An absolutely perfect June day

View from the porch

watercolour crayon on

drawing paper

6 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

This was the quintessentially perfect summer day.  I sat on

my back porch drawing the scene in front of me, after a
glorious walk in the park.  Last week at the National Art
Gallery in Ottawa, I bought what I thought were the
crayons they'd had in the Gaugin exhibit portrait room.
In that room we had great big coloured soft crayons to
draw our portraits with.  I posted mine a week ago.

Turns out these brilliant, wide crayons are watercolour
crayons, and I was playing with them today to
create this scene.  A treat all round.  So here it is.
After this was finished we went to the park to feed the
swans.  The swans love Steven and other visitors stand
aghast as the mother hisses and lets Steven feed her by
hand.  That is true friendship.

And now the fabulous month of June, the month of
bloom is finished and we're sorry to see her go on
this her most glorious last day.

Have a loving your summer day.

A double meaning -- why this time of year is exciting.

My son Christopher as a newborn
blue ink on bond paper
8 1/2 x 11 inches
Barbara Muir

Canada Day and the celebrations always make me feel happy

in meaningful ways.  My firstborn son was born the
day after Canada Day, and I went into labour with him on
Canada Day.  My husband found this drawing in a box of
old sketchbooks in the garage years ago.  I did the drawing
in the hospital, and am amazed at my determination to record
 this lovely person.

So I am always happy for my country, which I think is
a great one, and for our family -- because the real beginning
of our family was the day after Canada Day with the
arrival of one of the most wonderful people I have
ever known.  He is sweet, funny, talented, and
well loved by all who know him.

Happy Canada Day.

Canada Day weekend -- officially play time!

Canada Day (sketch on palette paper)

Acrylic on bond paper

12 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Thanks to Harry Stooshinoff I think about my palette
paper as something to use again.  Tonight I took what
was a big yellow space, and some black and a wonderful
circle of blue and decided to make a light hearted
Canada Day painting.  Here it is.

Last weekend I was in Ottawa eating my delightful
breakfast in my hotel room, looking out at the parliament
buildings, and so many Canadian flags.  Do I love my
country?  I do.  I have seen a lot of it, and
it is absolutely beautiful.  It is my heart's home.

Are we doing things that drive me crazy, like putting
in pipelines when the world has to stop using oil
and gas?  Yes. But all around me I see evidence of
passionate concern about the environment in the
people I meet.  Everywhere in this country the people
 are wonderful.  I seriously hope that together we can
solve our major problems -- global climate change
and social inequality.  So Happy Canada Day weekend.

Have a loving to play with paint day.

Agreeing with Elizabeth Gilbert -- the artist's life is a good one

Table top (sketch

Dry erase marker on Mokeskine paper

5 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

The life of art is a good one, rich and meaningful, fun and

distracting, powerful in every way.  Perhaps this drawing 

doesn't show it, but I drew it one night this week while

I was waiting for students to show up.  There is a lot

of waiting in most lives, but almost none in artists' lives.

We have stuff to do.  In this case, I looked up photos

on my phone, got my largest marker and set to work.

Now here's the magic.  The photo was of the arrangement

of fruit, flowers, wine and champagne bottles on the table

in my brother's house in Chelsea, Quebec that we visited

last weekend.  When I got home from school my brother 

had posted a drawing of the exact same still life.  His was 

much better (because he was there looking at it and I was

in Toronto working from a cell phone image) -- but the whole 

coincidence was cool.  

Elizabeth Gilbert hates the idea that artists have to suffer.  She would

have gone right up the wall listening to Marina Abromovic's speech

at the 2009 Florence Biennale when Abromovic repeated three times 

for effect that "the artist must suffer."  Many artists listening to that talk

were disappointed, and left the room.

Suffer?  I know Abromovic did.  But the majority of artists

at the Biennale were in Florence, Italy enjoying the company

of other artists, loving Florence, eating great Italian food,

and drinking both wine and coffee at the café right at the

end of the stage.

Art has taken me everywhere, and continues to light up every

moment of my life.  Thank you art. And thank you Elizabeth

Gilbert for pointing out how lucky we artists are.

