Slowing down to see

Valentine's Day Blue
Acrylic on canvas
12 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010
(I think this is the final version of
this painting. I changed the doors and
added more pink to the sky. Done.
I think. I just took the photo
again outside. It's still not
completely accurate, but much better!)

When I'm having trouble concentrating when I'm
painting, I like to listen to audio books. We do
the same thing on long drives (like the 14 hour drive
between Pugwash, Nova Scotia and Quebec City).
So today I went to the library to get some audio books
to listen to while I work on my current projects. I
shocked my friend Flora when I told her that 'no I
don't have an iPod. I think I did, but I was never
any good at earphones, especially earbuds.'

I parked about two blocks away, and was just about
to open the heavy library doors when I realized I'd
left my library card in the car. I got it out so I'd be
ready, then didn't put it in my pockets. Yeesh. So I
turned around and suddenly a visual feast popped
out at me on my walk back to the car. A lush spray
of pink roses, a mailbox painted to look like a house,
decorating a house that was exactly like the mailbox,
a woman walking by with a gorgeous sleeping baby
girl, facing forward in a snuggly, her plump legs and
arms hanging slack. A flock of small birds swooped
and flew up again in an impressive flutter of
synchronized flight. And I felt grateful for being
distracted and leaving my card behind.

Slow down the world said, and take a look you artist
you. You know. Open your eyes. So I did. Tonight
I've been working again on finishing the farmhouse.
The door was not quite right. I think that's it for this
winter baby.

Have a slowing-down-and-loving-what-you-see day.