Where was I?

Portrait of Henriette Sonne
Skype sketch
6 x 9 inches
black marker on bond paper
Barbara Muir © 2010

Dear people,

Please forgive me for halting my list mid-stride, but I'll continue now.
So much is happening every day this week, with great doings
on the art front (be patient I'll tell you), and school, and
super conversations with artist friends I met at the Biennale,
that I am behind on this crazy list.

I actually started the list of influence because of Nicki Ault,
who did something similar on her blog, and I thought what
a good idea. But the problem for me is that I could spend
weeks explaining and listing all the people who inspire me,
and I would still have it muddled.

Laura Starett is a watercolour painter whose work just
dazzles me. She frequently posts poetry along with a
gorgeous, watery, fluid, brilliant, light filled painting,
and leaves me absolutely astounded. I think she
is sailing in the Virgin Islands now, and we can expect
magnificent results.

Karen Bruson has not posted any work since the summer,
and I hope this just means that she is busy with other
work. I absolutely love her use of colour, her ability
to capture light, her abstract style. Her work is
wonderful and has definitely inspired me on many
occasions.

Gwen Bell can paint anything with ease and grace.
She is wonderful with portraits, magical with glass,
and super with animals. She brings spirit and
joy to her subjects. I consider her a fine, kind
blogger friend.

R. Garriott is a wonderful painter. R.'s
paintings of flowers, kitchen arrangements,
still life sing with colour and light. R. is
a master at design, and high almost
ultra realism. R.'s work is superb. From
time to time R. posts highly instructive
pieces on various art issues.

Sheila Vaughan creates landscapes
and townscapes in lush abstraction.
I long to be able to abstract as scene
the way she does. Her colour is
subtle and true to the landscape
in Stalybridge, Cheshire, England
that she loves.

I started noticing Julie Davis's work
in the past year, and have been
blown away by her wonderful
landscapes and still life. She has
a passion for trees that shows every
time she paints them. She has been
an encouraging and inspiring blog
friend, and I'm so glad that she
is out there.

Alyson Stanfield's Art Biz Blog has been
more than helpful to me. I frequently feel
inspired to kick it up a notch after I
read her blog, and always feel that I have
so much to learn. Alyson was one of the
first people I called when I was appearing
on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and believe
me I think her consultation service is
fantastic. Beyond that I consider Alyson
to be a wonderful friend to all blogging
artists, and to me.

Nicki Ault is a relatively new blogger, who
taught me to use phthalo blue and solved a
serious problem I was having with a
commission this year. Nicki's work is
astoundingly beautiful. She can paint
water better than almost anyone I know.
Her paintings of ripples in water are
beyond wonderful, and not too surprisingly
her show featuring these paintings sold
like crazy. I am always touched when Nicki
takes the time to visit my blog.

My friend Marcia Labelle just started a
superb blog on her sculptures and
drawings. She is an absolutely over the
top wonderful artist and writer too. She's
only been blogging for month and already
people are sad if she doesn't visit them for
a couple of days.

If I forgot about you please don't think I
don't care. I guess I'll keep doing this as
the days go on from time to time. It makes
me feel so happy just to think of the people
I've met who have encouraged me, and who I
hope feel encouraged by my comments.

My drawing tonight is of a new friend,
Henriette Sonne, who I met at the Florence
Biennale. We talked on Skype today and I
drew her. I tried to draw her
using as little definition as possible. Her
hair is spectacular and not blonde, but
I did not want to get too carried away in
detail. She is a very beautiful, funny
and excellent artist. She also puts the lie
to the idea that you can "burn out" by
doing too much. Right now she is
juggling raising two infants with
projects in Norway, where she lives,
and shows in New York and London,
England. If she can, we can. Power to
the people!

Have a we-can-do-it-all day.