Have a loving the art you see day.

The world of challenges, and keepin' on blogging

Timbah wants up

Acrylic and black marker on

bond paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014

The painting tonight is one I did on reused palette paper.
I don't think I'd even seen the inspiring work of Harry
Stooshinoff then.  If I mention him a lot, it's
because he dazzles me every time he publishes a new
painting -- and he does that practically every day.  But
Harry does reuse his palette paper making gorgeous
collages, and fresh paintings.

The first time I posted this five years ago I was going
through a dense working and painting time, yet I
wanted to keep my hand in with blogging.  That's
true today too.  Yes history repeats itself, which
in this case is comforting.  My challenge since I made
the decision this year, has been to blog every day.
So here I am.

I love this painting of Steven and our cat Timbah, because
Timbah continues to climb on Steven's (and anyone
else's who will tolerate it) shoulders.  He likes to be up
there lying curling around Steven's neck purring while
Steven eats his dinner.  In this painting Steven is working,
and his constant and faithful companion is on him.

We have three of those faithful companions: Sally the dog, and
 Timbah and Fiona the cats. They make us very happy.

Have an honouring your pet companions day.

Learning and the power of galleries

Ode to fields (sketch)

Acrylic on bond paper

5.5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Thinking about learning -- I think every time a painter

paints it is something about learning.  We have magnetic
eyes.  We see everything.  I'm watching a TV show
about the American government and I see the grass outside
the window and notice the shape it makes.  And I notice
the rugs, the portraits, the colour of people's ties -- everything.

So painters see the works of other painters and even without
formal lessons from that person, it goes in.  Directly like
lightning hitting the brain.  My little sketch tonight
references the huge abstract works I saw in a gallery in
Ottawa, by an artist whose name I failed to get as my
crew was galloping along to the next adventure.

I got home from class tonight, and thought I have to try
that.  I just want to see how it feels -- which by the way
is great.  So thank you Ottawa artist, and all of you out
there, and every artist whose work I've ever seen.  It goes
in and influences me.  And I am grateful.  No I'm not
going to go full on abstract, but yes I love how that
fellow painted.

Have a loving to see art day.

Happy Anniversary to my darling husband

The two of us in Quebec City

watercolour and marker on

watercolour paper

9 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

(I must do a current portrait of us.  I will

one day, but for now -- this is us.)

Today is our wedding anniversary and we spent a good part of
the day on the road coming home from a delightful trip
to Ottawa.  We stayed in a magnificent room overlooking the
canal and the parliament buildings. Each morning we had
breakfast in our hotel room (my favourite) at a table set with
lovely linen and china.  And we marvelled at the beautiful
scenes below.

My brother and his wife celebrate their anniversary two days
before ours, and it's become a bit of a tradition to go out
for dinner together to mark the occasion.  This time we
had two dinners out, and had so much fun.

The views along the highway today will no doubt become
the subject of future paintings.  The entire world seemed
vibrantly alive and begging to be painted.  On top of
everything else, that is an effect my sweet husband has
on me.  He does make me feel vital and alive, and is
probably the reason I am moved to paint what I see
in our journeys together.

Have a celebrating your art filled world day.

Gaugin exhibition at the National Gallery of Canada and a self portrait

Self portrait sketch 
at the Gaugin exhibition

crayon on art paper

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

We have been in Ottawa celebrating our wedding anniversary, and
today visited the Gaugin Portrait exhibition. What's great about
the National Gallery of Canada in addition to hosting superb
exhibitions (I think this one is magnificent), is that they often add
a fun element to the exhibition.  The story of Gaugin, which is
explored in great detail in this show, is often somber.  He was a
very serious person.

But the gallery encouraged visitors to have fun with what they'd
seen by creating a self portrait room with chairs and a mirrored wall.
Plus they provided good paper, and crayons so art lovers could create
their own self portraits. The docent on that room was a wonderful
man with a great sense of humour.  While my family finished
visiting the extensive exhibition, I drew in the portrait room,
creating this very simple self portrait, which was placed on the wall
in a frame for me when it was done.

