Wednesday, March 27, 2024

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.


 

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

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.

Monday, March 25, 2024

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.


Sunday, March 24, 2024

A wonderful wedding Monthaversary

 

Small is beautiful
Watercolour and marker on
Arches watercolour paper
6 x 10 inches
Barbara Muir © 2012

We had a super day today for our Monthaversary of our wedding day.  Steven and I celebrate the Monthaversary of our first date, and the Monthaversary of our wedding day two days apart.  Today it was a magnificent day.  We went for a glorious walk with our dog in the morning sunlight, which was bouncing off snow -- something we've seen once since winter began.

Then we picked up our usual wraps for lunch and saw friends at the place where we buy them. Then in the late afternoon, and evening we had fun with some of our family members. Lots of music, games and laughter.  The best.

Wishing you a happy week.

Have a loving your life day.

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Theoretically a day off

 

Fiona 
Acrylic on mounted birch panel
5 x 7 inches
Barbara Muir © 2014

When I say theoretically a day off what do I mean?  I guess I mean there really isn't a day off for artists.  Even on the day off day I was filling in strange forms for memberships I want to continue.  And then there's my eyes -- they are always working.  If I were going to paint today (I may draw, but don't anticipate painting), I would love to capture the astounding beauty of this sunny, snow covered day.  We were driving along a wooded street, and the fallen branches over the snow were creating purple blue shadows, and somewhat abstract designs.  I was enchanted. 

See what I mean?  Plus I will definitely spend time following what you are doing and enjoy every minute of that pursuit, which could be called research. Why my cat Fiona?
She loves being a studio assistant, and loves when we take the rare day off, and she can cuddle with us while we watch a movie.

I hope you had a lovely Saturday.

Have a loving your life day. 

Friday, March 22, 2024

We are lucky, and bad news aside -- this is a Happy Monthaversary

 



Now that was good!
Black marker on notebook paper
6 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © 2014

There is bad news in the world -- horrible. Bad news in the family -- it will get better, so by rights this should not have been a Happy Monthaversary.  But it has been.  Thank you to my kind friend who walked with me on one of the snowiest days this winter (only now it's actually spring.) Thank you to an incredible piece of music I was turned on to by my novel The Idiot --Khachaturian's Sabre Dance played by the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra is phenomenal.

Thank you to my friends in the neighbourhood, and around the world online, on Instagram, and Facebook. The drawing is of a hotel room service breakfast -- always a complete pleasure for me and Steven. 

Now to make dinner, and more of this Happy Monthaversary of our first date.

Have a loving your life day.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

In the Month of Change -- flashback to a favourite blog piece

Marko
Acrylic and charcoal on 
watercolour paper
16 x 23 1/2 inches
Barbara Muir ©

I'm painting full time today. Very inspired by both my model, and the painting by John Singer Sargent that I'm referencing/honouring. It has been a pure pleasure working on this piece. I also have revised a painting from 11 years ago, and it will be going in the A Portrait By Any Other Name show at the Heliconian Club opening April 6. 

The deadline for submitting photos for the show is tonight at midnight, so I am going as fast as I can.  I came upon this post and I really like it.  I'm so sorry Marko left the Don Valley Art Club, and said he was stopping painting. Here's the blog:

"On Tuesday nights when I've been able to for almost 20 years
years I've drawn with an art group from the Don Valley Art
Club.  Many of the people I started with are not
there anymore.  But some are.  And over the years
watching people draw and paint in a short evening with
a model, we've formed strong bonds.  Plus we help one
another be creative.  We don't have to discuss art to learn from
one another.  We just have to observe what other artists
are doing with the very same subject.

The night of this drawing, which is a few years back, our
model didn't show up.  And one of the best artists in the
group -- Marko -- posed for us.  Knowing how amazing his
work was (he drew like he'd been schooled in the
Renaissance) I was a bit intimidated to draw him. 

Sometime after this evening, Marko decided he wasn't going
to do art anymore.  I was devastated.  He was a natural
born incredible artist.  So now I'm glad I have this
drawing.  I consider him to be a friend, though I don't
get to see him anymore.  He was always kind to me, and
I feel I learned a lot from watching him draw.

Have a learning from your friends day."

Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!