and a job.  Do I
deserve a holiday from art?  Am I kidding myself.
As long as I have eyes there are no holidays from art,
and I am grateful for that fact.

Here on our little property in Nova Scotia -- I see the
too blue sky I put in my paintings.  It is too blue for
Toronto, but the real colour here.  So blue it is
delicious.

I stand under a crabapple tree on our acre of land, that forms an
umbrella arch about 20 feet wide over me, and marvel.
Our yard in Toronto is about 20 feet wide, and we crammed
a cherry tree (now gone) and an apple tree (suffering)
and a garage in that space.

So even if I don't find canvas and paint, I will use my
camera, eyes, heart, soul to prepare to paint as much as
 I can of what I've seen when I get home .  If you've
never been to Nova Scotia -- you should come.  Meanwhile,
Happy Painting.

Have a loving where you are day.

The rarest thing in life and in art -- humour

When my children were small I left every teacher's
conference upset because the complaints about
my lovely sons never varied -- "all they care about is
being funny!"  I have to add that the teachers were wonderful
 -- most are still friends to this day -- long after both of my
children have grown up.  But then the boys were disruptive,
giggly, funny, trouble, funny and funny.  And I knew I was to
blame.

I would walk across the street to my house wanting
to cry, but of course the people inside that house
had one major goal -- and that was to laugh and to
be funny.

It has always been a problem in the wide world.
This overwhelming urge to have fun.  So imagine my
delight in finding the curator Daniel Anaka, who although
deeply serious has a wickedly funny side.

The first ad for a show I am in in September here in
Toronto, is a joke meant to bug me.

The second ad is the real one, but I do appreciate the
cat.  Why he didn't use one of my cat paintings -- I
don't know.

Come on out if you're in town, I will have a huge painting,
and two small landscapes.  And it will be fun!

Have an enjoying yourself day!

My baby is off to Europe!

In The Right Place At The Right Time

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

I've worked on this painting intensively for what seems
like a long time.  The thought of taking the finished work
off the stretcher put me into paroxysms of fear.  I have
never shipped a painting off the stretcher -- although
all the pros at international shows I've been in do it all
the time.

My thanks to the lovely man in the framing department of
Yorkdale De Serres who helped me take the canvas off the
frame.  We worked together quietly, then rolled the painting
up ever so carefully and I took it to the shipper.

Once it is gone, anyone who has done this knows -- it's
on to the next.  But until it was in the tube and ready to
go I was over the top anxious.  Safe journey my painting.

I finally named it In The Right Place At the Right Time,
because the painting will be in a show that supports an
environmental area in the Netherlands, near Drimmelin,
called the Worp.  The exhibition is called Kunst in Drimmelin.
And everything about the title is right -- it is a painting
of the conservation area -- the Worp.  And it is
going there because I was in the right place at the right
time last October and met the wonderful artist, Miranda 
Brouwers at the Florence Biennale, and she invited me to
show in this special exhibition happening on September 10 and 11.

Thank you so much Miranda, and for Miranda's friends
who trusted her judgement.  And I hope the painting
gets there safely, is not too much of a hassle to reframe,
and I know it will be in the right place at the right time.
And here's a detail of the next painting.

Untitled (detail) Work in Progress

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

Have a sending your art around the world day!

The thrill of finishing up

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

Here's what I'm working on.  I'll tell you more tomorrow
when I hope to be all finished -- every last detail.  But I
am so close in this image.

I wish I could have posted more on my blog, but painting
has filled my days lately.  And I admit that's a pretty
wonderful way to spend my time, even when I am nervous
from time to time and trying to figure things out, and
occupied night and day with thoughts of where it is, and
where it's going.

As another artist said to me today -- "Aren't we lucky!"
I can't imagine a life without a serious passion.

A toast to all my fellow artists.  I will try to catch up --
soon.  But for now back to painting.

Have a loving-what-you-do day.