The build to the bunny -- The Easter bunny is declared essential

Cutie the bunny goes shopping

Black marker on Fabriano note paper

6 1/4 x 8 1/2

Barbara Muir © 2013

We are a celebratory family.  My husband and I love
family gatherings.  For Easter Steven usually cooks
an amazing turkey, makes some kind of delicious
pie.  Our sons bring potatoes and vegetables, and
we all get together with my older son's wife and
two little girls, and my younger son's girlfriend and
-- have an egg hunt, and a meal. I love it.  It's so fun.

This year because of the virus we are separated
from the family, and will not get together.  Meanwhile
both our provincial premier, and the Mayor of Toronto
have said that the Easter Bunny is an essential service,
and people are allowed to have Easter egg hunts in their
own homes.

We are not church goers -- I feel for people who are --
because in Canada at least churches are all closed
down to fight the virus.  But we love the eggs,
the hunt, and the dinner together.  And the bunnies.
Chocolate, toy bunnies, you name it.  Tonight's
little sketch is of a bunny we encountered in Ikea --
a strange place for a live bunny.  This was seven
years ago -- it would not be happening today.
In fact Ikea is closed, like all major businesses
other than grocery stories and drugstores.

Have a celebrating in isolation day

10 Reasons to be happy -- practicing appreciation

Paris Anemones

black marker on Moleskine paper

8 x 11 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

(I remember these beautiful flowers

so well.  They were a brilliant red.

The thought of returning to Paris

someday when all of this is over is another 

reason to be happy.)

The numbers today are staggering, and as these mount up
each day -- every bit of happiness matters more than ever.

1.  I am trying to teach remotely, and my students have done
an excellent job today creating professional presentations
on YouTube.

2. We are well.  And our family and friends are well. That is the
 main reason to be happy.

3.  I finished reading my excellent, but horrifically
sad book A Good Neighbourhood.  It is very well written,
but so disturbing that it has taken me almost a month to
read it.  Not normal for me. Next up a happy novel, online
no matter what.

4. Parts of the garden are starting to grow.  We may have
tulips next week.

5. A friend sent a list of reasons to be happy.

6.  A friend sent a virtual tour of Venice.

7. I get to share my thoughts with you.  (This is not number
seven -- it is a number 1, but this goes in the order that I
think of it, and my brain is going in quite a few directions
at once.)

8.  A friend and I talked about meeting for tea at the Art
Gallery of Ontario in Toronto when this is over, and that
thought brought back such vivid (and recent) memories
of sitting in the Member's Lounge having a delicious
lunch, and then walking through the gallery seeing one
magnificent painting after another!

9.  I am learning new skills that will help me with all
of my future work, like how to make voice recordings
that I can share via email.

10.  I am alive and happy.  Being happy is the best reason
to be happy.  Thank you to everyone out there who was
having a bad day and called me to cheer up, and cheered
me up in the process.  And thank you again to everyone
working to put an end to this, and discover vaccine.

Have a making someone happy day.

Taking nothing for granted -- each pleasurable moment is a gift

Portrait of Tia before the dance

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 36 inches

Barbara Muir © 

( I love this portrait.

Tia was a neighbour and an amazing

model for several of my dance

series paintings.  Then she grew up and 

moved away.  Thank you Tia for your 

wonderful work for me.)

For the health workers trying to help save COVID-19 patients, and
the families living with horrific fear and tragedy this is an
impossible situation, but even so they carry on.

For the rest of us who are healthy and living in social isolation,
each free moment, every single minute of good health and wellbeing
is a miracle. Getting to write this blog every day is a miracle. Getting
to think about art every day is wonderful.

People are saying that we will never go back to taking the good
things in our lives for granted.  I don't know if that's true, because
we are creatures of habit, and these new habits will recede in our
memories when we can stop using them.

Now, right now today what matters is being vigilant, not just
with all the measures to protect our health, but with our
capability for delight, which will save our sanity.  Sanity is
going to matter more, and more every single day that this
"new normal" continues.  We have to help each other with
that.

My simple formula for this minute is to be grateful to my
husband for the delicious coffee, and to look outside.

Have a loving what works day.

