Brands and tribes. Lets all be one.

House in the wind

(Work in progress)

Acrylic and ink on bond paper

12 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

Walking through our local high end mall today --
going for an Espresso that reminds me of Paris,
I was struck by the word tribe.  The brands,
high end, and beautifully illustrated with huge
artistic signs and videos flashing up to the 50 or
60 foot ceilings make the space beautiful. But it
also felt primitive -- like we humans still need
to brand ourselves as part of a certain group.
I am reading a book called Joy on Demand
on happiness which more or less says that happiness
is first --we won't enjoy that designer dress or car,
if we haven't figured out how to be happy first.

As artists we are part of both a certain group,
and the world.  The more we travel, the more
art we see -- not just in books, the larger and
wider and more inclusive our art tribes become
and the more we know.

I am a firm believer that one of the best ways
to crack out of the narrow, dangerous, petty
"this group -- people, sex, country, is good,
and this group, people, country, is bad"
thinking is to travel and meet the world.

Ironic perhaps that today I worked a bit more on the
perfect grey Toronto House, which would clearly
make the owners part of the Millionaire tribe
if they sold the place.  I hope they are already
happy.  The house is looking a bit more content with
today's progress. Some of the wind is gone.  New
name?

Have a making the world your tribe day.

Quite the day!

Jammin

Work in Progress

Acrylic on watercolour paper

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

There is a lot going on in my family right now that is

hard, sad and frightening.  This centers around health

and our worries about family members.  At times like these

when possible, I find it is never more important to do as they say in one

of my favourite meditations and "hold a little space 

around you that is just for you."  That meditation goes on

to say, "sink back into that space."  How lovely.

For artists the space we need to hold around us is a space

for art.  The visual is always with us.  We are a bit nuts

that way.  In the midst of trouble, we're drawing the 

people's expressions in our mind.  Tonight I spent a some

time working on a little painting I started in November.

The inspiration was in one of the worst traffic jams I've 

been in in a long time.  In this city that's saying something.  

Traffic is us.

And here's the thing.  In the middle of a terrible traffic 

jam, so slow I could have turned my motor off, I was

noticing how beautiful everything looked in a harsh,

urban way.  Light bouncing off the cars, the sun setting,

my view blocked by a huge SUV.   I worked on this a bit

tonight.  It isn't finished yet, but it's getting closer. 

Have a holding-a-space-for-art day. 

Break it down

Wonder Water Image #3

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

The final image -- sorry

the photo is not a good quality.  I

am learning. It sold in NYC which is nice.

SOLD ♥

How do you draw, paint, a person, a scene, a car, a cloud?
How?  One million different ways of course -- no wait
are there 9 billion people on the planet by now (last time
I looked it was 7). That means currently there has to
be that many ways to do this thing called make a piece
of art.  All valid.

Wonder Water Image #3

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

An earlier stage -- coming together

Then there are the instructors, the rule makers.  They ride
in on white horses, or in Navy and tan Rolls Royces,
or yellow Lamborghinis, and they know everything about
how to make art.  Except for one important factor.  They
have no idea how to be you.  Silly though eh?  (I'm
Canadian -- we say eh)  Seems too simple?  Have you
ever met you except in the mirror.  Even if you have a twin
he/she is not you.

So.  I will give you a really simple answer.  Break it down.
Start with the least frightening part of the new thing you
are attempting. (Not the most difficult.) Sometimes if it's
really hard in your mind, you needs lots of breaks, and
maybe some meditation. And then go back, set the timer
(how long can you be there -- 5 minutes? 10?) and work
on the easiest part.  You may get so lost that when the timer
goes, it's annoying and you don't want to quit.
But every break brings you back new to you, and you get
another aha.

Wonder Water Image #3

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

And two earlier stages -- small steps

Some people are fast and this whole process
might take a day, or even a morning.  But others are slow
and need weeks for the same thing -- maybe even
an equally great result.  Don't ever answer that "So
how long did this take you?" question.  Because it
could have been an hour, and it could have been 30
years.  Both are fine.  Just say you aren't sure. (You're
not are you?  You're making art, not keeping a time
graph!) Smile though.  The whole process is your secret --
and isn't that good?  I think so.

Have a breaking it down and liking it day
Here's a funny video I found on the subject.

Have fun sometimes. Why not?

House in the wind

Acrylic and ink on bond paper

12 x 14 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

I drew this little drawing tonight because I missed making
art.  I've been sick for the past couple of days.  I saw this
palette paper with a swirl of sky blue paint.  And looked
at a photo of the perfect Toronto house (there is a little
tree I didn't get time for.  The mood hit late in the day).
And thought what if I drew the house on the blue?
Then the car was there, and I just received a gold calligraphy
pen in a Sketchbox box, so there you go.

What is funny is that this little house, which is painted
the grey so popular in Toronto now, is probably worth
2 million dollars Canadian simply because it's on a nice
street downtown, and unattached, and despite the
vicissitudes of my drawing -- in good shape.  The strange
shape on the chair is a coat it seems.

This was fun, and my swirl of paint could symbolize
the strange times we're entering, or the fierce wind
tonight.