Now the concept of that is pretty exciting.  I know the minute
I was gone, someone else's image would go into that frame, but
for that brief moment, it was quite satisfying having work in
the National Gallery!

Have a supporting the arts day.

Celebrations and serious talk about the environment

Kitchen China
Acrylic on canvas
24" x 48"
Barbara Muir ©
SOLD ♥ 

We are visiting family in Ottawa.  At our celebration dinner

today for two wedding anniversaries, conversations got
mighty hot about the environment.  We all care
passionately about the environment, and are staring the
severity of global climate change in the face, but don't know
what to do about it.

I love this painting because it has everything I care about it
in it: celebration, hearts which I cannot get enough of as
a symbol of love, and a young person enjoying life.  How
do we protect the young people growing up today in the
oncoming climate crisis?  And it is a crisis getting more
intense every minute.  Yet on holiday in every store and
restaurant we see that people are still selling water in plastic
bottles.

What do you think we can do to reverse the current
damage we've done to the planet?  This is the conversation
everywhere I go, yet politicians and big business don't
seem to be even looking at it.  They are distracting us
with discussions about everything else, but this is
the main issue we currently have to deal with, so
that the girl in my painting can continue to eat cake
and so that she can have a long and fulfilling life.

Have a thinking about the environment day.

Elton John is given France's highest civilian award -- I met his song writing partner

Bernie Taupin

Black marker on drawing paper

10 x 12 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013

We are on the road, and when I heard on the news tonight that
Elton John received the Legion of Honour from France's
President Macron, I immediately knew what I wanted to put
 on my blog tonight. I had the honour in June of 2013 to meet
Bernie Taupin, the song writer partner to Elton John's wonderful music.

Bernie Taupin had an exhibition of his paintings at the Liss
Gallery in Toronto, and I was invited to attend.  Taupin was
humble, friendly, a very good abstract painter, and allowed me
to get a photo with him.  Plus I did a black and white pen sketch
of him afterwards from reference photos. I haven't met Elton John, but
of course I'd love to.  His music is fabulous, and he is deeply
involved in working on fighting AIDS.

I do not have a drawing of Elton John, but if I ever get to meet
him in person, I certainly will do his portrait.

Have an honouring your super experiences day.  

The allure of reading -- and a timeless drawing

In the kitchen researching for the doctorate
Black marker on bond paper
12 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

When I first did this drawing I was up to my ears in

teaching. This was a superbly busy working week

so it seems appropriate to put this drawing on the

blog.  Plus I love it.  It is of a girl named Julia,

who was actively working on her doctorate while

I drew her.  She was a neighbourhood girl who

helped me with all kinds of things in my home and

studio.  Brilliant and beautiful, Julia is now married

and has children.

I loved being around her.  She was quietly capable, and

clearly just trying to keep her genius on the quiet.  

We shared a love of cats, flowers and words.  

Now it is time for me to take off to bed.

Have an enjoying your busyness day.

Happy Birthday to Daniel Anaka -- an inspiring curator and great artist

From the market 

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015

I was going to go without blogging tonight when I
realized that it's Daniel Anaka's birthday today, and I
wanted to wish him well. A few years ago Daniel was
a curator for amazing shows at the Super Wonder
Gallery, before the gallery moved and changed
directions.  I think I participated in six shows with him
at least, producing different types of work for every
show.

His exhibitions were amazing, plus he put his considerable
creative energy into making sure every artist got a fair
break. I loved that, and loved the music, vitality,
excitement that was a feature of every opening that
Daniel managed.  So thank you Daniel.  I'm just
putting some flowers on tonight, but I love this
painting -- I think it has an edge in the flower field
because of meeting you, and because of the amazing
artists I met when I showed with you.  I know I was
also urged to open up my colour spectrum by the
wonderful artist Franco Mbilizi especially on this
particular painting. So I hope you have a great birthday
Daniel (I will be working), and that you start curating
exhibitions again.  The artists miss you.

Have a wishing your friends a great day, day.

Pansy wonder. More from the treasure drawers.

