Unititled (Art Group Sketch)
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2013
(I went back to my art group this week. The model
was wonderful, and I so enjoyed doing this
sketch in the hour and a half that I was there.)
The emotions and also the obligations and tasks around
my mother's memorial and burial took a slice out
of my concentration. I know I am lucky that
emotionally I was, and am complete with my mother.
I loved her and she loved me. We had that down. I
found her funny and witty, and supportive when it
mattered. I also found her strength and courage
inspiring right up to her death.
I have said before that she would want me to keep
going and she would. But more than that one of the
beautiful things about life is that it insists on itself,
which makes sense.
Thank you to everyone who has given me kind comments,
sent cards, given me flowers. You have made me feel
wrapped in a blanket of kindness. And I thank the
universe for the gift of sunlight through golden trees
against a blue fall sky. I thank my parents for my
eyes and for sending me to art college and university,
so that I could know the desire to paint and write.
Ultimately as I said before the compulsion to paint
trumps even sadness. Thank goodness.
Have a working-it-through-with-love day.
8 comments:
Wonderful post and painting, Barbara! - as always, your radiant self shining through. As far as kindness goes, I can't think of anyone who is kinder than you are - and by doing what you love most you are administering simultaneously a most important kindness to yourself and all of us who care about you!
love, Marcia
Hi Marcia,
I had so much fun doing this sketch, laying on the background with a palette knife and then the hair that way too. I am doing a very hard painting at home (which I may show the start for tonight), and it was a great relief both to be with other artists, and to paint with gusto.
The model was superb, she had this
totally satisfied, ironic smile, like a woman who knows she's loved.
It was wonderful to see.
Love,
Barbara
"the beautiful thing about life, is that it insists on itself" ...wow! now that is profound! I love that. I love your paintings. The one in progress looks really intriguing too. glad to see lots of your work online again. take it easy and keep painting.
Hi Sally,
Thanks so much. I am painting. It is true that life goes on. But that wouldn't be enough in a time of sorrow. It also reminds us of its beauty. The world gives us sunsets, beautiful flowers, kind friends like you, and we remember what we're here for. In part I know I'm here to paint.
XOXOXO Barbara
I love this painting AND what you shared about you and your mom. What a wonderful relationship you have to look back on and to continue to learn from. She would be so happy that your life is insisting on itself (i love that notion - it does make TOTAL sense) and that you are painting through this change. You are an inspiration. Paint on, my friend! XOXOXO
Hi Laurel,
I am trying to paint through this change. It's a hard one, but friends like you, and your kind comments are pulling me through, making me want to create. Isn't it wonderful the power of friendship and kindness! I know the word healing gets used to much, so let's say regenerative. It makes me feel alive and happy to hear from you. As though all is well with the world.
XOXOXOXOXO Barbara
The work that you've put up here in the last few posts is just beautiful and filled with life and gives me hope.
I am still not myself and the enormous chore of cleaning out her house is holding me in its grip.
Thanks for your words here. I need to hear them and life does go on. The only way is through the grief.
There is no distance yet between her leaving (September 15th) and today, but I know she is here encouraging me.
Hi Mary,
Grief is not fun. But I look at it this way. Isn't it good that we have people we love so much that it hurts when we lose them? If we never felt that way, we would never have lived ourselves. I wish you a kind breeze of memory, and new life experiences that pull you out of the past and let you move forward with love.
XOXO Barbara
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