The pull of the past

Sean's Garden

(work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

 ( I think I'll take a new shot of

this tomorrow.  It is much brighter in

real life. I added some highlights,

and shadows to Sean's garden today.  

Speaking of Sean, I hope he's 

coming back

to Toronto this summer.  He was

a wonderful gardener.)

I am constantly thinking about past painters and
going through art galleries staring.  Because I
live in the present day I am more deeply drawn
to the recent past -- in Canada specifically
The Group of Seven.

I used to teach an English writing class, that
let me take my students to the Art Gallery of Ontario
to the Canadian section.  I'd ask them to pick
out one painting, and then do an essay linking
to an essay we were reading about art, comparing
what the author said to how they felt about the
painter they were studying.

The evening we met at the gallery was so much
fun.  Most of my students had never visited a
gallery -- period, and the excitement of coming
downtown, the beauty of the gallery, the thrill of
picking a painting definitely got to them.
They had to write down which painting they had
chosen on a list.  Two people could not pick the
same painting (in theory), so there were often
strong pleas to be allowed to paint the same work
because it was so beautiful.  Please. please please.
Laura Muntz was a favorite with her Interesting Story
and the painting of the burning of Quebec City got
such a reaction that I once had to stop a girl from touching it.

 Interesting Story

Laura Muntz Lyall 1898

Oil on canvas

81.3 x 100.3 centimeters

Permanent Collection The Art Gallery of Ontario

Gift of the Government of the Province of Ontario

(born Radford, England 1860

Died Toronto, Ontario 1930)

But what a pleasure it was to see these young
people getting so excited about art.  We need more
of that.  We need people to bring young people into
galleries to see what's possible, what's been done,
to make the connection to the past.

 The Fire in the Saint-Jean Quarter, Seen Looking Westward

Joseph Légaré 1848

Oil on canvas 

151.1 x 220.3 cm

(born Quebec City 1795, died Quebec City 1855)

The Art Gallery of Ontario permanent collection

Purchase with the assistance of Wintario

Meanwhile, I am always thrilled when I go, stand too
close to the paintings and study what the artists were
doing.  I do wish more women artists were featured
in all of our major galleries.  But that's a topic for
another day.


Have a valuing-the-major-galleries-in-your-area day