Saturday, February 6, 2021

The Month of Love — artist friends



The King's Breakfast 
Acrylic on canvas
24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2015
(One of my favourite still
life paintings.  And it's available.
Below inspiration from
one of the best.)

Still Life with a White Mug
Oil on canvas
13 1/6 x 16 1/4 inches
© Jean Baptiste Simeon Chardin
c. 1764

Talking to my friend and wonderful artist, Marcia Labelle this morning, I
told her that I'd been playing Trivial Pursuit on my phone.  I do that maybe
once a week.  She laughed, and I explained that I've learned a lot this way. 
I only choose the category Arts and Literature.  Aside from learning new facts 
about my favourite subjects, I do enjoy seeing how much I already know, and 
also how good I am at guessing.

For instance I now know that the Louvre Museum in Paris (where I've
exhibited in the Carousel du Louvre twice) opened in1793, which I think
is an amazing and surprising fact.  And Marcia told me that the painter
Chardin had an apartment there.  I looked it up as we were talking, and it
was true.  He lived there before the museum opened.

Among other subjects Chardin painted still lifes.  I found one that
I liked a lot.  I like still life subjects that are not pre-arranged.  That's
why I've painted images of meals, and drawn the table after the
meal, with the plates, the crumpled up napkins, and some disarray.

I liked this painting I'm showing you today by Chardin.  It looks almost
casual.  And I didn't know that people in his time even drank out of
mugs.  I always imagined them having their coffee in fine china cups.

Marcia said that our goal during this pandemic, however long it lasts,
has to be to spread excitement and laughter, not COVID.  We laughed
and I agreed.  No wonder we are friends.  What a great way to start
the day.

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Portrait Artist

My photo
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I paint and draw on commission and for shows. To commission a portrait, or purchase one of my paintings please contact me at: barbara.muir@sympatico.ca
A major highlight in my career? Drawing Oprah Winfrey live via Skype for her show "Where in the Skype are you? Galleries: Studio Vogue Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York City. Gallery at the Porch Door, Kingston, Canada. Your positive comments on this blog mean the world to me. I'd love to hear from you!