Return to the couch

The comfy couch
Charcoal on manila paper
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2009

It's been a busy day -- I went to the opening of the Colours
of the Earth show, and I hope I'll have time to write about that
tomorrow. It's been a hard day in some respects, and it's
Saturday night -- so I need a break.  Looking through old
posts I found this one about the art store where I buy my
supplies, and the idea of couch art. 

What's funny is that I wrote the piece in 2009 almost at the
start of my blog.  And I still feel the same way about the
lovely people at my favourite art store, and still share the same
sense of humour to my delight.  Plus this couch, which still
looks like this, is still in my studio.  So many amazing
things have happened in my art life since that post -- so here
goes.

"The staff at the art store where I buy my supplies are a delight --
witty, informed, artists, all working the art store job to support
their art. One of the super artists in there, Greg Nordoff
is classically trained, and we always talk to one another with
great understanding, and humorous sarcasm. I love it when I
see him behind the counter, because I know he's going to take
my incredible anxiety about some major project, and make me
laugh about it.

Greg can draw or paint the human form like Leonardo da Vinci,
so I had to laugh when we had a discussion about galleries
wanting "couch" size art. That would be 36" x 48". Recently as
a joke Greg painted a couch on a couch size canvas. "It was
really good," he says. "But it was a joke too in a way."
"Brilliant!" I said. And I went home and drew my studio couch for you.
I don't think I'll start doing couch paintings, and I'd be delighted
to have my art show up over the couch -- as it does -- in many
art lovers' houses. But I still like Greg's humour. And I was
just wondering what to paint or draw, when this idea popped
into my thoughtscape and I thoroughly enjoyed drawing my couch.
By the way this couch (sofa) was a garage sale find. The quality is great
under the sagging slip covers my animals do their best to
destroy. And it's comfortable. What more could you ask for?

Have a loving-the-couch-you're-with day "