More Inktober

 

Me as a child
Self portrait journal sketch

Marker on journal paper

5 x 7 inches
Barbara Muir © 

A friend's quiet birthday today (with me), so I was 
quite occupied running around getting ready.  Which I know is
silly. But true.  And she was happy so that was sweet.

I'm quoting from a former post about this fast little 
portrait sketch that I like:

"This sketch is of me as a little girl.  I like it. I think you can
see how shy I was, and also a hint of my determination to keep
going.  That's something that comes and goes, so I appreciate
that it was there when I was a little kid. I think I'm two or three
in this drawing inspired by a small photo taken by one of my parents."

Love it. And the happy, sunny mood.

Have a loving your life day! 

MIssing you Chloe´

                          Before the Dance in the White Dress                     

 Acrylic on canvas

 24 x 24 inches

 Barbara Muir © 2008

After the Dance in the White Dress
Acrylic on canvas
 24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2008

My niece Chloé died suddenly on October 4, 9 years ago.
She was beautiful, kind, intelligent -- a wonderful young
woman. We loved her.  She was very creative and 
funny.  I was so busy Sunday, that although I felt
like there was some family occasion I was missing
it didn't register that it was Chloé.

She posed for these two portraits in my Dance Series, and
I will be grateful to her for doing that forever. She was a
wonderful model, and sweet, brilliant girl.

Miss you Chloé. We love you!

Have a loving your life day!

I found a favourite post

The listening effect

Black marker and watercolour on

watercolour paper

10 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 

It's been a crazy busy day.  We were in a long neighbourhood
meeting outside after work.  And it was very cold. So I
found this former post that I like.  And my mother was still
alive, which made it all the more special.

When the family was over the other day, we kept using the
line first, then second then "third spill of the day." This
post reminded me of that:

"Today has been quite the day.  Tomorrow
I start a new commission, so I'm heading off
to bed.  But here is a Payne's grey 
painting.  In a noisy cafeteria, the subject
listens to the call through earphones (the
buds).  When I paint in Payne's Grey (I say
that like I've been doing it for years -- and
in fact  when I was at OCAD, my favourite
medium was watercolour and pen and ink
drawings with nib pens and ink) I get
lost in Value thoughts.  Today I enjoyed the
watercolour essence of the medium and the
value happened effortlessly.

But honestly -- much as I am enjoying working
in values, I feel terribly sorry for all of the students in
workshops all across this country and the
world, religiously doing value studies thinking
it will make them into artists.  Nothing will
do that, and don't you remember the first
time someone let you take a big brush and put
colour on a page?  I am willing to bet that's
why we're still painting today.  So thank you
Mrs. Jordon, my kindergarten teacher who
introduced me to big paper and brilliant tempera
paints.

My mother and I were laughing the other
day about the time I was doing a pen and
ink drawing in my room using indelible
ink, and spilled a whole bottle on the rug.
It made a gorgeous, huge black stain on a
lovely sea blue rug.  My mother got my brothers to
move the bed, and the rug so that my father
wouldn't see the spill and be upset.  He
didn't, and he wasn't, but I know that when
they left that house years later the very nice rug
with the big ink stain did not move with my
parents."

Have a loving your life day!

The bravery of joy

After Breakfast
Black marker on bond paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 

In recent days I've seen friends going through the hardest
times, who are still working on being joyous.  I find this
moving.

This drawing of the remnants of a hotel breakfast makes
me happy, joyous -- because I have such fond memories
of every hotel breakfast.

This has been a strange day. Steven and I drove for
an hour trying to charge my car's battery. Then we got
home, left it for another hour, and when I tried to start it
again dead.  Meanwhile a signal on the dashboard showed
a key. After I messed around with controls on the 
door, and the key -- the car started.  Then my mechanical
engineer husband was determined to solve the problem.
He did. I need a new key fob. Okay.

The drive was beautiful, and we loved driving by Lake
Ontario and seeing people playing in the parks.
Despite the reason for the drive (trying to charge the car)
we felt joyous.  So happy seeing the blue of the lake.

Have a loving your life day!

Inktober, and so many art shows

 

Nicole

Inktober sketch before Inktober existed

Marker on watercolour paper

12 x 9 inches

Barbara Muir ©

(Skype drawing from the 

Consumer Electronics Show

2009)

Today I'm showing you another Inktober drawing.  Steven and
I have been to 3 art shows since last night.  The first one at 
Edwards Gardens on Friday night was Essence of the Garden, the second
annual plein air art exhibition and sale. Many of my artist friends
showed beautiful work in the show, and you can visit it on
regular hours for Edwards Gardens for the next couple of weeks.

The Luminous show opening of photographic work at the Heliconian
Hall opened today with so many fabulous photos.  There was song,
dance and poetry to accompany the exhibition and it was often
very moving, and also quite delightful. Kudos to all my friends
who have fabulous work in the show!

Tonight we went to see the opening of the Nuit Blanche Avenue
Road Art School exhibition for teachers and students at Young
Place on Shaw Street. One of my friends, Jennifer Hinrichs,
teaches for the school and has a wonderful painting in the show. 

Alas while still recovering from a long road trip, coping with a cat
who just had surgery, and the intensity of all this, I didn't take
any photos.  I apologize, but check these shows out. Nuit
Blanche ends at 7 a.m. Sunday morning, so if you're an
early riser -- go and see it.

World Smile Day is today October 3, this year, and I think I 
made a few people smile. My husband and I did fake smiles
until we ended up laughing and smiling happily. There is so
much appalling news -- write our MPs, protest if we can, sign
every petition asking for an end to racism, wars -- cruelty of every
sort.

But smiling for family, friends, funny people, new friends and
people helping us, and who we are helping, still matters.

This drawing is from a super commission where I drew people via
Skype (now it would be Zoom) for the Consumer Electronics Show.
It was such a great assignment. 

It's movie night.  So have a fantastic weekend.

Have a loving your life day!

Flowers save the day

 

Joyous Anemones

an Inktober drawing

Black marker on
Canson Mixed Media paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

The fall blooming anemones are very happy that it rained all
night last night.  Steven and I even did a short walk in the rain, 

and believe me we were the only ones walking.

The beautiful crest of magnificent white anemones are
breathtaking.  And on a day when I had to spend hours
on the phone and in person trying to solve a false bank charge
 -- seeing them when I came home made me happy.

The huge heat this summer meant we didn't complete our garden 
this year.  But the anemones have done their thing. A friend
warned me that anemones are invasive, and this year my 
neighbour is glad that they've invaded her garden too. Right
now they are taller than me at 5'4 inches -- probably six feet.

They are so incredibly beautiful that every time we look out
the back door, or sit and drink coffee on the back porch we
feel reassured that somehow things will turn out right.

A miracle in the current world.

Have a loving your life day!

A great time with family and Inktober!

 

Let's talk

black marker on paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Mur © 2019

I wasn't happy that September was over, because I am not 
ready for summer to end.  But we had a lovely time today 
with our very creative, and funny family members, and a 
sweet neighbour, and I loved it.

And it's Inktober time! I've never officially joined Inktober
but love doing pen and ink drawings. This drawing is one of
my favourites -- based on a photo of me by my father, who
was an excellent photographer.

Have a loving your life day!