A whole lot of shaking going on!

Next week Steven and I fly out to New York for
my group show opening at the Amsterdam
Whitney Gallery, Opening on Thursday May 7 --
from 6:00 to 8:00 get in touch with me if you want
to come -- the champagne opening is by invitation
only!

Then I am in the group show at the Carrousel du
Louvre, in Paris, opening on June 13, for two days only
-- and would love to see you there.

And on May 22 I am in a show with my dear friend,
and wonderful artist, Gill Cameron at The Wychwood
Barns, Toronto.  Invitation above.

I apologize for not blogging in the past two weeks,
it has been mildly crazy with work and arranging
work.  Miss you all, and wish you a glorious and
happy spring.  In this part of the world it's a vastly
appreciated miracle.

Have an enjoying-being-busy day.

Memories of Sunday

 After the nap

Black marker on Moleskine paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

The drawing today could be the illustration for
the all day seminar my cat, Professor Dr. Timbah
taught on relaxation with his colleague, Professor
Fiona the cat on Sunday.  Saturday was an all
afternoon photography session.  Monday I was back
to work full force -- but I am grateful to the dear
professors for the lessons of Sunday. 

 Professor Timbah

Timbah's schedule for the day was delivered
personally bit by bit so as not to disturb the
participant. (Me).
Overall Schedule:
Morning -- Sleep In late
First session -- coffee and reading a novel
Second session -- lunch as the first session
took all morning.
Afternoon session -- extended rest in bed with novel
Break sit in real sun with cup of tea on the back porch
with Professor Fiona -- who seemed
preoccupied with bird culture.

Professor Fiona's selfie

Professor Timbah's excellent relaxation
model teaching method involved sleeping
all day curled up near the participant.  He accompanied
the deeper relaxation sessions alternately
with the sounds of a hammer (Timbah snoring)
and sound of someone humming (Timbah
snoring.)

Looking back I'd say the course taught me
that working 24/7 is fine, but slowing down
is delightful.

Thank you Timbah and Fiona

Have a balancing-your-life day.

99.999% Done

  

The King's Breakfast 

(almost done)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

Here is The King's Breakfast almost finished -- a few wee
touches to add.  But I can't wait to show it to you.
Watch this space.  If it's completely, completely done
I'll put it on again tomorrow night, and I will be so
stoked -- to be able to say it is done!  Image that
haunts my dreams.

Have a finishing-what-needs-doing day.

Happy Spring Time from the lionhead bunny -- Pip

 

Pip the Lionhead rabbit delivers eggs

8 x 8 inchs

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 2015

Dear Pip,

I've been thinking of you ever since your owner
asked me if I could paint you.  But I was used
to the other kind of rabbits --  like my rabbit, Harold,
with the long ears and bodies, and didn't really know
what you looked like because I'd only seen pictures.

 Helping Pip with the baskets 

-- Putting in the blue straw

Then this summer in New Brunswick we met
a woman with a bunch of Lionhead rabbits, and
I got your look, but I didn't have time to paint you.
Now with Easter here, and my favorite part
of it being the bunny and the eggs, I pulled out the
portrait I'd begun of you and got to work.

Starting to fill the baskets -- so pretty

All done, and ready for the family!

Happy Easter Pip.

You can see some shots of how we prepared the
baskets with you to take the the Easter people
in our family.

Have a loving-rabbits-day.

Big doings!

 Steven (left) and Chris climb up on a bookshelf to take 

four pieces that make up Breakfast in the Hotel down.

Yesterday afternoon in what threatened to be
a thunderstorm, but luckily was just rain,
we took down the largest work I've ever done
from St. Clair Printing and Graphics, and brought
it home to the studio to get the paintings ready
for New York City!

Steven and Chris joke around 

before the hard work begins. They
are on a very narrow shelf, and Sam
(not in the picture) stepped in to help.

Major thanks to Chris Chan and Ellen Liew who
run the company -- they are master printers and
designers, and dear friends.  Thanks Chris and Ellen
for being exceptionally kind to my work, and promoting
me in every way possible. And a big thank you to Steven,
my husband and Sam, my son, for helping us get those
 big paintings off the wall, so they can begin to prepare
 for their flight to New York at the end of this month. 

 She's coming down.

The whole painting

Breakfast in the hotel

Acrylic on canvas

6 x 8 feet

Barbara Muir © 2012

Have a shaking-it-up-and-moving-it (carefully) day

Getting out of the corner

Pink light

Acrylic on canvas

Acrylic on canvas 

36 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I teach on Wednesday afternoons and my
students today wrote about getting out of a
creative corner -- viewing the end of the
school term as a creative problem.  Their
ideas were great. I'm going to share some
of them with you because they might help
if you ever get stuck. 

1. Go for a walk.
2. Dance to your favorite music.
3. Have a shower -- feeling clean
makes you feel new.
4. Look at yourself in the mirror
and say, "Hi you're great, you can
do it!"
5.  Leave the project alone
and have a nap.
6. Better yet turn off the light and
go to sleep for the night.
7. Call a supportive friend.
8.  Get over yourself.
9. Make a list of all of your
accomplishments.
10. Eat your favorite food.
11.  Make a mind map planning
out what to do.
12.  Write a series of questions
and then wait and write down the
answers as they come to you.
13. Take a ten minute break and
then get back at it.
14. Do something nice for someone
else, to get out of your own
problems.
15. Sing.

I'm sure there were more ideas -- and they
were all good.  Wishing you a day
filled with creativity.

This painting was stuck in reality until
Verna Vogel said she liked the pink on
the clouds.  "Hmmm! More pink," I thought.
Thanks Verna.

Have-a-walking-out-of-the-corner day.