Meeting deadlines and the kindness of neighbours

Peonies in the kitchen

Photo

Barbara Muir © 

Saturday is always a busy day.  We go to the market in the late morning,
and today we had a lot of errands to run. Plus I had work to do to get
ready for a deadline.  

And Saturday is movie night.  I love this photo from a couple of years

ago that looks like our kitchen this past week, and yes it is 
peony time, and my sweet neighbours know I love them, and give 
them to me, or tell me to pick them from their gardens. Wow that
is so nice, and they look so fantastically beautiful.

I hope you had a lovely day and that you have a great rest of the
weekend. 

Have a loving your life day! 

So sad about David Hockney -- I wrote about him on a piece about a friend visiting Paris

 

Suzanne in Paris
black marker on bond paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Barbara Muir © 
(My friend Suzanne gave me the photo
 I used as reference for this when she came back
 from Paris. It's one of my favourite drawings
because I didn't quite capture the look
on her face in the original photo, but she looks
 very content. I love how her hair

is blowing around in the wind. But I
especially love that 
she looks so relaxed and happy.
To me that is the Paris effect.)

I know it is a strange combination thinking about Paris, and grieving
that David Hockney is gone. I was just watching a wonderful video
of him talking about his massive painting of the grand canyon a few
nights ago. The connection is about his kindness with his wonderful
drawings. Here's what I wrote about him in a former post:

"I was reading a blog about two interviews with David Hockney on
our national radio channel CBC in 2012.  I loved one sweet thing Hockney
said.  When Hockney started drawing on his iPhone he sent the drawings
to friends.  He talked about how most items people get in their emails are
requests, and pieces of information.  So he'd wake up, see a sunrise or a flower

(he liked to have flowers about), and draw that and send it off.  What he liked
most about it was that his friends said that they enjoyed receiving his little
drawings.   I loved that story. So I should make a copy of this drawing and
send it to Suzanne. Good idea. See how you and David Hockney help me?

Thank you."

I loved reading that story today after learning that Hockney had died.
And in case I didn't already do so, I'll send this drawing to my friend
Suzanne right away.

Have a loving your life day!

The online community has been a miracle for me

 

Drawing my friend via Skype
Photo
2009

I came upon this photo of me drawing my friend Melinda Esparza
as we talked via Skype. Skype was the beginning of video 
communication for me. Since then Zoom saved teaching
when we were in lockdown for COVID, and I could still teach
my students virtually.  I've made friends through Instagram Zoom,
and kept my friendships going through Instagram.  So I am 
grateful for these wonderful connections. Here's what I wrote about

this image:

"Today was a jam packed day so I was delighted to find a post about drawing
with Skype.  Skype -- the Zoom of the time of the photo, was an incredible
gift to my art career, and connected me with friends and students all over the 
world.

Looking through my really old blogs, I found this image from June
2009.  2009 was a pivotal year for me and my art.  I started drawing
using Skype images, when my son was teaching in Korea, and Skype was

our very cool method of communication. During our talks I'd start
drawing, and ultimately my Skype paintings got me the chance to draw
Oprah live via Skype.  That was thanks to Howard Wolinsky who 
encouraged me to do Skype paintings to feature in the Skype blog he
was writing at the time.

This photo is of me drawing my friend Melinda Esparza in Arizona
via Skype.  I got a lot of attention from being featured on the Oprah
show, and I was featured on City News in Toronto on the day of this photo.

The Oprah show, and other TV shows, and newspaper articles

also brought me more attention in the art world.  As I've told you before the
result was getting to exhibit my art in shows in New York City, Florence, Italy
and in the Louvre in Paris, France.  So yes I am incredibly grateful to technology."

Yes I am incredibly grateful to my art community around the world and 
here in Toronto. 

Have a loving your life day.

Obsessed with sunflowers and a great lesson on framing

Apples and Sunflowers
Acrylic on watercolour paper - glazed

3 x 5 inches

 Barbara Muir © 

Today was the second opening of Doris Purchase's exciting show The Ribs of a Place
at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue.  Plus there was an exciting
workshop on framing delivered by -- name of company. Everyone loved it.

Before I attended the opening I had a very instense, long meeting with my
optometrist.  And before that I'd been focused on trying to finish a sunflower
painting. And I wondered -- have I done this before?  Turns out yes -- many
times.  Here is one.

Have a loving your life day!

For the love of pansies

Some pansy paintings
Acrylic ink and marker on
paper.
Each painting is 
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir ©

Quite a lovely day today starting with going to a wonderful neighbourhood
coffee meeting.  I'd just got in the door back home when a sweet neighbour
brought me a huge bouquet of pink peonies.  

A very kind friend came over and helped me load images onto my Instagram
posts.  That was fun.  When I came back from driving her home I picked
some of the beautiful pansies growing in pots on my front steps, and 
brought them in to join the flower displays in the kitchen.  So pretty.

Then I worked away on a couple of paintings for a new show, hoping to meet
 a Sunday night deadline. And tonight I had a super time at my art group.

Have a loving your life day!

World Oceans Day

 

Executive Director of the Amsterdam 

Whitney Gallery and me in front of my

 Ocean series work
Acrylic on canvasses --

(Me with Ruthie Tucker in her gallery
in New York City. I miss her, 
the gallery and New York City so 
much..)

Ten years ago this work, which was also featured in the
Florence Biennale was on view in New York.  It featured
a grouping from the Wonder Water Series.

Doing the Happy People move for

Miranda Brouwers who

started that idea with me at

The Florence Biennale in the

fall of 2015. Together we
 invigorated a good size group. 

And I was incredibly happy

to see the work in New York City!

The gallery attracts a great audience. Because my series
is based on the idea of saving the oceans, there were super 
discussions on that topic.

In the past ten years levels of ocean pollution have increased, wars,
manufacturing, climate change -- our oceans are in more trouble than
ever. Please vote for leaders who care about the environment.

I am thinking about revising the central diptych, or revisiting the theme.

Have a loving your life day!

A lovely concert and thinking about Tom Thomson

Tom Thomson

from a Wikipedia photo

sketch

marker on journal paper

5 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2023

(Unfortunately the marks from the

previous journal page come 

through, but I still like it.)

It's a beautiful day today, and we went to a wonderful
concert to hear family members play piano.  So fantastic.
We enjoyed every minute.

Now it's time to get back to painting, and Tom Thomson
seems like the right inspiration.  I always so inspired 
when I sit looking at his work in the Art Gallery of Ontario.
He was amazing.

I hope you've been having a fantastic weekend.

Have a loving your life day!