Looking Back and More Happy Art Awards

 Tracey Moore of CityLine

Happy Time

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2011

If I had a million dollars -- wait a minute
isn't that a song?  It is -- by the Canadian
group The Barenaked Ladies.  Anyway
if I had multiple millions I'd open up
the Barbara Muir Happiness Center at one
of the colleges or universities here, and have
the experts on how to get and stay happy
help students free of charge full time.

But alas -- for now let's continue with my
simple award.  (See rules last night ;-)
I'm working on a painting that is taking
forever, and because I don't want to leave
you hanging I thought I'd look back to
January 2011 when I was on CityLine.

I luckily painted the show's host Tracey Moore
in preparation for the show. That was good
because I was so excited leaving my studio
for the show that I forgot to take the pack with
my proper paper, charcoal and equipment.  The
girl assisting me, persuaded a young man to find
 a flip chart, and some kind of charcoal, and the
show went on. (I was to draw the host live on the
show!) But like the carpenters say, measure twice,
cut once -- check your prep list twice, unpack once.

I knew when I finally went to bed after trying to
get a complete list of artists who inspire me last
night, that I was missing some of my most
favorite artists.

Here goes:
Joyce Fournier is a wonderful portrait artist, and
has been a sweet, kind, funny, and inspiring
gallery director for me at Studio Vogue Gallery.
Her work is both classical and modern in
subject matter.  Plus her series of purses, and
models in dresses show a great joie de vivre and
and sense of humour.

Pam Holnback and I meet most of the time on
Facebook, and her subjects range from landscapes
to still life.  Her colour is vibrant, her approach
her own, and Pam exhibited with several of the
other artists on this list in the 100th Anniversary
of International Women's  Day show in Ontario
a few years back.

Carol Marine is perhaps one of the most popular
artists in the blog world.  Her cityscapes,
and elegant still life work with spare, distinctive
brush work is widely admired.  And Carol teaches
her unique approach to painting in widely attended
workshops.  Ask any artist trying to learn to be
loose and fresh who is a great artist, and you
are sure to here her name.

Verna Vogel, is a uniquely experimental painter
who uses thread and paint and collage to create
both abstract and realistic work.  She is prolific,
dedicated, and an inspiring painter for me.

Amy Hillenbrand creates gorgeous high realism
paintings of flowers, still life and animals. Her
work is astounding and I frequently see her work
on Facebook and sit staring trying to sort out
how she did that for a good long time.

Diane Cooper Hoeptner paints cats that should
be in every major museum.  Her work is
highly original, high realism, deeply loving
and emotional about her subjects, and gorgeous.
She paints incredible still life as well, but
this year she is the cat master.

Veronica Funk is a western Canadian artist
focused on intrinsically Canadian themes.
Her brilliantly coloured, and highly
patterned paintings are magical and inspiring.

I also want to include all of the artists in
the Don Valley Art Club, but with 150
members, I will not be able to name each
one here.

That's it for tonight.  If more come to my mind
tomorrow, I'll add them in.  Thank you again
everyone on this growing list.

Have an enjoying-happiness-in-your-life day.