Hi Everyone,
I'm so psyched about seeing you tomorrow. Here's the invitation again.
I've got to go and do a few things to get ready. If you're in Toronto,
please come out to see the show. Lots of delicious goodies.
Have a loving your life day.
Hi Everyone,
I'm so psyched about seeing you tomorrow. Here's the invitation again.
I've got to go and do a few things to get ready. If you're in Toronto,
please come out to see the show. Lots of delicious goodies.
Have a loving your life day.
Aren't we lucky!
(work in progress)
Acrylic on canvas
36 x 48 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025
I think (and I can't be sure) that I'm finished my newest painting for the
Art of Celebration, my solo show at the Heliconian Club, opening this
coming Saturday -- April 5, 2025 from 2 - 5 p.m. Looking at it I of course
see things that need changing. Maybe. New picture coming. Lol.
So it's coming together. Now for more list making, checking, packing,
planning. Some of you (many of you) have done solo shows and
know there is a lot to do, and it's easy to feel like you're behind.
So with your kind inspiration I am staying positive.
Whew -- getting there. I look forward to seeing you there.
Have a loving your life day!
Today a fellow artist from the Heliconian Club came over to look at the paintings
I’m planning to include in my show, and to talk about plans for the day of
my first opening – next Saturday, April 5 from 2 to 5 p.m., 35 Hazelton Ave.,
Toronto. We were mainly looking at big paintings, so didn't get around to
small ones like this. But it is Robin season in Toronto, so I may include it.
My friend was delightfully calm, and it was a happy meeting. If you are in
Toronto next weekend – I’d love to see you. At the opening, I I know it’s
gonna be a lot of fun!
Have a loving your life day!
It was starting to be full on spring here -- snowdrops (the flowers) were showing up
in people's gardens. The Type bookstore in Forest Hill Village on Spadina that I love
had a flower box of tulips outside. And then a day ago, at about this time (evening)
-- I looked out and the snow was back, covering everything. My phone lit up the
photos, so you don't get the full effect, but it was awesome. Then of course it all melted
But today at lunchtime -- large movie style snowflakes were falling. They didn't last,
but they sparkled in the sunlight, and looked so beautiful. Then of course full on
spring sun made them disappear.
Later I was walking my dog, and another dog walker and I laughed about the snow.
It had returned in very small sporadic flakes. We agreed that it was beautiful, and
then laughed and said that we were clearly Canadian.
Have a loving your life day.
Kitchen scene
Hi dear friends,
I am super tired tonight, after a great day painting, and a lovely walk
with a friend. So I don't like to show you work until it's complete.
Instead I'll let the delightful available still life from the kitchen
be the art on the blog tonight.
Have a loving your life day.
"People who read my blog often comment on how we
are always celebrating. Of course that's not true, but
Steven and I do notice a couple of important dates
each month that are just ours -- our Monthaversary
of our first date, and our Monthaversary of our wedding,
which happened 11 months after our first date.
Last year on this day I wrote to you that love is coming,
if it isn't in your life right now, and you want it. I could
never have imagined meeting someone who loved me
from minute one, before meeting Steven. And I wish that
love for you in your life.
Are we perfect? Not at all. We argue quite a bit, but do
we love each other -- yes. To the moon and back."
Have a loving your life day.
Twilight Sky
Acrylic
Eleanor Lowden ©
Steven and I hurried over to Leslie Grove Gallery today to see Eleanor Lowden’s
solo show on the last day of the exhibition. Her work is beautiful, vibrant,
cheerful, and moving.
We had a wonderful conversation with Eleanor, and I got to watch her paint a
beautiful, small landscape. It was a treat to see how she painted,
and that she could keep a conversation going at the same time. Impressive.
If you don’t know her work, check it out on her website. If you do know
her work, it sounds like she has lots of shows coming up, so do yourself a
favour and see her beautiful work in person.
Have a loving your life day!
Today was another great day painting from the model. I'm still not ready to show
you. The exciting and challenging thing about working on a large painting is
that you keep moving back, and looking at it from a distance, and seeing
things differently and changing it. A friend told me not to overthink.
I know what that means, but frequently with a portrait painting, overthinking it
is what saves it. The painting has to express the subject. Sometimes
that takes work.
I love these tulip paintings, and they seem right as I'm painting a woman in a red
dress. So beautiful.
Have a loving your life day!
As a college professor I've taught writing and presentation. The key
in both cases is somewhat the same as in painting -- edit, edit, edit.
In writing try something, if it doesn't work, delete and write it in
a different way. In art try something, if it doesn't work, rub it out, or paint
it over. Try something else. Part of it works, part doesn't? More editing
on a visual plain.
Back and forth. And fingers crossed -- eventually you get it right.
If anything making art is harder than writing, which would surprise people.
Have a loving your life day!
It’s strange how things repeat in life. Last year I was working on a painting
inspired by a John Singer Sargent painting, using a wonderful model and
this year inspired by many artists, I am working on another painting of a
model for my show coming up in April.
I love the drawing of the model Shakoya set in a Florentine background.
The halo also refers to Florentine paintings, especially by Botticelli,
whose work I love. I was lucky enough to see the work in person when I
showed in Florence, and was more dazzled than I could ever have imagined.
I’m not remotely religious in any sense, but I do love a halo. To me it indicates
a very kind and loving person. We could use more of them!
