Untitled (Work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019
I dream of travelling always. To me travel is always romantic. Paris, France,
Florence, Italy, New York City, New York, The Netherlands, California,London, England -- you name it. Steven and I were playing a guessing game
with each other yesterday guessing where we would really like to go, and
all of these places came up. But the place I feel the most relaxed in, where
my creative self flourishes is right here at home. I love this place, this
neighbourhood, this community, and this city. That in no way takes away from
my urge to travel, and the delight I feel in learning about new places.
I've been working on this painting of the field behind the school across the
street from us here in Toronto for a while. I love the colour, how it is abstract
and yet also true. It's very close to being finished. A brave, bold move for me is
not having a cloud in the sky. And that was part of the point of the painting.
We get these spectacular blue sky days here, and they definitely bring on
a feeling of supreme happiness. I totally love clouds. They lift my heart,
and I love this kind of day too.
Have a loving your neighbourhood day.
2 comments:
Hello Barbara...My first look at your blog and my first comment. I love this...and all the negative (good word here) space in the sky without any clouds. It's a beautiful mature blue also. Negative space in photography is a good thing but often scary as most viewers think there should be something to look at everywhere on the canvas. I disagree. All of the colours are also wonderful...so happy...and welcoming. I'm usually a monotone or subtle colour photographer but now and then I need full warm huge colour too. Rebecca Solnit said in her "Field Guide to Getting Lost": "For many years, I have been moved by the blue at the far edge of what can be seen, that colour of horizons, of remote mountain ranges, of anything far away. The colour of that distance is the colour of an emotion, the colour of solitude and of desire, the colour of there seen from here, the colour of where you are not, and the colour of where you cannot go." I also love photography in my own community. One of my photography mentors, Freeman Patterson always said if you can't find beauty in your own backyard then you won't find it anywhere else. Lovely meeting you here, Barbara.
Hi Irene,
Thank you so much. I love your thoughts on colour. Usually when I'm painting I do get
lost in the process. Luckily I don't have a long attention span, so I leave the studio
frequently to get more coffee, or to pretend to tidy up, or to read. The good thing
about that is that when I come back I see more clearly, and can make some decisions
before sinking into process again. A problem this artist has is that I see beauty everywhere.
So my mind rockets on to "I could paint this, and this, and this." "Yes I could," I say, but for now --
let's settle here. Thank you so much for visiting me with your wonderful words.
XOXOXOXOXO Barbara
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