The happy artist on Sunday

 

 Untitled (work in process)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015 

(I try to get the whole painting

to the same place at the same time,

then move on to the next stage.  Not

quite finished this stage, but very happy

so far).

So it's cold -- so cold we had to thaw out
our laundry room pipes.  So cold we tell
"how cold is it?" jokes.  But meanwhile
I planted a large beautiful bowl with mini
daffodils today, and it looks like a small
garden.

Plus I worked on this painting, which
reminded me the whole time I worked on
it of that delicious meal -- of the waiter
who was so gracious and polite, of the
porringer for the oatmeal, of the sweet
anticipation of morning. 

And I thought about still life, and how
sensual it is for me.  How these small
images of the moments of our lives
shimmer in memory when we work
on recording not just how it looked, but
the feeling of delight we had being there.

I think that is part of the pleasure of a
static image in a world of constantly
moving images.  We can stop for a minute.
Maybe grab a coffee, eat a blackberry,
have some toast and marmalade, smile
at one another with sheer overwhelming
pleasure in the magnificence of life.

Have a slowing-down-to-see day.