Have a loving your life day!
Tonight is a very quiet St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Steven and I will wear the
St. Patrick’s Day hats that we’ve had forever, and have a wee bit of green
champagne to toast the day.
As I said, in a former blog post, our family are very celebratory. One day when the
children were little, we bought green treats, green candy, made a green meal and celebrated
St. Patrick’s Day. You can never do things once with little children – they remember, and
thus a tradition was born. Neither of us are Irish. But we do appreciate the day.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Have a loving Your life day!
I found this cool drawing from 2023 when I was prepping to do a painting of the
interior of a café. I completely forgot that I ever did a drawing first, that’s not
always part of my process. But there it is. And it turned out quite differently in
the painting.
In my a current painting. I’ve been working with a model in my studio. That’s
a very exciting way to paint – so direct. In fact, the model inspired the entire
painting's direction by telling me what she’d like to see, and where she wanted to be.
So my process changes all the time. I painted a tiny bit today, but the most exciting
thing was going down to the lake and walking along, staring at that beautiful blue, and
listening to the waves -- so wonderful. Before we went to the lake there was very
heavy rain, and we saw a rainbow as the sun came out. A pretty wonderful day.
I hope you had a great day.
Have a loving in your life day!
As usual I'm featuring this painting today, because not being a
math freak, Pi reminds me of pie, and Steven makes the best
cherry pie I've ever tasted.
In 2022 this painting won first place, and I won a $500
in a contest with the San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural
Center in California in a virtual exhibition. And that was
fantastic.
If you live in Toronto and need printing, or design for printing done, I recommend
Chris at St. Clair Printing & Graphics. Here's the newer design for my invitation
to my solo show. Even more beautiful. Thanks Chris.
And hey -- please come out to the show at one of the 3 openings.
Have a loving your life day.
Last year on this day, I talked about some of my Sheroes. This year I feel like
every woman alive who is kind and loving is my Sheroe. Women stay strong
through unbelievable hardships, tragedy and loss. Through war and illness.
Hugs to all the women living through hard, or worse times.
And to all the women who keep their families, and friends happy because of
their love — you mean the world to us.
So Happy International Women’s Day weekend.
Stay safe, strong, courageous and confident. We need you!
Have a loving your life day.
This is my post from last year, which works just as well today:
"It is International Women’s Day, and I'm grateful to all of the
wonderful women in my life — starting with my mother. and my
sister, and extending to all the women in my family, all of my friends,
and all of the amazing women I’ve met in my working life in art and
in teaching. This year seems especially hard for celebrating with the horrific wars, severe climate change and other world issues. But that makes the beauty artists bring even more vital.
Today I'm going to repost a piece I wrote in 2020 about super art
show in Ayr, Ontario celebrating International Women's Day in 2011,
where I met artists who are delightful friends.
Let’s change the world!
Here it is --
Beautiful Cedarvale Park
Acrylic on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025
What does that mean -- work in progress? You could actually call all art
works in progress. I am so grateful for the work of Mitchell Johnson
who posts videos of himself going up to one of his paintings hanging
in a show -- sometimes framed -- and just starts painting on it.
He's opened up a world of possibilities to me -- to revise what no longer
works for me. But in this case the work in progress just means that it
is almost finished, but not quite. I've been having a lot of fun painting
this -- a painting of a nearby beautiful park.
Have a loving your life day!
"A friend said that people assume that when
we artists paint a grey sky, or a rain filled image that
we are gloomy. But no. Because we love the look
of rain too! Landscape painters love weather and
change, and find beauty in nature's variety.
This painting -- Rain Ahead -- captures the amazing rain my
husband and I saw driving home to Toronto from Ottawa on our
anniversary weekend in 2017."
Have a loving your life day.
It's been a great day in the "now" today. My printer started working on my
show invitations, and his design looks great. I met an artist at my favourite
art store, and we're friends on Instagram.
Plus it was sunny and the snow was melting. And I worked on two
paintings. Yes!
Here's what I said about Now last year.
"You read a lot about nostalgia -- remember back when...?
And then for an artist there is infinite advice on planning for
the future.
How about owning now? My husband and I sit on our
back porch in the white painted wicker chairs watching
birds flit in and out of our Christmas tree that a friend attached
to one of our trellises against the fence. (Note: it's been
way too cold in 2025 to do this yet) But yes Steven spills bird
seed onto the tree, and the birds love it. It gives that tree
a whole new life. Yes by the end of March it will be over,
but in the now it is amazing. (In 2025 we watch the birds
in the Christmas tree through the kitchen door.)
How about drawing in the now? Looking at something
that pulls you in, and making it into an image. Walking
into the studio and thinking, 'what if I do this?,' and
doing it."
Have a loving the now day!
We had a great day today travelling to another town to pick up a painting
from a collector who is a friend. The collector is very kindly allowing me
to show one of my favourite works in my solo show in April.
Scrolling through past posts I found this image, and love it.
Steven and I love room service breakfasts in hotels so much!
For us a romantic hotel visit (like we had on Valentine's
weekend) means a delicious breakfast in the room every morning,
beautifully served on a little table, maybe even with flowers.
It’s late. We just got home, and I’m going to make dinner, so that's it
for tonight.
Have a loving your life day!