The real thing

Watercolour on watercolour paper

9 x 12

Barbara Muir © date unknown

It is a busy week here, and Raptors fever has not diminished
very much.  There is so much excitement around the team's
win.  I feel like I was down standing waiting for four
hours to see the bus come by, like some of my friends.
But that's just exhaustion from an intense week of work.

To the rescue another sweet painting of pansies from the
deep art drawers in our cold room.  And I appreciate how
miraculous that is.  It was full on summer today, and
my pansies in pots at the front of the house are drooping.
I'll water them of course, but if it stays hot, they will give
up.  And my long intensive study this spring of these
glorious flowers will come to an end.

I am grateful to the lovely woman at the convenience
store who sold me my very festive pansy pots going up
the front steps of the house in April.  These flowers don't mind
cold, and they hang in with our weather's ups and downs.
But heat is the absolute enemy of pansies, and it's coming.

Have a loving the flowers you love day.

Rich finds in the art drawers

Pansies in a silver vase
Watercolour on watercolour paper
9 x 12 inches
Barbara Muir © date unknown

Until recently our store room was so thick with what

doesn't fit anywhere else, that I could hardly get
at my art drawers.  These are the treasure trove of
older watercolours and drawings, ideas for paintings,
art by my children, house designs.  They are big
drawers, and deep, so a nice thick stack of paintings
and drawings can safely hide in one of them.

Tonight rifling through for something to show you
I found this beauty on the theme of pansies. It is
certainly from a few years back, and it made me
marvel at how my style changes.  Even the bud vase
showing off these pansies has been given away to
someone because it wasn't my thing anymore.
But I love it here.  I love the moodiness and richness
it conveys.  It makes me happy just looking at it.
And if you're interested -- it's available unframed.

Have a loving your work day.

To the fathers -- Happy Father's Day week -- you matter!

Let's get this party started!

(detail)

First in the Times Tables series

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2013
SOLD ♥

I'm showing you this close up from a favourite family portrait
I did five and half years ago.  These children will be so much
more grown up now -- a shocking thought, but that's how fast it
happens. Which is why celebrating the special moments in our
families matters so much.  I am so glad we could have our
Father's Day dinner a day early to fit one of my son's
work schedules, and that we could enjoy a meal together
in honour of the two Dads there.  June is a big month,
and I notice that it's so packed that in past years, I frequently
didn't blog at all in this busy month.

But I love this detail of the father cuddling his little boy.
Children are so special, and make our lives so rich with
song, story, and affection.  I love being with my
children and the family as it grows.

Have a loving your family day.

Happy Father's Day -- to all the great fathers in the world

Portrait of my father 
black marker on bond paper
7 x 9 inches
Barbara Muir © 2010

Happy Father's Day

I'm glad that this portrait of my father is one of the nicest
drawings I've done.  I know in the reference photo he is
smiling at Christopher, my older son.  Sam had not been
born yet.  I miss my Dad every day.  He is still such an
absolute part of my life, of me.  He was a writer,
a business man, a painter, and a photographer and good
at all of his roles.  As a father he was very strict, and
that was difficult when I was younger.

But we developed a bond over art, over family, and
got along very well at the time of his death from lung
cancer.

Tonight we celebrated the fathers in our family now
at a wonderful dinner.  And it was so much fun.
My father would have loved it.  He would have been
delighted by the way our children have grown up
into amazing people, and of how our family has
grown as a  result.

Happy Father's Day to Steven my sweet husband,
and to Christopher my oldest son.  He and Megan, his wife
have a beautiful daughter -- three year old Alice.

Have a loving your family day.

A painting I love in the Month of Bloom

The Red Tie
18 x 24 inches
acrylic on canvas
Barbara Muir © 2003

Tonight I am thinking about my son Christopher and

his wife, who have been together since high school, and
are celebrating tonight.  I painted this portrait when
Christopher was a teenager.  He was already in love
with the girl, who became his wonderful wife.

But I don't think that they were going out when I
placed the mystery figure behind our back door in
the painting. So -- I'm so delighted that they fell in love.
They are a sweet couple, and both of them make the
world a better place.

Have a celebrating your family day.

