Understanding Oldenburg and a great series

 Untitled (Work in Progress)

Stage 5/6

(starting to refine it)

Acrylic on canvas

10 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

As a young art student I was drawn to Claes
Oldenburg's work but didn't really get it.  Now
I do. Every day objects, and this case breakfast
are quite beautiful.  Oldenburg is known for
impressive, large public sculptures, featuring the every
day -- a typewriter eraser, a spoon holding a cherry,
and one of my favorites an ice cream cone
crashing into a building called Dropped Cone.

I don't know what I'll call this painting when it's
finished, but it's the other side of the table
from the bowl of porridge.  If I keep going on with
this series, the food will turn into characters and
start to speak. What would it say, "there I was
under a beautiful stainless steel lid, when
suddenly I was right out in the open, and a couple
was staring at me as if I was a work of art!!!"

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Stage 3/4

(Making decisions and

painting)

Acrylic on canvas

10 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

That's how a perfectly served hotel breakfast
strikes me.  It's a work of art, like a vase of flowers,
or a beautiful room (or an ice cream cone crashing
into a building).  There breakfast is, and I defy you
to look out the window and concentrate on anything
else.  Even though in this case the view was a
spectacular panorama of old Quebec City, which
is very beautiful with it's historic buildings and the
St. Lawrence River and mountains in the distance.

View of old Quebec out the window

(Funnily enough there's a sign on the window

asking you to pull your sheer drapes during

the day)

I am still working on this painting, but I thought I'd show
you some of the stages.

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Stage 1/2

(drawing and fleshing

in the ground)

Acrylic on canvas

10 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

While I'm working I've been listening to an
awesome free series of audio seminars
called The Push Up Entrepreneur.  I've had
a lot of painting work this week, but I listened
to KC Baker yesterday and was so inspired,
and today I listened to Ali Rittenhouse, and
John Lee Dumas.  It is certainly a fantastic
and educating experience. I'm learning a lot, and I'm
very grateful to Angie Rice and Silvie Matthews
for organizing this free online series.

Have a loving-what's-in-front-of-you day.