Thursday, July 3, 2025

Happy Birthday to Christopher

Look at this
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011

Yesterday, July 2, was my wonderful son Christopher's birthday. Having painted like
fury for days, I was painting until way too late in the morning today to
prepare for a drop off of 7 paintings this morning at 9 a.m. 
We called Christopher, and sang Happy Birthday (our dog Sally always joins
in), and we had cards and gifts ready, but our schedules didn't
permit getting together. And we missed him.  But soon we will get 
together and celebrate.

Steven and I thought about Christopher all day. His birthday was
a wonderful life changing day for us! We became a family that day, and
we are so grateful to Christopher for all of the joy he's brought into
our lives. I wish Christopher and Megan, his beautiful wife -- one
of the kindest people I know -- a fabulous year.

The painting today is of Christopher and Megan. I
painted it using a Skype image I took on my computer when
Christopher 
and Megan were teaching in Korea.  

Have a loving your life day.
 

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Goodnight -- Early morning drop off


Robin earns his stripes
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2025


One of 7 images I'm putting in the Heliconian Club Let's Play summer show, 
which opens this Saturday at 35 Hazelton Ave. Love to see you there.
Now to bed.

Have a loving working super hard day.

 

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Happy Canada Day

Canada Geese celebrate Canada Day
Photo
Barbara Muir © 

Last year I wrote about the invasion of Ottawa, our nation's 
capital by truckers in January, 2022. That did change Canada Day
certainly  in Toronto.  Before the right wing, anti-vaccination
(for 
COVID) truckers invaded Ottawa, Canada Day used to be a
very obvious celebrate-the-country holiday. Our street 
would be hung
with the Maple Leaf flags on almost every house. The Canadian
flag, angrily waved in the trucker invasion is still not popular in my
neighbourhood, but Canada Day had extra significance this year, as people
gathered in celebrations to reinforce the idea of Canada as a sovereign nation,
since Trump's threat to make us the 51st state.  Canadians want to make it
clear that that's not happening.

And even though we aren't big on patriotism we are all proud of
many things about our country. Here's what I said before that still applies:

What I like about Canada:

"1.  The people -- Canadians come from all over the world.
My own ancestors, great, and great, great grandparents
came from Italy, Scotland, Ireland, and France.  My
husband is descended from Dutch and Indonesian
grandparents.

2. My city.  Each time I come back to Toronto, after
visiting other countries, I notice how people are here.
At the bus stops we all hang out together.  It feels
different from other cities in the world.

3. Our humour.  Canadians are self-critical -- and
that is the core of our humour.  And we're funny.
Our humour gets exported big time, especially to our
southern neiighbour where so many of the top comedians,
and comic actors are Canadian.

4. We're boring.  We're allowed to be boring and
safe. We want good and happy lives, and it doesn't
matter if that means we live by routines.

5. No guns. (Or almost no guns).  We don't think
it's cool to use/have guns.  We don't have guns in
our houses, our cars.  Guns are not cool here.
Criminals and hunters use guns. The police have
guns, but the general public detests gun violence,
and thinks guns are scary, and worse -- stupid and
senseless.

6. We say we're sorry.  You know you're in
Canada when you bump into someone's cart
in the supermarket and the sorry fest goes on
for 10 minutes -- first you. "I'm sorry," then
the other person, "No I'm sorry" and that
continues.

7. Free health care.  When relatives of mine
have gone through treatments for cancer, or
had surgery, or babies, or any kind of reason
to need healthcare -- it's free.  Some doctors
charge a yearly fee -- maybe $300, but otherwise
healthcare is free.

8. We're a vast country.  I've traveled from one
side of the country almost to the other, and there
is still so much to see, so many places I haven't been.

9. Our art -- it's exciting being an artist in Canada.
Although we're a young country, our art has a
distinctive quality.  Canadian artists love this country,
and that comes out in so many forms -- in art, music and,
literature.

10.  Our kindness.  It is in to be kind here. People from
other countries might find that boring, but we don't. 

Of course things go wrong. The country and its history
are far from perfect. We are dealing with righting the
terrible mistreatment of indigenous people at residential
schools. We are not free from racism, or disturbing,
and violent acts. But in Toronto, where I live, violence is
not the norm. Many neighbours from every culture were out 
all over the city watching fireworks together tonight, and
wishing each other Happy Canada Day."