Loving this city in the Month of Bloom -- and the Raptors Won! Yay!

Untitled -- Work In Progress

Acrylic ink and black marker on

watercolour paper

9 x 12 inches

We are experiencing one of the most beautiful and prolonged

springs in recent years.  The lush greens, and the brilliance
of the flowers, is incredibly inspiring.  It's definitely
a "stop the car" kind of spring, and I am happily gathering
images to paint.  And tonight the whole city is celebrating
because the Toronto Raptors Won the NBA Championship!

I was drawn to the scene in this painting by the gorgeous,
vibrant lilac bush on the corner of this property. I was also
thinking of my friend Rita, who would love the rich, and
vivid mauve of this lilac.  I have never seen the lilacs
do this well.  And they are seeming to last much longer into
the season as well.  And to my over-the-top Raptors fan friend --
Raylea -- I say, "Hey we won!"

Have an enjoying your neighbourhood day.

Drawing from the iPad -- always a surprise

The Tree

iPad drawing 

8 x 10 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

It's a crazy busy week, coming up on the end of term

in my fast track course (2 nights a week), working on
finishing some paintings (almost there), and I am so
glad I remembered my iPad drawings.  I don't draw
on my iPad regularly, but when I do I always have so much
fun, because I do the drawing with my finger, and that feels
like being a kid again.  Then I forget all about those
drawings -- which means they are there when the time
is right.

Tonight I found this one, which I like a lot.  The thought
of walking in the country with the youngest member
of my family is sweet.  She would have so much
to say, and notice everything.  Also the theme of my
current class today was all about pollution and how to
save the planet.  And this tree seemed symbolic to me.

Have a loving the trees in your life day.

The drawing I did on the Oprah Winfrey Show -- and hopes dashed with the cancellation of Oprah's Toronto Event

Oprah Winfrey Skype Sketch

from the show Where In The Skype Are You

willow charcoal on Canson Mi-Teintes paper
11 1/2 x 13 3/4 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

I was very sad today to get an email from the ticket

agent saying that Oprah's Toronto event this Friday
was cancelled.  Apparently the NBA needs the Scotiabank
arena because of ongoing games with the Raptors, and
Oprah couldn't do her show here.

I was quite down for awhile, but luckily I'm reading her book.  I
could go to Montreal on Sunday to see her, only I can't
because I teach on Monday, and also when I did buy the
tickets here, the whole stadium sold out minute by minute,
so I know that the best seats in Montreal would be gone.

Because the book is about Life speaking to you, I knew
that it would be wrong to waste my time feeling sorry
for myself and my husband.  But we were both really
disappointed because we did so look forward to seeing
Oprah and hearing her talk about her book, and her life.

So I got to work on one of my current paintings, which is
almost finished, and when it's done I'll show it to you.
Meanwhile here's the drawing I did when I was featured on
the Oprah Winfrey Show.  -- I had 45 minutes and worked on
drawing Oprah when she turned in my direction.  It was like
trying to catch the wind (there were 10 Skype Interviews on
that show), but I did my best.

Have a getting back to art day.

New Week in the Month of Blooms -- Going to see Oprah!

Oprah and Sadie
charcoal on paper
14 x 16 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

How is this for an exciting week? On Friday I have tickets to go
to see Oprah live.  So I am psyched my friends about getting to
see Oprah in person. I was so lucky to be chosen to draw her in a show called
Skype Around The World 10 years ago.  This is the drawing
I submitted to her staff, that got me the opportunity to draw
Oprah live via Skype on that show, an experience that absolutely changed my
life. To say I'm a fan is putting things a bit mildly.  I have to admit that I am
 a super fan.  I think Oprah is an amazing,and absolutely wonderful person.

Here's a photo from the taping of the show

back in 2009. The woman with her head down

drawing beside the Skype symbol is me.
I am trying to capture Oprah when she looks
in my direction.  I've never been quite as excited and
scared at the same time.

I'm reading Oprah's book The Path Made Clear.  I love the idea of
thinking about your purpose in life, something I've been working on
teaching whenever I get the chance. I also love the idea of thinking
about what we are here for -- individually, and as a country, and a planet.
That was partly the subject of my class tonight.

