Self portrait in a Quebec hotel
watercolour and black ink on watercolour paper
10 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011
Our heart's second home is in Nova Scotia in a little
school house without running water and outdoor bathroom
facility (outhouse). It is in essence a very beautifully built,
100 year old wooden tent near Pugwash, Nova Scotia.
We've been travelling for four days and here we are
having an anniversary lunch in the Chatterbox Café --
celebrating our first date (we've been together ever since),
and making it here safely. We drove through pretty
awesome rain from Quebec City to Fredericton, and
then again from Fredericton to Pugwash.
I've been trying to keep painting -- at the end of a long
day of travelling, I settle down for a few minutes to
get something down. I saw an exhibit in Fredericton
yesterday at the Beaverbrook art gallery of sketches
by Herzl Katshetsky -- some fabulous, some just
a jotting down. Mine today are like the notes
you take to write a story. Except that this is the
story, and they are the punctuation in the tale
of two happy hard working Torontonians escaping
to Eastern Canada. What a joyous thing to do. We
got out just as Toronto hit its highest record
temperatures making it more like what our friends
in Tucson live with every day in the hotter months.
It's been so cool here today I had to wear my coat
and needed a sweater down at the shore.
Paula's Flowers
(sketch)
Watercolour and coloured markers on watercolour paper
14 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir © 2011
(My friend Paula puts flowers out for
me so we'll arrive and feel
welcome.)
More images tomorrow. I am going to try and keep(My friend Paula puts flowers out for
me so we'll arrive and feel
welcome.)
going every day. We'll see. I won't be upset if I
don't succeed. Folks like us need a break from time
to time. Big time. Last night we sat rocking in the
very ugly garage sale rockers we bought for five
bucks each one Saturday, looked around the big,
virtually empty school house, and smiled huge grins
of absolute contentment. We are home away
from home.
Have a loving-your-time-off day.
Barbara, you are so fluent with your water color! You inspire me with these!!!
ReplyDeletelove, Marcia
i love the idea of working on watercolour quickkies while on holiday. they are fresh and fun. these are lovely. have a super holiday in your home away from home.
ReplyDeleteThese paintings are wonderful Barbara!
ReplyDeleteWe've been busy with visitors and will call you later on this evening.
So glad that you have arrived in you beautiful corner of the world.
xoxo Flora
Hi Marcia,
ReplyDeleteYou are a great deal too kind. Fluid -- yes that's true.
Thank you. I miss you.
Love Barbara
Hi Sally,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I frequently just sketch. But sometimes I miss the colour. Especially here where things are so colourful.
XO Barbara
Hi Flora,
ReplyDeleteI'm sitting in the Chatterbox having tea with my sweetheart. Love to hear from you. We're going into Amherst for groceries -- and that's big excitement today.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxBarbara
Wow! Wow! You are such a wonderful watercolorist! I love this post too.
ReplyDeleteMy sympathies for the hot weather. I've been very concerned about the area. It was hotter there than here in the southwest. Plus, we know what to do around here: Stay in a dark cave, shun the sun, drink lots of water, use a pot holder to open car doors, etc.
So glad that you are in such a great place.
Hi Melinda,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I'm glad you like my watercolours. I decided to do some when you wrote about playing. They feel like play to me. You are right. In Toronto people are so excited by sunny warm days that they sometimes forget the precautions. I've long been a stay inside person in hot weather. The pot holder for car door handles is a super idea. I hope your high, high heat is a little more temperate now.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoBarbara