The week of the lemon and Happy Easter

 

 Memories of California

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

I thought I'd post this painting I did two years ago of lemons
because it seemed like the perfect symbol of the last week.
I can't remember drinking that much hot lemon, in a long
time. I hope you had a great holiday weekend.  We did, and
as I was cleaning up my room after the great egg hiding
caper, I found a little drawing I did in a journal the
year Christopher was born.  I think it's appropriate
that I was writing soppy poems about freedom, right
before we decided to make one of the biggest decisions of
our lives -- to have children.  And tonight when everyone
went home, I thought -- that's what my children have
given me -- the freedom to love and to work at loving
well.  I could not have become the person I am trying
to be without them. 

 I think my sister started this practice of blindfolding little kids

and leading them to the treasure then taking the blind fold off.  

(It was a pin the tail on the donkey idea, with presents at the end)

So we picked this up too when our kids were little, and still 

do the same ritual on Christmas and Easter.  

Today after the blindfolds came off they saw their 

beautiful Easter baskets, and then the hunt was on, 

all of it is very funny at this point, because they are grown up.  

(Megan, Christopher and Sam -- ready to go and find chocolate eggs.)

So happy Easter and Happy Passover, and Happy whatever
you celebrate. I am grateful that you are out there, it makes my
heart soar like this little bird from long ago.

Bird in Flight

ink on sketchbook paper

8 1/2 x 11 inches

Barbara Muir ©

Harold and the blue eggs

 

Harold and the blue eggs

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

 Barbara Muir © 2013

I was thinking about Alyson Stanfield asking for bunny
pictures and I painted this painting of my rabbit Harold
sitting in the tulip garden with blue eggs.  Harold
was my rabbit when I was in university.  I don't
remember how I got her as a pet, but she (yes she
was a girl rabbit) was lovely.

I found out things about rabbits that I never knew --
such as rabbits growl, and love being held and patted.
They do eat carrots and all hard vegetables, but
will eat tubes of paint too.

Happy Easter everyone and Thank you Alyson for
sending me down memory lane. I enjoyed painting
my old bunny and remembering how crazy life
was in my university days.

Have a hunting-for-eggs day.

Spring weekend -- winter memories

Winter Memories

iPad Drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

Happy whatever you are celebrating this weekend.
I am not religious, but my children (grown up) love
the Easter egg hunt.  So much so that our married
son Christopher and his wife Megan, will visit on
 Sunday for the egg hunt at lunch time, and again for
the ritual turkey dinner in the evening.

Every year I think maybe this year they won't want it,
but who am I kidding, it's one of the funniest days
of the year.  We hide pounds of chocolate around the
house and Christopher, Sam and Megan gather all of
it in baskets.  Lately Megan has been finding the most
chocolate, which is fair because she loves it
more than anyone.

Today I'm painting and I wish everyone a wonderful
long weekend whatever you're doing on this
lovely spring day.

Here's a little iPad drawing of a beautiful house near
my brother's house down a country lane in Chelsea,
Quebec.  I'm sure the last time I drew it there were
far fewer trees.  It's starting to look like the magic
princess will have to find her way through the forest
to save the prince.  I think my brother lives in a
paradise, and actually so do his neighbours in the
yellow house.  The snow is melting in the countryside
around Toronto, and is all but gone in the city.  It
was very beautiful this winter in Quebec.

Have a happy-spring-weekend.

Happy Birthday Wing -- and Happy Weekend everyone

 

 Wing photographing himself with his portrait.

Water Image #4 Wing at the beach

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

My client Wing is in New York City today, the lucky
guy (one of my favorite cities in the world), so I thought
I'd show you this picture of Wing in my kitchen
photographing himself with his portrait.

Sometimes I take a portrait to my clients, but most
of the time clients come and pick up their commissioned
work here.  Either way it's always an emotional exchange.
I am excited because the work is done, and I have put
my heart and soul into it, and the client is excited and
happy because our collaboration has made an idea come alive.

It's so gratifying in ways I can't even describe when
a subject loves the painting, and Wing did.  I am
almost over this cold/flu bug, and every improvement
is so welcome.  Wing's happiness and the sound of
robins singing in the spring today made me
overjoyed.

Have an enjoying-happy-results day.

Hurray -- my portrait goes home

 Water Image # 4 Wing on the beach

Acrylic on canvas

20 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

SOLD ♥

My client came to pick up his portrait today.  Wing Lee
works as a costume designer/cutter/sewer in the film
and TV industry.  He is a very good artist himself,
so it was doubly nice when he saw his portrait and
broke into a wide, happy grin.  My painting is a well
deserved present to him from himself for his birthday.

Kim Rempel talked on her blog today quoted Iris
Nowell talking about abstract art, and "allowing the painting
to possess you."  I felt that way about this painting
even though it's not abstract.  I felt myself sink
into the photos of Wing's face I was working from,
hearing the conversations we'd had in my mind,
and coming to a visual image that came from an
almost subconscious understanding of my subject.

Wing is a very happy person -- he chooses to be
that way, but he is soulful too and is very
knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects.

Props to Wing for a joyous experience creating this
portrait from start to finish, and to Kim for
her thoughtful blog.

Have a happy-ending day.

Set the timer -- half an hour will do it

 Reading on the dock

Work in progress

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

(I didn't get much more done

here today.  I've been working on

another portrait -- but I'm happy with

how it's going --still mostly

blocking in and underpainting.)

I am sorry to report dear readers that I am still, still,
feeling not that great.  What to do?  There is work
to be done, and I'm the worker.  I often think
of Robert Genn's advice to paint a little bit
before bed.  For night owls like me that is
great advice, unless the morning starts at 5:30
a.m. as it does for me on Thursdays at the moment.

But I have another solution to the problem of
existence when something like a cold hits. Work in
small doses, and set a timer.  Today I can get
through exactly half an hour before flagging.
And you know what?  A lot can happen in those
short bits. 

Have a figuring-out-what-works day.

Low energy and good times

Constant Companion

iPad drawing

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

I am still under the heavy cold.  I'm trying to work,
but have to rest often.  And I have just the right
amount of energy for Twitter.  About a month ago
I bought a wonderful book Mrs. Queen Takes The Train,
by William Kuhn which I can highly recommend.

Today I was looking at Twitter, (I don't every day)
and I saw that William Kuhn responded to me when
I recommended the book to one of the people I follow.
After reading his deliciously written, brilliantly
researched book, he is one of my heroes.  So that
was definitely very cool.

True -- hot lemon remains the order of the day, but
it's a good day.

The picture is of my cat Fiona.  To anyone who says
cats aren't sensitive I say you haven't met my cats.
When one of us is ill, Fiona is right there.   And is
soon joined by my other cat Timbah.

Have an enjoying-life's-good-books day.