Have a getting excited about your life day.

The best news ever -- a happy home for a beloved painting

Wonder Water Image #6

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © 2015
SOLD ♥

One of the purest joys for an artist is creating a work

you are proud of.  And an even greater happiness
fills an artist's heart when the painting continues to
resonate over time.  This portrait Wonder Water Image
#6 is high on my list of favourite works, generating
so many wonderful experiences.  It has been shown
in Florence, Italy, in New York City, and here in
Toronto.

My model, Etana, is one of the nicest, most intelligent,
people I know.  Integrity could be her middle name.
She cares passionately about the country, about our city,
about people.  And in this series was one of the people,
and will be one of the people to try and save our
oceans from the havoc we're putting them through
with our endless mountains of garbage, and plastic,
and pollution.

So the painting went home yesterday, and I will
miss it, both for how much I loved the painting,
and for the lovely person it portrays.

Have an enjoying all that's right with the world day.

Sentimental Saturday

A Boy and his dog
watercolour on watercolour paper
12 x 14 inches
Barbara Muir © 2003

Yesterday we had a visit from a three year old, and a four
month old baby -- so lovely.  Being around those little people
made me feel a sweet nostalgia for the time when my children
were little.  I'm not saying I'd like to go back, but I did love
raising children.  We were lucky that our boys were
healthy, smart and funny, and a treat to have around.

This painting of our son Sam and our dog Zoey stirs up
memories.  I painted it at our school house in 2003 -- 16
years ago.  At the time Gameboy was one of Sam's passions.
As he slept on a big queen size mattress on the floor, the
dog, who wasn't allowed on couches, beds or furniture, could
lie down beside him.  They loved going to the beach and
playing ball, and loved just hanging out when we got to
the school house. We had so much fun.

Sam is grown up, and Zoey died six years ago.  Sally our dog
today is too nervous to travel, so she stays home when we head
out east. I'm glad we had time at the beach with Zoey, who loved
the water.  Life is good, and children are a blessing.

Have a loving the art you keep day.

Super day -- and Internet problems

Portrait of somebody

Black marker on watercolour paper

11 x 14 inches

© Barbara Muir

I tried to post this yesterday, but the Internet went dead

as dead can be.  So here goes.  I found this drawing in a
search for older work to post.  The eyes weren't there, so
I filled them in.  I like the drawing although I have no
idea who it represents, and no idea when I did it.

More tomorrow.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Have a treating yourself kindly day.

A beautiful book arrived yesterday

The cover of my PastBook, which

is almost 200 pages long, and exceptionally

printed.

I don't usually do this but I ordered a book on PastBook

of my last 10 years of posts on Facebook.  The book is
quite remarkable, and beautifully designed and printed.
I am thrilled.  And there it all is, my art, my travels, my
family. Amazing.  I could pick and choose which images
to save, and did, so there is very little repetition.

Some of the spreads in my book

A delight.  But trying to write about this last night was close to
impossible.  Our internet has been as shaky as a leaf in a
high wind.  So here it is.  I'm delighted that I bought it.

Have a loving your work day.

Guaranteed spirits lift -- my art group!

Andy -- art group sketch

Acrylic on canvas

12 x 16 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Yesterday was strange.  People who are usually cheerful were cranky. 

That's a bit mild.  Grumpy, angry annoyed. One fellow in my art group 

explained that he was depressed because of the weather. It has
been unusually cold for June. People are calling it Junevember.
I told him that the trees are happy and green. And I’ve never seen
such beautiful lilacs as we have this spring.  But to be fair I like this
colder weather. Plus It was warm enough to sit outside
on our back porch today.

I have been fighting off a bug. So far so good, but I know the best
cure is humour, and of course making art — especially with
my art group. Last night our model was Andy, a friend of one
of the people in the group. When the model didn’t show, Andy
very kindly filled in. He was a good, confident model, and
read a history book for the entire pose. I was only there for an
hour, but that small window of time made me feel incredibly
happy.

Have a working with artists day.

450,000 hits -- Hurray! And thank you.

