A break is in order

Let's Have Some Fun!

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

The one night a week online course is over, and the marks
are going in, the taxes are done, and it's goodbye to this
month. I am grateful to my wonderful students who helped
me enjoy another strange COVID winter.

And I'd have to disagree with T.S. Eliot, who said April
is the cruelest month, because despite its hard problems,
it was the sweetest month for this artist, watching a sea of
blue flowers cover lawns, bright yellow forsythia emerge,
and today magnolias coming into glorious bloom.

I'm showing a portrait from 7 years ago tonight. It never
really looked like me. But I love ink drawings. Wishing
you a joyous May.

Have a loving your life day.

Thinking about food

Studio lemons in a glass bowl 
Acrylic on cradled birch panel
12 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2017
SOLD ♥ 

I've always enjoyed painting what I see in front of me,
or what moves me in my regular life. In recent months
every time I look at the bowl of lemons that regularly
decorates the center of our kitchen table, I think of
Evelyn Oldroyd who has done so many lovely lemon paintings
this year.  So I'm showing a painting of lemons tonight --
this bowl snuck into my studio, and insisted on me painting
its portrait.

I am thinking of joining a virtual food themed art
show, and will be reviewing my files to see which
of my paintings celebrating food -- should try out.

Breakfast is one of my favourite meals to paint,
because in a hotel -- served to you on a rolling
table, with a linen tablecloth, and every delicious
breakfast food -- it seems so symbolic of romance
and the treat of hotel stays.  

Have a loving food day!

10 things I've learned so far in the month of Fresh Starts

Pansies win the crown

Acrylic ink, watercolour and black marker

on watercolour paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Today I am overloaded with end of month tasks, and doctor's appointments,

so here is my blog from this day in 2019, which surprisingly to me -- still
resonates. Maybe this date is special in that way. So much has changed since
that year -- which is why I wanted to look back, and see what I was thinking.

We have gorgeous pansies like these on our front porch steps, so perhaps
I will paint more.

What I learned that year, I learn over and over. I'd forgotten that
I called April The Month of Fresh Starts. That seems right. Things
end -- the tax year, my one night a week class, and new life 
begins everywhere.

1. Thank your friends.  New ideas and methods, and
opportunities come flying in from some of the most
wonderful people in the world -- your friends.

2. Make your own rules.  Listen to other people's
thoughts, and suggestions.  But no one else can
do you.

3. Have as much fun as possible.  I get emails from
Tut.com daily -- Notes from the universe -- and I
think he said that's one of the most important things.

4.  In the face of controversy (and there is some!),
try to be loving.  Even when your first impulse is
to hate, hug yourself mentally and muscle on with
your kindness.

5.  Sleep.  Not on someone else's schedule, but
sleep.

6. Spend time with the people who love you the
most, near and far.  They deserve time with you,
and also make you feel great.

7. Roll with the waves.  Creativity, and all of
life comes in and out like the ocean waves. Let
it if you can.

8. Try going for a walk.  Birdsong, flowers (they
are starting here, and even your friend's dog can
make you feel blissfully happy after 20 minutes.
(Remember that book on raising children that
pointed that out. Write me if you do.)  Raising my
children I used that method, on both my sons and
my husband.

9.  Read a book.  Sometimes even a sentence or
a word can set off a chain of ideas. But books are
lovely for escaping too.

10.  Dance.  A singer with a lovely voice, Sara Bareilles,
was on Saturday Night Live last night, and Steven and I
were so moved, that we looked her up and then
danced to her amazing song.

Have a loving your life day.

Inspired by technology

On the 
Northumberland Strait
Acrylic ink on
watercolour paper
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2022
(This is the beach we visit.
We don't own it.)

The other night my phone selected beautiful photos of Nova
Scotia to show me.  (I know that's intrusive, but it's also
miraculous.) A treat, and so emotional.  It would be wonderful
if the teletransportation inventions my students devised this
term were more than imaginary. Boom -- I'd be there.  Nova Scotia
 -- Paris, Florence, California. Yes. In an instant. The painting
came from my memory of the place in the photo.  The phone
presented different images the next day, but I held the image in
my brain.

When images of Nova Scotia come up, they pull at my
heartstrings, so I did this small painting of our beach. 

Love you Nova Scotia.

Have a dreaming of where you'd like to be day.

First night back at my art group after two years

Art Group Sketch 
(Untitled)
16 x 20 inches
Acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2022

Tonight I went to my art group for one hour.  Steven
dropped me off and picked me up.  I was worried that
people would be unmasked, and when I went in I did
say that we were supposed to be masked to the only
fellow who wasn't, and he put a mask on at the first
break.

We had two breaks, so I guess this painting sketch was done in 40 
minutes, and although it's a long way from done, I like
what I learned from doing it. It was good to watch 
artists at work again -- doing some awesome painting
and drawing, and the model said he liked my colours
because his family were from Ukraine, and these
are the colours. I was glad the colours made him
happy. I suppose that was intuitive.

Have an enjoying your life day.

The background work

Mystery woman
marker on notebook paper    
5.5 x 8.5
Barbara Muir © 2016

Behind the work of creating art is the background work of
deciding what to create, buying supplies, making the work,
filing the receipts for everything you spend money on, and
so on.  It was a background work weekend.

I really wanted time to draw, but it didn't happen.  And 
sometimes coincidence is magic, because I picked up a
notebook and carried it downstairs, thinking,"I'll
draw tomorrow,"and found this sketch that I like.  I 
think it was prep for a painting. The painting didn't 
happen (yet), the drawing did.

Have an enjoying every part of your work day. 

Spring is coming

The tree story

iPad sketch

 8x10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2020

I know officially it was spring on March 20, but that has not 
been our experience here in Toronto. Steven and I follow
the light -- and sunset at 8:09 p.m. today is a strong indicator that
winter is over.  But we did have snow last week. 

I opened my older iPad today, and was struck by this drawing
done on my iPad with my finger of summer on Cherrywood --
the view from our front porch. This is what we have to look forward
 to -- the lush greenery and flowers on our street. It will be wonderful.
Already the magnolia trees in the neighbourhood are coming into bloom.

Have an enjoying your life day.