Have a having-fun-day.

The best news! Dream Selfie comes home and goes to her new owner!

Dream Selfie -- Wonder Water Image #7

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

The story of art, making it, showing it, selling it --
is complicated.  I've been so lucky in the past few
years to be invited to show internationally.  The shows
in Paris (twice 2015, and 2016) in the Louvre were beyond
exciting.  Just being in Paris -- all by itself -- makes my
heart race, with the thrill of it all. And to show in the
Louvre -- amazing.

Showing in the Florence Biennale, in Italy is the same -- a huge
exhibition space in the city that feels like it's the center of
the birth of Western art.  And wonderful artists exhibit in
that show from all over the world.

The back story, aside from creating work you hope will
appeal to the audience in an entirely different world from
your own is a big one.  You need to figure out packaging
that will protect your work, and the best shipping options.
The process requires so many people to advise you,
help you, and do the necessary prep work, to both send it,
hang it, and bring it home.

This painting, which is one of my works at the top of my list of
favourites was carefully packed by the kind and brilliant people
at De Serres art store in Toronto, and packed again, with the
first perfect box going into a larger one with hard foam
protection by Mehrdad at UPS, then flew to Italy to Palermo,
where the careful work of Emanule Pirrone at EA Editore Gallery
helped the painting go to Paris and the Louvre, and back to Palermo
after the Carrousel du Louvre show, then out of Italy via
Leipzig and Frankfurt, Germany, then home to Toronto and
eventually into the home of the new owner.  Who is -- the
outstanding author, and model for the piece, Regan Daley.

For me as the artist the happy news is that the curators in Paris
loved it, the collectors who bought it for Regan (her family)
loved it.  And I fervently hope that Regan will love it,
and all of the above is the best news!

Having a getting-the-best-news day!

Pay attention to Alyson Stanfield

Patti-Anne in the studio with Snow on Cherrywood.

Day 2 of the new year -- thinking about what's coming up in
my art plans, and looking back on 2016 (Hard not to do).
Time, and years and dates are useful constructs for all of
us, but this is really Monday -- and this year I will be moving
more in a day to day fashion.

One of the super moments happened just before Christmas when I was
finishing off the commission I showed yesterday and
a collector, Patti-Anne Fitzpatrick came to visit looking for
a painting and cards.

The artists out there will all know that dressing up is not
our thing.  Not even a sensible goal.  But Alyson Stanfield
says that artists should look good, so I'm glad I was a little
dressier than normal for Patti-Anne.  And also pleased
that the tree had crept into the studio and was dressed in
its happy splendour.

Snow on Cherrywood

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

SOLD ♥ 

Patti-Anne bought a Cherrywood painting, and several
packages of my art cards.  Here she is standing in front
of the tree.  We had a great morning as she selected her
painting, ultimately falling for this one.

My friend Janet Vanderhoof asked me to add more tips
from Alyson. There are so many and new ones all the
time. I like her suggestion that we should join local art
groups, or show locally.  When I was on Oprah she suggested
ways to simplify my blog.  Her point was that it's about the
art, and web sites and blogs don't need to be fancy with
special type and buttons, they just need to showcase the
art.  She suggests getting excellent photos of your art (working
on that). And she thinks showing in live venues matters,
not denying that you can sell on line.  There is so much more
available through the link above.  Click on her name and
find her blog, and you could read for months.  All of it
helpful.

Have a listening-to-Alyson-Stanfield day.

Goodbye 2016 -- You sure did treat me right!

On the way

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2016

SOLD ♥ 

Today was a glorious sunny day here in Toronto, and probably unlike
any other day in the coming year.  Why?  Because we had a New Year's
Eve party last night that was so much fun!  Great company, great food
brought by our friends, and wonderful wine and champagne.  A friend
treated us to wonderful songs on the piano, and people joined in singing
so beautifully and happily.  So lovely! All evening long there was laughter
and superb conversation.  And our last guests left at 4 a.m.  What could be better?
I can predict that 5 a.m. will not be my normal bed time, and I will have infinitely
more energy in the coming days.

True there was bad news last year, grievous loss of people we love,
family illness -- lots of hardknocks in 2016.  But I see all of the magnificent
times, even in moments during the saddest days of the year, and they stand
out. Hard not to enjoy visiting New York three times, Paris, and Nova Scotia.
The last few weeks of the year were intense in terms of art, and I will show
you some of what happened over the next few days.

Let's start with a commission I finished just on time to be a Christmas
gift.  I was asked to create a typical Toronto scene, not in my happy
style (blue skies, puffy white clouds) you know me.  Although Steven
would come into the studio and say, "Honey this is looking cheerful!"
Oh oh -- hard to keep that positive outlook down.  A good thing.
I am super grateful to my generous collector for helping me step out
of my norm.  Always a good thing.

Thank you to everyone who came to our party, and to all of our friends
and family near and far.  Thank you for making my life a loving,
kind, funny and exciting one.

Thank you to my supporters, curators, and collectors in the art world.
Look around you.  The happy people you know have all got a passion.
It's beyond thrilling when the world celebrates your passion.

Have an enjoying-this-first-day-of-2017  day!