Friday night with Flora
Charcoal on bond paper
10 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010
I am still constantly amazed at the power of theInternet for good. I know that isn't always the
case by any means, but it's been my experience
big time, and I am always delighted that this
forum for kind support exists.
Barbara drawing
Charcoal on bond paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Flora Doehler © 2010
for me since our first meeting at the Don Valley
Art Club in Toronto. She was taking part in a community
art walk in her neighbourhood across town
the weekend after I first talked to her
about her powerful bright coloured watercolors
of flowers, fruit and landscapes. She invited
me to come over, and I saw a house devoted to
art. The walls were all painted beautiful, bright
colours, and Flora was extremely organized
with her paints in labeled bins, special lights and
tables.
I felt right at home, and so impressed with
her professionalism. After that we presented
some art workshops together, and showed
with one another and a few other artists.
I was always in awe of the energy, vitality
and brave experimentation in Flora's work.
For a few years she's painted with liquid acrylics,
and this year has been experimenting with oil
sticks and making more of her gorgeous paintings.
Plus she and her husband Larry are good, warm,
wonderful people, passionate about the environment
and their own rural community in Nova Scotia where
they now live full time.
The drawings tonight are from our brief
sketching session in my kitchen last night.
We sat at opposite ends of the kitchen table
and drew with charcoal on bond paper.
Flora said that she'd been channeling a
friend she hadn't seen for years in her portrait
of me, so I look quite serious as that friend
must have been. I've drawn Flora so many times
on Skype, and even had one of my drawings
of her featured almost size as in The Globe and
Mail in 2009, so it was wonderful to draw her
in person.
Have a loving-your-friends-in-person day.
The blogging world is wonderful for so much and high on that list is friendship! That was such a surprise when I began last January. I think it is enjoying people who share their daily lives and being a small part in their joys and sometimes sorrows. It is a wonderful community of artists!
ReplyDeleteThis is so great! I'm so happy that you and Flora are great friends and artists together.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun, and what wonderful sketches! I hear laughter and kindness.
Barbara, this is a delightful post!
ReplyDeleteI remember the show you had with Flora before she moved to Bear River and how impressed I was with her work and with her, just from talking to her and getting to know her a little bit. I love these two sketches, filled with warmth and character.
It is an inspiration to me how you value friendship and make it part of everything you do. Of course you already know how I feel about your own vibrant, color filled work - but I'll say it again - great, great, great!
love, Marcia
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. It has meant the world to me to be part of this community.
XOBarbara
Hi Melinda,
ReplyDeleteIt is great to be friends and to be bloggers too. The only sad thing is living so far away. It is just hard to make it to Nova Scotia more than once a year.
It was so much fun.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxBarbara
Hi Marcia,
ReplyDeleteSorry I've taken so long to get back to you on this one. I love your work too, more than I can say. And we are lucky to live close enough to get together.
Love Barbara