A moving day -- and the power of kindness

Ken's flowers
acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir 2009
SOLD ♥

(The vase in the painting was given to

me by a lovely neighbour down the road

in Wallace Bridge, who is gone now.)

Tonight we went for short drive in the neighbourhood, and at 7:30 heard 

church bells ringing, and people making whatever kind of noise they could
banging on pots and pans and cheering in support of the front line
health workers.  That moved me so much.  

When I got home and thought about what to say I felt like it was time for
 flowers.  This painting was inspired by a gorgeous arrangement of
flowers from our friend Ken Lander.  We have known Ken Lander of
Sunrise Greenhouses outside of Pugwash, Nova Scotia almost since
we first started going to our school house in Nova Scotia more than 20
years ago.  When we found Ken and his beautiful gardens, and greenhouses
it was like a miracle, because we love flowers, I paint them quite often, and
we couldn't find any to buy.  

Ken is always so gracious, and enthusiastic. We'd walk with him

as he'd moved through his gardens picking flowers to create a beautiful
bouquet.  All the while the ocean was in view just beyond the highway.
Ken and Maxine his partner are total sweethearts. It makes me happy
every time I see them.

And like Ken bringing beauty into the world, the health care workers,
and Toronto people cheering them on are trying to make the world
a better place.  Right now it is so heartwarming to see these demonstrations
of kindness.  We are all here for each other, and we'll come through this.

Have a staying safe and healthy day

Ontario is taking this virus seriously -- that helped me paint

Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24  inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

I spent some time today working on this landscape -- about

one of the most beautiful parks on the western edge of Toronto.

The whole time I was listening to CBC Radio, our provincial

premier, Doug Ford, and health officials in Ontario talking about how 

our province in Canada is dealing with this incredible virus coming

at us.  

What most of us are doing -- like people who understand how 

serious this is all over the world -- is staying home, except to get groceries.

And doing that combined with social distancing of two

meters (six feet, seven inches) is working so far, and we have to

continue.

My painting is certainly a work in progress, but the exciting

thing for me is that I'm back looking at it.  And I'm coming in and 

out of the studio, thinking about what to change, painting, then

thinking about what needs to happen next? For an artist that is a vital
process. And knowing that our government cares about this virus as
much as we do, made me very happy.

Have a taking care of yourself day

We need our heroes -- thank you to people like Wing

Water Image # 4 Wing on the beach

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

SOLD ♥

I am so proud of Wing Lee who is a cutter for major TV shows and

movies.  Meaning he cuts the designs that will become the
clothing you see in the shows. The other day he cut and
sewed 72 face masks in his home studio, to help the healthcare
workers who are running short of masks.  And his masks look
beautiful.  Plus he said that he might make 28 more the next day.

I admire Wing's resilient spirit in this hard time.  Normally
he goes to some exciting place for his birthday, like
New York City, but this year was at home alone with his
cat.

I love this portrait of Wing, because he's set against another
place he loves to be, and we share that delight. The love of
the ocean.

I haven't seen Wing in person for a couple of years, he
travels a lot, and was in Europe for two months around
Christmas working on a series.  But I feel like we keep
in touch through Social Media.

So thank you so much Wing for putting your talents to
work to help people who need your talent so much right
now -- the front line health workers.

Having a staying home and staying safe day.

Closed, closed, closed, closed -- open

In a park by the lake -- happiness

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2018

(available)

We took a short drive today to see the lake --
so beautiful.  The hard part was that it was
Wednesday afternoon, and we drove by so many
stores that are closed now.  We must have passed
hundreds in our travels, and the dead stillness of these
normally thriving stores, and neighbourhoods is
so upsetting.

Here is what's open.  First of all we can all open our
hearts to each other, and make sure even though
we are scared, lonely, and frightened that we give
our best to everyone.

Plus every artist I know is eager to sell their work.
That includes the one writing this to you. Me.  If
you have an overwhelming need to cheer
yourself up with some art -- that can be done.
Contact me, or any artist whose work
attracts you, and find out what I (they)
would charge for the piece you love.  Shipping
is usually extra.  But hey.  Something
beautiful. That's like flowers right? -- essential.
And artists can ship from their own homes without
going out in public.

Keep safe, and practice social distancing.