Have a loving your life day!

Monday, June 30, 2025

Thoughts on Canada

Our rose bush acting as the red against the
white front of the house with red 
shutters celebrating Canada Day!
Photo
Barbara Muir ©

I''m thinking about Canada Day tomorrow.  Last night despite
endless worries about the current horrific news, people
down at a park by Lake Ontario were celebrating, eating together
in large groups, having romantic walks as couples.  It was
beautiful. So I found this scrolling through my blogs and
I like it. 

"My Canada is about my childhood memories
of going to a cottage every summer -- swimming
and canoeing in a fairly clean lake. It's about
growing up free to be able to say almost anything
that comes into my head (not necessarily with parents
or teachers). And about not being 
afraid to walk on the
streets, even at night most 
of the time, because Canadians
don't have the 
right to bear arms, so the chances of someone
having a gun are slim.

My Canada is about beautiful wilderness in close proximity
to cities filled with culture art, music and diversity.
My Canada recognizes that diverse cultures teach us 
so much in terms of different styles of thinking, eating,
and celebrating. We are growing up as a country
because the rest of the world is coming to join
the party. 

My Canada is the long, beautiful drive through
Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia - four provinces to get to our schoolhouse.
My Canada is flying across the Rockies and landing
in Vancouver where I can see ocean and mountains
and hug the friend of my young life, or today -- my
sister. I love this 
country coast to coast. Call it corny.
I love 
travelling, I love other countries, but this is my
home. Now stand up and sing the newer version
of Oh Canada and the French version, and then
have a glass of champagne like we will at supper
and toast one of the great countries of the world,
then put the patriotism, or matriarchism to bed for
another year."

Have a loving your life day!

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Canada Day weekend (Canada Day is July 1)

 

Canada Day Sidewalk art by the children next door
Photo
 The Barskeys © 2025

It's Canada Day weekend, Pride weekend, graduation weekend, so many things.  I've
never been happier to be Canadian.  Canada is not perfect, but it's a beautiful
country and it's pretty good. I'm not a nationalist, and we don't have a flag.
But our house is white with red shutters.  We have a huge rose bush in red across the
front garden in front of the porch.  The red and white theme is there. 

And today I was delighted to walk out and see this beautiful homage to summer and
Canada Day created by the children next door.  Beautiful.  And it was a treat to walk by
the lake this evening and hear so many different languages, and everyone wherever we
looked was having fun.

Have a loving your life day.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Movie night


Shadow pattern
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2024

Saturday night is movie night for me and Steven, so this will be really short.
Saturday is a task day, and we went to the market, and saw our wonderful
farmer and his great staff.  I stopped by a garage sale and bought a 
lovely briefcase, not realizing until I got home that the main zipper
was broken.

So we visited a leather repair shop we've never been to, and the briefcase
will be mended in a week.  Next stop the art shop to get a watercolour of
mine re-papered on the back of the frame. Check.

Then fabulous take out lunches and this was a tiny part of the view as 
we ate them facing beautiful Casa Loma.

Now a movie.

Have a loving your life day!

(Apologies for not proofing the title yesterday.  I was tired!)

Friday, June 27, 2025

If you're breathing you're achieving!

 

Water Image #2
Acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 inches
Barbara Muir © 2014

It's been a unique day -- cooler -- to our relief.  My husband is on holiday, so I wandered
in and out of my painting life, and mostly spent time with Steven.  I talked to some
artists, and I think you could call it promo when we went down to the shore for 
take out supper, made by great chefs while we sat at a picnic table enjoying views
of the lake, and of children celebrating the end of the school year.  I gave out some
business cards (promo), and we had fun.  This portrait is of Shaniece. I sold it to
a wonderful boss at Seneca College, who has died.  If you know where the painting is, 
please let me know.

Tonight a neighbour walking slowly along the street when we came home,
gave me this title.  It seems especially significant with so many wars, and cruel
actions taking place in the world.  "If you're breathing, you're achieving."

Have a loving your life 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!