More Inktober -- the gift of empty time

Reading in the studio

Ball point pen on paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

There I was sitting a test.  Normally so frustrating, because

there are two hours with nothing to do. But today I brought
the start of a drawing and kept working at it.

Once again it's in a very fickle ballpoint pen's offerings.
The pen kept quitting and quitting, but ultimately I am
very happy with where the drawing ended up.  I may
try and take a better photo of it tomorrow.

Meanwhile have a wonderful day, and thank you
Inktober for making drawing one of my priorities.

Have an enjoying your time day.

Visitors, nature and cat birthdays

Gabrielle Fischer Horvath, Director Catch the Moments

Gallery and studio visits my studio.

Today I was delighted to have Gabrielle Fischer Horvath,

come for a visit.  Gabrielle is an amazing sculptor, and the
art director and curator at Catch The Moments gallery in
Niagara Falls.  We had a lovely time over coffee, and talked
about possible plans for the future.

After Gabrielle went on to her next appointment, my son Sam and
his girlfriend Emily dropped by, and we talked about art
(Emily's -- see my blog about her work) some more.

The wasps devouring maple syrup and

leaving their human hosts alone.

Meanwhile on the back porch the wasp invasion was nicely
controlled by a dish of maple syrup.  Make that at least three
dishes of maple syrup with refills, and we could sit out happily
and observe them without fear of being stung.  They had no
interest in us.

Tonight we celebrated (two days late as they pointed out)
the cats' birthdays.  Timbah and Fiona have birthdays on
the same day.  As far as I can determine Fiona just turned
12 and Timbah turned 15.  Wow.  Time goes fast with
animals.  They were treated both to our singing Happy
Birthday with an extra chorus by Sally the dog, and to
a special dinner featuring sardines along with their
regular food.

Timbah gets a birthday song, and

sardines (a special treat).

Fiona gets a birthday song, and sardines too.

Fiona wants the birthday candle to accompany

her while she eats.  After all it is her

birthday, so she gets her wish. And

sardines -- a very special treat.

So all in all it was a very full and joyous day.

Wishing you a joyous day.

Portrait of a beautiful day

Self portrait of a very happy me

Ball point pen on paper

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

It was a stunner of a day -- very beautiful.  I am feeling better, and

was well enough to make a fast trip to the market with

Steven.  The farmer friend at the market gave me pickles because

apparently they're good for the immune system, and his were

soooo good (he's a chef). 

Then we sat on the back porch relaxing watching wasps devour 

the little bowl of sugar and water I'd left out.  I read somewhere

that that keeps them away from you if you want to sit outside

at the height of their interest, and it worked big time.

The back porch is always hot on a hot day, and so it was delightful

on a cool, sunny day.  And the rest of the day was equally lovely. 

Have a very happy day.

Inktober -- favourite café in the MoMA

Lunch at the MoMA

black marker on French drawing paper

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

What I love about this Inktober practice is the ability
to draw what catches my fancy.  I've been looking for
an image of this amazing bouquet for a few days now,
and finally found it.

This was an absolutely striking bouquet of brilliant
pink flowers set against dark green leaves, in a high
white glass vase.  Astoundingly beautiful, and I have
not done it justice.

What I always loved about the photo was the surprisingly
sulky woman in one corner.  I think I've made her a little
less sulky, and seeing it as a drawing, I think it might
make a good painting.  But for now.  A friend of mine
(and I can't remember which one) met the guy who does
these bouquets in the MoMA and the Met in New York
city.  And that friend watched him do a demo, which
I would love to see.  Because some of the many things
that made me fall in love with New York City were
the enormous and elegant flower bouquets in those two
art museums.

Have a loving flowers day.

Inktober continues -- more Madonna and friend Franco

More work on the drawing of 

Botticelli's Madonna of the Pomegranate

for Inktober

Black marker on paper

5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019

Today I was trying to take it easy as suggested by my

doctor.  I have been fighting what is thought to have been
pneumonia for a month, while continuing on with
my regular life, painting, teaching, being in art shows.
Apparently I have no symptoms left, but need more
rest. And I've been told to chill.

So today's efforts are a continuation of my work on
the drawing of the Madonna of the Pomegranate,
and a fast sketch of my friend Franco Mbilizi from
a selfie he took lying on the grass with his dog.
The dog was too hard for today, but I tried to
capture Franco.

Franco the Creator

Black marker on paper

5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Don't worry Franco.  Send me another selfie and
I'll draw you again.   I did have fun working on both,
so I think that's what the doctor ordered.

Have a doing what you love day.

Inktober -- drawing a Botticelli

Drawing based on Botticelli's Madonna of the
Pomegranate
Pen on white drawing paper
Barbara Muir © 2019

I don't know if I can commit to producing an ink

drawing every day -- which is what Inktober is
about.  But going through my files today looking for
something to draw I came upon a photo I took
(in Florence I believe) of Botticelli's Madonna of
the Pomegranate.

I worked on it for quite a while.  She's complicated,
and all about colour and form.  And this is a line
drawing, but I enjoyed myself, and that's the main
thing.  I'm not big on copying the masters.  But I
learned so much about what Botticelli was doing
from staring at a photo of the work so long.

If I continue on in Inktober now and then, I may try and
finish this drawing.  I am not religious at all, but I
loved the mood of this piece.

Have a drawing for Inktober day.

Progress is happening

On the easel Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Everyone I know is talking about the environment,

discussing solutions, sending suggestions about how

to behave, what to do, what not to do, and how to

vote.  In Canada our federal (national) elections are this

month and the environment is front and center.  

I am working (very slowly) on a painting for the Four

Seasons show at the Heliconian Club  next month, which 

is focused on the climate change crisis we're living through. 

It's one of those paintings that takes a long time, but gets richer,

and more vibrant the more I work on it.  And today it is

starting to become clear to me where I am going -- step,

by step -- to get to the big picture. (Well 30 x 30 inches -- so

not small).

Have a taking care of the planet day.