Happy whatever you're celebrating

 

The next door neighbour's sidewalk art

Chalk on sidewalk

Sydney Barskey © 2024

Photo:

Barbara Muir © 2024

Last weekend we had snow. Here’s what I love. The second the snow was gone, and it was a little bit warmer (as in 8 degrees Celsius), my neighbour’s eight year old daughter was out today creating beauty and inspiring me. 

Thank you to my neighbours for their lovely artwork!

Happy long weekend!

Have a loving your life day! 

Happy Easter

Harold and the blue eggs

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

 Barbara Muir © 2013

At this point on Saturday night it looks like we'll be having a very quiet Easter.  Part

of our family is away, and the part of the family that's in town are coping with a very 

serious cold.  So I thought I'd reshape this part of a post from another year.  Steven and I are not religious at all, and really like the pagan aspects of Easter -- chocolate bunnies and eggs, and having a great meal. 

Easter baskets.

I thought I'd add this piece from a former blog.  It's a story about my pet rabbit in
university -- Harold.  She was a girl.

"(I put Harold, the bunny rabbit on my blog every year since I painted her (yes a she), and think

happily of the time a university boyfriend, not knowing how innocent I was, gave me a marijuana plant for a present. While I was out at class, Harold, my rabbit, ate the plant, plus a massive chunk of the sheets and blanket in my rental room!  The young married couple I was renting from were not impressed. Neither was I.  I had to pay for new sheets and a blanket. But the whole story makes me laugh every year when I think of Harold)."

Have an enjoying celebrating day.

A weekend of bunnies

 

Pip the Lionhead 

rabbit delivers eggs

8 x 8 inchs

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 2015

This is not my favourite type of bunny -- maybe those are the wild rabbits that live in our neighbourhood, that we see on our walks.  I always hope that they will be safe.  As a girl in university I had a white rabbit named Harold, that I will feature tomorrow probably. But I met 

a clutch of Lionhead bunnies at a Chapters book store in Moncton, New Brunswick, one year

when we were on our way to our schoolhouse in Nova Scotia.

A young woman who absolutely loved that breed of bunny was displaying the bunnies with a children's book she'd illustrated about them. I read a great article in the Guardian about the origins of bunnies with Easter.  They were the symbol for the pagan goddess Ēastre, which is where the name Easter originated.  Of course she was a goddess of fertility, which explains why rabbits were one of her symbols.

We are not religious, so for us this weekend is about festivity, and maybe a bit of chocolate. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, whatever you are celebrating.

Have a loving your life day.

Thinking about the greats

 Four Trees

Claude Monet

Oil on canvas

1891

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 

New York City

(The paintings at the

Staatsgalerie in Stuttgart were similar. I remember

crying telling Steven about them, and

how thick the paint was, and how Monet

went back as many as 60 times to

get the mood and lighting right!)

I've been working on a large painting for most of the past week for a show next week.  For me sometimes painting is a back and forth thing.  This is one of those times.  But I came upon this image today, which reminded me of the time Steven and I were in Stuttgart, Germany because he had a work assignment there, and I went to visit the Staatsgalerie alone. It was a beautiful gallery, with an incredible collection.

I love the work of Monet, in fact we named our cat after him (a girl cat), and I am always blown away when I see his work.  But when I saw his poplar series (this is one of them) in Stuttgart I was deeply moved.  The description on the wall at the gallery said that Monet had returned to the sight as many as 60 times to get the light and colours exactly right. The paintings were very thick with paint, and I was so touched at his devotion. I just read now that the trees were going to be cut down, and Monet had to pay for the trees so he could finish his paintings. Amazing.

So back to my project.  Yes I can do it. Thank you Monet.

Have a loving your life day.

More on our trip to the lake

Robin earns his stripes

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

(available)

Barbara Muir © 2019

Yesterday I showed you one image from our trip to the lake last Saturday.  Today I'll try and

paint a picture for you with perhaps fewer than 1,000 words. (A standard page of copy is

250 words.  Just to give you an idea.)

After visiting lake Ontario at one park, we drove into the city, and stopped at a downtown park on the lake.  The grass along the path heading to the lake did have snow here and there, but we were more excited by the hundreds of robins.  

Steven and I are bird freaks you could say.  Today Steven cut up the Christmas tree that a friend attached to one of our trellises beside the fence between us and our neighbour.  Ever since January Steven has been filling the tree with birdseed, and the birds have loved it. Such a treat to see.

So hundreds of robins was a like coming upon a spring concert that magically began just as we arrived at the park. It was mighty cold that day too. And still the robins were enjoying themselves.

I'm still working on a large painting. So please enjoy this bird painting tonight.

Have a loving your life day.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words

Beautiful Saturday
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2024

You’ve heard that before, (a picture is worth a thousand words), and probably thought is it? And in some cases yes. Clearly. I could describe the view of the lake from one of our favourite parks to you using perfect descriptive words. Maybe I wouldn’t use 1000, but here’s the point. No matter how many words I use you cannot get the feeling of the park as well as you can from this photo.

For me part of being a visual artist is the ability to describe something in a way that words may not be capable of doing.  Not to deny the importance of words, and the beauty of wonderfully written books.  I was talking to a fellow today about his fiancée's work on a novel.  I am so impressed by authors who write the amazing books I love to read.  Their work is much more complicated, and deeper than what I will create. 

For tonight, please enjoy this beautiful view that we saw last Saturday at a park on the west end of Toronto.

Have a loving your life day.

A favourite painting goes to its new home

 

Moody Beauty
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2023

 ♥ 

It's a happy day when a painting you love goes to someone you care about. 

This painting has got a new home with a beloved family member who has 

experienced the drive out to our Maritime school house that was the inspiration

for the work.

A few years ago we drove by the hill in Nova Scotia that inspired this painting.  I'd

also done a coloured sketch before I began. And I loved how the work turned out.

Meanwhile I am finishing new works, and I hope to have more to show you tomorrow.

Have a loving your life day.