Friday night -- and a good day in art

 

Sam on Skype
Marker on bond paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches

Barbara Muir © 

I like this drawing of my son Sam at university a few years
ago. His bulletin board looks so organized. It was a wonderful
day today.  My friend who helps me get organized came for
the afternoon and we worked on editing the studio among other things.

Plus I did the old set the timer thing, and worked on two paintings
that were driving me crazy.  Infinitely better, but not ready to
be shown to you here.  I forgot that part of the trick of the 10
minutes on the timer, is that you keep going.  You turn the
timer off, and think just maybe I can do this, and then that,
and soon it's 40 minutes.  So I kept using that trick.

Now I am very happy, and grateful to all of you who come here,
and to my family for allowing me to draw and paint them.

Have a loving your life day!

The Ottawa visit

View along the road from Kingston to Ottawa

Beautiful farm houses all along the route

Photo
Barbara Muir ©

Last weekend we went to Ottawa for 4 days.  It was a wonderful, short
holiday. We stay in the same hotel every time we go to the city, and
it's right in the center of town, near the market, across the street from
the Ottawa Art Gallery. So good.

It rained heavily on Sunday, so we stuck to the room and read, and
enjoyed relaxing.  Plus we took a drive along the parkway after the
Iron Man event was over, and loved the beauty as always.  And
we visited my brother and his wife in Chelsea. Those two look
out on one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen -- gorgeous
trees, and down the hill, the river. Amazing.

My eyes are not quite recovered, but I'm painting anyway.

Have a loving your life day!

Mark your calendar and come on by on Saturday!

Joyous Sunflowers

Acrylic on canvas
24 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2026

Have a loving your life day!

 

Hi everyone -- we just got back from a visit to Ottawa

We actually arrived home after 10 p.m. tonight, and have unpacked,
and just finished dinner -- so the story tonight is that there are two
more public viewings (openings) of the Primary show.  One this Saturday
from 2-5 p.m.  The invitation is above.

I'd love to see you this weekend.  I have 3 pieces in the show, and I look
forward to showing them to you.  As always the openings are free, and
there will be treats -- cookies, coffee and more.

I hope you had a great long weekend. We did.

Have a loving your life day!

 

A weekend of wonder

 

Sunset

Photo
Barbara Muir ©

It's been a delightful weekend.  I've done sketches, and am thinking about
work.  I'm also debating whether or not to join some exciting international
shows. Steven and I have been taking a super break from our normal
routines and enjoying experiencing beautiful views as I take endless
reference photos.

It's a long weekend in Canada, and everywhere we go there's a happy
holiday spirit.  I hope you have a great day.  This photo popped up on
my phone, and even though I think it's a winter image, it captured 
a stunning sunset, and seems appropriate for the awe I've been 
feeling this weekend looking at nature.

Have a loving your life day!

It's the long weekend and I have so many reasons to be happy

View from the highway

Acrylic on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2017

(So much of my 

work is inspired by my

travels -- It was a
rainy day but we took
a drive through some
amazing scenery.

I love being out on the road --

away from the familiar --

and thinking about making art

based on my delight at what
I'm looking at.)

My husband and I have decided to make the long weekend about taking
a break, and we are.  So today we rested, read, watched our TV show,
and took some delightful drives in the rain to see awesome views.
It seems a good day for the exercise I loved doing with my students --

10 Reasons to be happy

1. I am happy because I have a loving husband.
2. I am happy because I have a loving family.
3. I'm happy because we had a delicious dinner with family tonight.
4. I am happy because I have kind, funny friends around
    the world.
5.  I am happy because I'm an artist, and I love making art.
6. I'm happy that I get to  meet amazing people
    every year at openings and drawing sessions with my
    art groups.
7. I'm happy that I live in Canada -- never happier about that.
8. I'm happy that I've learned how to be happy, and am
    still learning, and love knowing that I'll learn more
     and more for the rest of my life. And I'm grateful for
    everything that you have taught me about happiness.
9. I'm happy that I've learned to love myself enough to
    choose spend most of my time with kind and happy people.
10. I'm happy that I don't believe in horoscopes, superstition
    or most dogma.
11.  I'm happy that I love to read and I have more than
        one superb novel.
12.  I'm happy that I know how to breathe to calm myself 
        down if life get tense. 

        Okay I went beyond 10. Of course I have so many more reasons.
        I'm happy that the Primary show has an opening at the Heliconian Hall
        Saturday, August 8 from 2 - 5 p.m. at 35 Hazelton Avenue
        in Toronto.  I have 3 pieces in the show, so come on out!
        It's free and there are treats.

Have a loving your life day!

A happy day of seeing some country roads

Full Serve

Watercolour on
watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 

Steven and I were enjoying a bit of a country drive today -- singing, 
laughing and marvelling at the beauty of the country landscapes.
Of course I'd like to paint absolutely everything we saw. Still --
It's movie night, a so I'm going to use my thoughts from a former 
blog:

"Steven and I are thinking about going on holiday.  It's
amazing how much planning that takes.  What I love aside
from actually getting away -- is the long preamble -- sometimes
months long, of talking about what we loved the last time
we went away. It is a type of love talk over dinner, or going to
buy groceries or on a walk -- especially when one thing we
love is travel.

A trio of paintings I did awhile back have come into view,
while I was searching through my blog for other images. 
And I wish I did more of these.  At the moment they have a
profoundly moral look. As in is this right at all? But at the
time, they were just about enjoying the look of people getting
gas, and relaxing on their travels.  The background in this is
Nova Scotia, and a perfect Nova Scotia house."

I hope you're having an inspiring weekend.

Have a loving your life day!