Back inside in the Month of Fresh Starts

Pansies shaking off the rain

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Watercolour, acrylic ink, and 

black marker on watercolour paper

Barbara Muir © 2019

Today was busy with chores, phone calls

and prepping for class tomorrow.  It rained all day 

which made me happy for my brave pansies on the 

front porch steps, because it turned mighty cold.  

Yesterday people were out in shorts, and today

 back in ski jackets.

In between other kinds of work, I drew this drawing 

pansies that I brought in, and painted it. I love the

intensity of the acrylic ink.  It can go the distance

with the vivid, deep pansy colours.  The pansies
were closed up like a rolled up umbrellas when I
arranged them, and as I drew and painted them they
unfurled.  The way flowers move when arranged
fresh cut in water always surprises me.  

I hope you had a delightful weekend.  I am happy

to say that I did.  Sometimes routines are exactly

what you need, and that was today.

Have a welcoming a new week easily day.

The Market and amazing day in the Month of Fresh Starts

More from the pansies

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Watercolour, acrylic ink, black

and gold marker on watercolour paper

Barbara Muir © 2019

Our Saturdays start with coffee and reading and wishing
we could hang around longer  -- but off to the market.
Today the Brickworks was hosting a dog market, and
it seemed like half of Toronto was squished into the space
with their dogs.  So many different types of dogs -- all
well behaved.

There was going to be a dog fashion show, and some of the
tiny dogs were happily wearing Tutus, and wings and
other costumes. Our dog is not social, and that would
have been her nightmare. But we enjoyed seeing how
insane people are about their dogs. (pictures to follow).

In the late afternoon we went for a walk, and all of the
flower stores and small convenience stores were
selling pansies.  To me they are one of the most
jubilant flowers.  So I did this sketch.

Have a loving your weekend day.

Dancing into the middle of the Month of Fresh Starts

Pam in New York

36 x 48 inches

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 2011
SOLD ♥

I'm not sure why this painting of Pam is on my mind.

I hope that all is well with her, though I haven't seen
her in more than a year. This painting (a commission)
could have been (should have been) part of my dance series,
because unlike almost everyone else in the series Pam actually
is a trained ballet dancer, and professional dancer.

Today I wanted to see that energy.  Was her dress really
striped like that? No.  But when Pam posed for me she
had an energy zinging off her like lightning bolts.
It was almost wrong to ask a woman with so much
physical energy to sit down.  And for me that energy
continues into the background, the cushions everything
seems ready to move.

I just finished reading The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce,
an absolute treat of a novel, which got me thinking
deeply about music, and playing a lot of the pieces in
the book.  Maybe that's why Pam came to mind, because
I love music you can dance to, and I believe Pam could
probably dance to any type of music, and seemed
to be dancing even sitting down.

Have a can't stop dancing weekend.

A Kinney kind of day in the Month of Fresh Starts

Kinney

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

SOLD ♥ 

I'm not allowed to say that this is the cutest dog in the whole world, 

because that is a title reserved for our own dog, Sally.  But my 
brother suggested putting this sweetheart on my blog today,
because I spent the afternoon at the dentist, and won't have time
to paint before I post tonight.

This was a touching commission for my son's girlfriend, Emily.  The
dog is beyond adorable, and beloved.  Plus painting it pulled me
out of the non-creative doldrums after a family tragedy.  So I'll
be grateful forever to this dog.   

We are having a cold blast, and had snow and freezing rain today.
I bought pansies from the lady I bought them from last week,
and she scurried to put the little planters in my car trunk because 
Wow was it cold and ice was hitting the flowers.  Expect more paintings of
those beauties if they make it through the next few days.

I hope you have a Kinney(dog), or a Sally (dog), or a Timbah (cat),
or a Fiona (cat), in your life today.  They save you from 
worrying about things like weather as they concentrate on the
important things -- food, play and sleep.  

Have an enjoying your food, play and sleep day. 

That's what we're waiting for!

Forsythia at the pond

iPad drawing 

8 x10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

People waiting for Fresh starts in April, are waiting for signs of
spring.  I thought I'd show you this iPad drawing of a pond a few blocks
away, because in another week or so it will look like this.  Forsythia,
blue bells, just sooooo beautiful.  There might even be some ducks.
There were Canada geese there the other day.

Meanwhile, it is supposed to snow tomorrow. Yes really.  So I'm glad I
went for a great walk with a friend today and saw crocuses and snowbells,
the first brave flowers of spring.

Have a dreaming of perfect weather day.

My art group takes a northern turn in the Month of Fresh Starts

Kurt of the North

Art Group Sketch

16 x 20

Barbara Muir © 2019

A year or so ago when I'd go to my art group on Tuesday

nights, it would be portrait one week, and figure the next.
On figure night the model would be nude.  Under the old
regime tonight would have been that night.  So when I
walked into the room and saw our model, not only dressed,
but dressed for the arctic, I was a bit surprised.

As I'm more of a portrait (dressed) person than a figure
drawing artist, I was happy.  And what could offer more of
a costume than this heavy and complicated coat?  It was
definitely spring here in Toronto today, and the rest of us were
much too warm, with our spring gear on.  I felt sorry for the
model, sitting under the lights. He must have been very hot.

But he was an excellent model, and in one hour at the club,
with two ten minute breaks I created this sketch.

Have a getting ready to be surprised day!

Straight up addicted -- to art

The red roof 

Watercolour, acrylic ink and marker

on Canson Watercolour paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

There are addictions that are easy to explain -- coffee,

alcohol, dope -- but art is a whole different story.
How do you explain it?  Something hit you over the
head with a passion to paint and draw, and you
can't ditch it.  I know almost no one who has
successfully quit drawing and painting.

The desire runs deep.  Even when it doesn't work,
even when we've got no time for it, even when
we need a break.  Even if we don't paint, or draw,
or sculpt, or take photos or one other arty thing --
it is there.  Planted deep in our skulls, brains,
hearts, probably in our blood cells.  This incredible
urge to make something.

I have dashed off a little watercolour and pen sketch
tonight.  It was a teaching night, and I seriously
thought.  Nope.  No blog.  Too tired, and then?
Here is is a little sketch.  So much fun to do.

Have a listening to your passions day.