Ode to Paris

 Paris Anemones

Watercolour

7 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

Steven and I have visited Paris twice this year.
We love the city.  We were deeply saddened by the horrific
killings two weeks ago on a Friday night.  I was planning
to write about my time there, and thought I wouldn't at this sad time,
but Paris and Parisians have not stopped because of these
attacks.  People still stroll by the Seine, drink coffee
in the cafés, and create and appreciate art. Paris is beautiful.
The city will mourn, but continue to be a must visit city,
especially for artists.

The Seine at night

I started painting this little watercolour of anemones when
we stayed in Paris in October.  We came home a month
ago.  Near our hotel was a beautiful flower market, and
one day I brought home a huge bouquet.  We don't ever
see anemones this large in Canada.  The flower
seller wrapped them up like a present, putting lush leaves
in with the flowers, and twirling the bouquet in thick, clear
plastic that she tied in a bow.  She seemed to take great pleasure in
the finesse of her presentation when I said they were for me.

 Me with the anemones in the hotel in Paris

I bought the paper at the charming, old art supply store near
my hotel, Maison de Haute Coleur Charvin.  In fact I went
to the store every day of our four day stay.  The paper is
not the watercolour paper I would normally use, and the
colours were in blocks, not tubes, but I felt so happy to be painting,
and all of the supplies were of the highest quality.

Seeing how Parisians are treating the sadness and losses
 they've faced with grit and determination
to continue to be Paris, I feel that it's even more important
to talk about how wonderful the city is.
I may write more another day.  For now here's a little
painting of anemones.  And some pictures from our
most recent visit.

 Edgar Degas

 Petit Danseuse de quatorze ans

originally in wax, here in bronze and 

first shown in 1881

Musée D'Orsay, Paris

To my friends in Paris, and all the kind people
we encountered everywhere we went on our visit -- thank you.    

Creativity Nourished -- a whirlwind series of super seminars

 Working together today on a huge canvas -- super fun!

A really big canvas -- daunting at first, but 

the group met the challenge trying every

available medium with panache.

For the past month I've been leading seminars on
Nourishing Creativity at Emmanuel College at
the Unversity of Toronto, in Toronto, Canada.
What a blast.  We have been delighted to have
guest appearances by Gary Smith, portrait artist,
 who added his talent and wit and warmth
to all three seminars, Trica Carey, Entertainment
promoter and event planner, and Patrick Luciani,
a writer who has written for the Globe and Mail
and Huffington Post..

 Gary Smith does a portrait demo in pastels

Trica Carey offered tips on

event planning, professionalism and

keys to successful creativity

Writer Patrick Luciani offered his tips on

the successful writer's life. 

We had so much fun combining writing,
drawing, discussions about methods for
unblocking our creative goals, working
on art projects together, and even how to
meditate to help us be creative.

It was an eye opening treat, if I do say so myself.
Today, the final day we listened to writing tips
from Patrick Luciani, then the group worked
together on a huge canvas, 12 feet, by 8 feet,
using markers, acrylics, glue, collage.
At the end of the session we cut up the
massive piece into sections and the creators
took them home -- a triumphant finale to a
glorious experience.

Thank you to our guest speakers, and to the
talented seminar class who made it memorable.

Have a using-your-creativity day.

Wow! What's Happening? -- come out to Super Wonder Gallery on Friday and Saturday this week and see!

I am immensely impressed with the curator who designed
the figurative show I was in before I went to Florence
and Paris -- Daniel Anaka.  When I heard that he was
curating an abstract show Rorschach, opening this week, I wanted
to be part of it. The openings are on this Friday November
20th and Saturday, November 21st from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at
the Super Wonder Gallery, 876 Bloor Street West, just west of
Ossington.

Broken Line #1

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

(one of two paintings I'm showing that mirror

each other in the Rorschach show.)

