Wonder Water Image #1 Takes flight

 Wonder Water Image #1

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

For the last while I've been working on the series
I showed you yesterday -- Wonder Water
Images #1,#2, and #3.  So much in these
portraits depends on the super people who
model for me, and on the location on one
of the oceans where the person would
like to be.

Here it is my final painting for New York,
Wonder Water Image #1. I'm really happy
with how she turned out, and added to
the series.  She is winging her way to New
York City, and I'll join her next week.
Thank you to the fantastic women who
worked on this with me loaning me their
time, their lovely faces, and talking with
me about oceans. 

Now back to work.

Have a loving-the-work-you-do day.

Nearing the finish line

 

Wonder Water Image #1, #2, #3 

Acrylic on canvas 

90 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

April is a busy month, and one of the reasons
is getting ready for showing in the Amsterdam
Whitney Gallery in New York in May.   I held
this treat out for myself through the long, very
cold winter, and it made me happy the whole time.

The series Wonder Water Image #1,#2, and #3
came out of this period.  It is about the world's oceans
and the people who love them, and would want them
to be enjoyed and saved.

I read a piece on Alyson Stanfield's blog about
galleries needing a series and decided to continue
the ocean series I started in 2010 for this year's
show in New York.  Some day I will fill a gallery
with these pieces -- so far I've painted six.

This year's pieces seem much happier, quite
different from the first three, in ways that
make me happy as a painter.  The bar that
runs across all three represents the beach,
or sand bar in every location.

So here's what it looks like, although in
this picture Wonder Water Image # 1 is not
complete.  The first two went off to the
shipper ahead of this one, while I made
final changed to is, which I'll show you
tomorrow.

Have a wondering-at-nature day.

Missed sixth anniversary and catching up!

Untitled (works in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

60 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

I can't believe I missed my blog anniversary on
February 18, 2008!  I've been blogging for six years!!!
Wow!  That time sped by in a flash and has been
 filled with exciting and incredibly enriching artistic
 experiences.  Thank you to everyone.

I think it is fitting that the day before my annual
bloganniversary I was was in Ottawa selling one of my
favorite paintings ever.  So I was on the art beat, just
not focused on this important occasion.

What a fantastic ride it's been!  New friends, super art to
read about, and to create, wonderful travels to great art
sites and friends, TV shows! Woo Hoo as some of my
friends say.  And now as Alyson Stanfield would
remind me -- it's time to get back into the studio.
But do this for me first.  Have a glass of whatever it
is you like to drink, and toast to blogging, to our friendship,
to art, and -- if you like -- to me. And I'll do the same --
I'll toast to you!  Thank you for everything.  It's been six
awesome years.

And if you like come on the blog, add a comment, and
I will write you back. Woo Hoo!

 No time for painting today, but I plan to polish these
two paintings tomorrow.  Today I wanted to show
you how they go together.  They are part of the
ocean series that I started in 2010.  Going back
to an older theme is fascinating, because my "eye"
or artistic thinking has changed quite a bit.

 To give you an idea of the scale -- 

Here are the paintings on the kitchen cabinet.

Happy Bloganniversary to you!

Seduction

 

Untitled (work in progress)

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

I know it's hard for non-artists to understand,
but sometimes it's hard for artists to go into the
studio -- to get down to work, to face whatever
current project we've dreamed up for ourselves.

I am sure there are rare cases of compulsive
nine-to-five, or seven am. -to-eleven p.m. art
makers, but by and large we do the job because
we want to have fun.  And when we don't feel like it
we need to trick ourselves.

So the seduction I'm speaking of isn't the kind
you're thinking of.  It is the kind voice of a
parent offering a trade.  Do this for one hour
and you can have -- a cup of hot chocolate,
a walk, 20 minutes with your novel.

Untitled 

Working on it -- also on the easel

Moving along (slowly)

Acrylic

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

For me the starting stage of a painting is
exciting, but very quickly I am in the thick
of it, and perhaps the seduction is giving
myself permission to work in a different order,
or start on the smile, or eyes, or detail in the
hair, which makes no sense.

But like the wise parent with a reluctant child
doing the dishes, or like the teacher with
a distracted student, I allow myself to think
that every step is a step, whether logical
or not.

Untitled Stage One (work in progress)

On the easel -- drawing and starting the 

underpainting.

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

The top photo shows where I've got to
on this one so far.

Have a seducing-yourself-into-work day.