Heading out to Ayr

Ready for Joy

(final version)

24 x 24 inches

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 2011

(I worked on the painting a bit

more I admit since I sent in the

pro shot for the book.  It isn't

safe to leave some artists with

a painting.  They will always see

something else that could change.  I'm

very happy with it now, so that's

what matters.  What did I change?

I added blue to the background, added 

more shadow to the neck, changed

the shirt a bit.  Small changes,

oh a bit more highlight in places.

Every change I made makes me

happier with the work.)

It's only a week until I get to meet some of the great
artists on the blog.  The International Women Celebrate
show opens to the artists next weekend, and to the
 public on March 8th, the 100th anniversary of International
Women's Day.  At a time when the focus on citizen rights
has never been at a higher level, women's freedom, and
freedom of expression has to be at the top of the world's
attention.  But there are still so many places, where we
are not equal, and my work has taught me that some of
those places are right in the homes of women in our city,
Toronto.

That said the women in this show entered for purely
artistic, and social reasons.  They joined up because
friends whose work they liked in the blog world, and
who had become friends out of a mutual respect for each
other's creativity invited them to join.  Plain and simple.
There is no heavy political agenda, just an artistic one.
Women from all over the planet are part of a community
of artists.  Men are in that community too of course, but
this show is in celebration of International Women's Day.
So what's over the top exciting, but extremely hard to
communicate is that women from other parts of the world
including Holland, India and South Africa, convinced
(through blog writing and emails) friends they
had never met to submit work to this show.  I was finally
persuaded to join it by Nicki Ault from Saskatoon, and I'll get
to meet Nicki and other art bloggers I enjoy next Saturday.
And the show's in Ayr.  Where?  Ayr.  I've never been to
Ayr before, but I'm going there tonight with this beauty, so
I'll let all of you know what it's like.

Meanwhile, if you're out there reading this, and you know
someone who might write this terrific artistic happening
up, or get a TV camera out to the artists' opening on March 5th.
You are going to see a  fabulous show, and the biggest show of
women's art in Canada right now.  105,  24 x 24 inch paintings
plus 2 sculptures is a big, big show by any standard.  So I say
congratulations to all of us for getting it together.  The bonus?
Part of the proceeds from the sale of the works will go to helping
women and children in Haiti.  Now that's a worthwhile cause.

Have a planning-to-see-the-wonderful-show-in-Ayr day.