View of a scene in Florence, Italy

in front of Santa Maria Novella,

which I would never have seen without

the attention that my blog brought to me.

Exhibiting my art in Florence was

an enormous thrill and the friendships we

made there are so wonderful.

I was going to make this just about the statistics -- the numbers.
That is exciting to me, and I will talk about it.  But after writing
about that I thought about what the blog means to me.
This collection of my writing about my art experiences
has absolutely changed my life in magnificent ways.  It has
helped me be invited to show in places like Paris, New York
and Florence, Italy.  It has connected me both virtually, and
in actuality to artists and curators all over the world.  It
is the absolute best.

I don't live my life for the statistics on my blog, but I
know that there's a connection between attention on the blog
 and other social media, and sales. So I do pay attention from
 time to time on how the statistics are going. For me part
of living the life of an artist, is that we want to make a
living by making art.

In December 2018 I had had 400,000 hits in 10 years.
Not bad.  I was happy about it.  Now I have had 50,000
hits in 6 months, and that's a pretty dramatic increase.
I'm well aware that all my favourite celebrities have
millions of hits, but this is impressive for me nonetheless.

I just want to say thank you very much for every bit of
attention you give to my blog.  Your comments, and
interest in my work mean the world to me, and send
me into the studio and out into the greater world to
be the artist.  An incredibly miraculous life.

Have a loving the life you lead day.

Thinking about cherries -- and our trees

Studio cherries

Acrylic on cradled birch panel

5 x 7 inches

Barbara Muir © 2014
SOLD ♥

About  week ago there were finally cherries for sale in
our local supermarket.  I love that fruit, and even
though they're being sold as sweet cherries, they
aren't.  They're a bit sour, like the wonderful
sour cherries we used to grow in our backyard.
Here's the thing, that cherry tree died of a bad fungus,
and apparently we cannot plant the same kind of
tree in the same spot.  It's a small yard, and there
are only two possible places to plant trees, one is
occupied at the moment.

I will investigate that further.  Because our apple
tree is also in trouble from a different fruit tree
plague, and we should take it down.  But
it continues to fight to survive, and the birds love it,
and I don't think I can take it out again this year.
It has leaves and blossoms and is not hurting any other tree.

Do you have these dilemmas in a small city yard?  The
good news?  The newly planted morning glories
are blooming.  It is the month of bloom.

Have a loving the nature you see day.

Wishing you a great week in The Month of Bloom

Sunday Pansies

Acrylic ink, watercolour and marker

in watercolour paper
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2019

Yesterday we bought three big morning glory plants.

The day before we got planters to cheer up the back
porch -- a lovely place to sit and do nothing.  That was
the theme of the day.  Our son and his girlfriend came
over and we sat in the lovely day mostly in shade
enjoying the company.  The clouds were spectacular.
Steven made tea and served cookies.

That was Sunday.  That and the sound of birdsong,
and this painting of pansies.  Oh and Steven planted
the large (about four feet tall) Morning Glory plants
and that made us happy.  The plants are usually much
smaller, but these will cover the rusty chain link fence
between ours, and our neighbour's houses in blue.  I
will love that.  Miraculously the neighbour on that side
likes the low fence and the feeling of space it gives to
both of our yards.  Tonight is is 6 degrees celsius outside
with a terrific wind -- not normal June weather, but
the new normal is abnormal.

Have an enjoying the work you do day. 

There are always drawings -- in the Month of Bloom

Prom

Black marker on bond paper

5 x 8.5 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

Creatively it feels like there's so much going on.
But tonight it's late and I'm a bit tired.  So I'm
showing you a drawing I did this past week of
someone going to prom.  It's based on one of
my father's photos, and seems totally appropriate
to June, when people all over North America and
probably the world are getting ready for prom,
or the year end dance and party at their school.

I hope you have a good one if you're going to prom,
and for the rest of you, I hope you get your dancing
shoes on and enjoy yourself.

The Month of Bloom is my tentative name for June.
I might change it -- but the evidence of a world flowering
into gorgeous summer is everywhere.

Have a getting on your dancing shoes day.