And hurray my paintings have been accepted! I'll be exhibiting
two 3 ft x 4 ft. black and white abstract paintings in the show.
A complete departure for me.  Have I been influenced
by the artists I met in Florence? I'd have to say yes,
but more importantly I really like the artists that
Daniel Anaka attracts to his shows, and Daniel's wit,
sense of humour and no nonsense, honest approach.  Plus
he throws a super great party, and we artists and collectors
need that.

The group Tokka with Dr. Eugene Draw, famous
electronic violinist, will be playing at the openings,
on Friday and Saturday night.

Have I gone abstract?  No -- not forever.  I am
just adding that possibility to my affection for
portraits, still life, and landscape.  And for me
it's been a happy addition.

Come and see!  I know you'll enjoy yourself.

Have a celebrating art day!

So many wonderful artists! -- more from the Florence Biennale

It's a week and half since I landed back in Toronto
after a very good flight across the wide Atlantic,
and my thoughts are still revolving around the
wonderful artists I met at the Florence Biennale.

As an artist for the most part working in intense
colour, I was surprised at how attracted I was to
the work of artists working in black and white and
grey scale at the Florence Biennale.

Square 1

Oil on canvas

Alegria, 2015

(We were just about to take the shot

for the Happy People project and

we got called away!  Alegria pointed out

that her name means happiness!)  

This work Square 1, a triptych, consisting of 16
panels each, by Ecuador's Alegria is one of the black
and white works I admired. It explores her thoughts
about the way women have to hide to be safe. Her
paintings were inspired by her daughter's 16th birthday.
Alegria isworried about what her daughter will face out
in the world as an adult woman.

 Rafael Cardona-Acevedo

Untitled sculptures 

Various materials

2015

(Rafael was another artist we hoped to photograph

as part of the Happy People Project on the final day,

 but he didn't have any free time.  Here he

is with a guest, I'm not sure who.)

I'm sorry I don't have a better photo of Puerto Rico's
Rafael Cardona-Acevedo's witty sculptures.  Rafael's
buoyant good mood, cheery smile, and positive
attitude were a treat for all the artists exhibiting near
his work.  His wooden crests with hands playing
with Yoyos, is a wonderful work, and and his bike
as an elephant, is also brilliant.

Kaya Deckelbaum with En'light

Hand manipulated, coloured wire mesh

2015

(Kaya would also have been part of

the Happy People Project, but 

there was no time to photograph

her on the final day because there

were so many visitors.)

New York's Kaya Deckelbaum creates dramatic and
evocative sculptures of faces using wire mesh, which
she tints, and then lights so that the faces also create
shadow shapes on the wall behind them.  We did
not get to do the happy people exercise with her,
but she is very happy.  And she did win an award for
her work, En'light. Her sons and her husband helped
her out at the Biennale, and her family is understandably
proud of her work. Kaya won a prize in sculpture.

Alvaro Gómez with Querencias (close up)

Mixed media on canvas

2015

Alvaro Gómez hands in the air happy

Alvaro Gómez from Venezula displayed two large
panels, featuring beautiful, classical drawings in
coloured pencil on black canvas.  His images play
off some of the iconic paintings of the Renaissance
in an homage to Florence, the heart of that
art movement.  Those paintings and sculptures
continue to move viewers to voyage, as Alvaro did,
across the planet, just to see them.  Alvaro did the
Happy People move, and he also won a prize
in mixed media!

 Stefano Favaretto debates the Happy People idea 

in front of his beautiful photos on marble. 

Stefano goes for happy. 

Stefano Favaretto comes from northern Italy,
and I was surprised to learn that he worked
in Canada, I believe in Calgary as a family
therapist.  His lush photographs, printed on
marble, were a hit with everyone visiting
the Biennale.  His technique involves duplicating
the photo, like a Rorschach image, that reveals
a face, or character in the process.  He has
exhibited in Milan, Shanghai and New York City.
When the Biennale was over he was shipping
photos on slate to a show in Singapore.

Miranda Brouwers and I are hoping to continue
the Happy People project and expand its borders.
If you feel like belonging to this cheerful group,
email me a photo of you with your hands in the air,
and a big smile either at an art show displaying your
work, or in your studio.