Happy Monthaversary to Steven

Fruit trees near Beamsville,

Ontario

Photo

Barbara Muir © 2023

Happy Monthaversary of our wedding day to Steven, my wonderful husband. We haven't
been out to Beamsville to see the trees yet and I hope we get there.  Things are just a bit
busy with the opening this Sunday, family coming to town, and endless organizing 

jobs.

I hope you had a glorious day.  It is sooooo beautiful right now -- spring just hit with

a force in the last two days, and everyone is gardening, cleaning up their gardens, and

enjoying the amazing flowers as they go for walks and drives through the city.

Have a loving your life day!

 

My last opening for my solo show this Sunday

Barbara Muir

www.barbaramuir.com

barbara.muir@sympatico.ca

A friend made a super invitation to my last opening for my solo show
The Art of Celebration this Sunday, but I can't seem to capture it
from Instagram. So here is my invitation, which I'm sharing every way
I can. If you’re in Toronto, please come and see my 50+paintings at the
 Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto.

It’s been such a thrill for me to meet you there, and to see my work displayed
so beautifully. 

See you there Sunday, April 27th

Have a loving your life day!

A Happy DIscipline

Art group sketch

artist

Acrylic on canvas

16 x 20 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

On a day absolutely packed with work -- it was a great pleasure to be with my art
group.  Once again I had probably 30 minutes from the time I unpacked and set
up to get a quick portrait. 

The model tonight -- Margaret -- was wonderful.  I could have used more time, but
my very kind husband was waiting in the parking lot when I packed up and 
said my goodbyes.  He's a sweetheart.

Thank you Margaret and my art club group.  

Have a loving your life day! 

Happy Monday

 

These were my entries in The San Fernando Valley Arts
and Culltural Center's Food for Thought show in 2022
Some have sold, some have been revised.

I saw this image in my file, and it was a rainy day when I opened it.  The French toast

image in the lower right corner made me especially happy because Steven, my husband,
brought me abreakfast in bed of French toast, maple syrup and coffee this morning.  It was
the last day of a long weekend. So fun.

In 2022 Stand back for the pie in the upper left corner of this image won first place, and I won  $500 American in the contest with the San Fernando Valley Arts and Cultural Center in California in a virtual exhibition. And that was fantastic. Super exciting. 

It's been a very busy four day weekend.  I hope you had a wonderful time whatever you
were celebrating.

Have a loving your life day!

Super day

 

Pip the Lionhead rabbit delivers eggs

8 x 8 inchs

Acrylic on canvas

Barbara Muir © 

This painting was a commission. And I had
never seen this kind of rabbit until
a random stranger had one in New Brunswick.

I wish I'd taken a photo of our son and daughter-in-law's dog Cheddar -- a very
beautiful Corgi.  Sweet, affectionate and well behaved at 10 months.  While
our dog, a 12 year old Border Collie, Kelpie,  Jack Russell was whiny, aggressive,

a pain in the neck. She is deaf and blind and we did travel in the car for 3 hours.

All that aside we had a wonderful time -- sat outside for most of our visit, and
ate delicious pizza to celebrate spring. We are not religious, so aside from a couple
of baskets of chocolate eggs, it was not very Easterish.  Which was fine.

Have a loving your life day!  

Happy Long weekend

 

Harold and the blue eggs

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

 Barbara Muir © 

It's Saturday night and compared to some years it's a very quiet Easter weekend.  Part

of our family is away, and the other part has moved to London. We're going to head over
there tomorrow, but we won't be having turkey, and a big whole family party.   Steven and I are not religious at all, but we really like to celebrate the coming of spring -- chocolate bunnies and chocolate eggs, having a great meal and baskets filled with goodies.

I thought I'd add this piece from a former blog.  It's a story about my pet rabbit in
university -- Harold.  She was a girl.

"(I put Harold, the bunny rabbit on my blog every year since I painted her (yes a she), and think

happily of the time a university boyfriend, not knowing how innocent I was, gave me a marijuana plant for a present. While I was out at class, Harold, my rabbit, ate the plant, plus a massive chunk of the sheets and blanket in my rental room!  The young married couple I was renting from were not impressed. Neither was I.  I had to pay for new sheets and a blanket. But the whole story makes me laugh every year when I think of Harold)." Our current pets -- Fiona and Monet siamese cats, and
our dog Sally are remarkably easy to handle and a treat to be around. 

Have an enjoying celebrating day.

Happy Spring

 

Happy Spring cards lining up,
ready to go a couple of years ago.
The image is from the painting:
Harold and the blue egg
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir ©

Today was a beautiful day.  We are not religious, so we just enjoyed the day
off. We voted (it's the Canadian federal election and there were advanced polls.)
Then we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario and had a fast look around. (The 
gallery closed early.) I am always delighted by the Group of Seven paintings,
so that was fun.  We ran into an artist friend -- such a treat.  Plus I handed out
invitations to my show to people.

A great day.  I may make spring cards again, I don't know.  Toronto right now
is slowly moving into spring, and I am in awe when I see the carpets of bluebells
in some parks and neighbourhoods.  So magnificent.

Have a loving your life day!

Bunnies and eggs

Bunny in the Poppies
Acrylic on canvas
8 x 8 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2024

I'm not religious at all, but I do love celebrations as you know.  I love spring flowers,
family gatherings, delicious meals and the fun of bunnies, and chocolate eggs.  At the end of
2024 this bunny paintings became more general.  The eggs became poppies, one of
my favourite flowers, and a friend traded the revised bunny, for a lovely view of fields

with a shadow of an airplane on the clouds.  

She loved this painting, and I love hers, which makes me think of flying over France.  Yes! 

So happy long spring weekend.  We will get flowers, and get some chocolate eggs, but

we may not see family except the animals.  So we'll save the goodies for the reunion that
will happen soon. Happy holiday to everyone.

Have a loving your life day.

 

Painting makes life constantly new

 

Untitled (Work in Progress)

Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

I painted all day today, with so much going on in my family, and still kept going.  For a break I had a
beautiful walk with a friend. This is coming along, one of a few works I'm working on in my
studio for a new show.  

I hope you will come to my opening at The Heliconian Hall on April 27, 2025.  This painting
is not in that show, but more than 50 good size works are.  The show looks good, and makes
me happy.

Have a loving your life day. 

Back to my art group

 

Art Group Sketch -- Thanh 

Acrylic and acrylic ink
on canvas

16 x 20 inches

Barbara Muir © 2025

I was so happy tonight to get back to my art group for a fast

one hour.  My husband drops me off at 7:30, and picks me

up at 8:30.  That of course means that I don't have a lot of time
to work as setting up takes about 10 minutes, cleaning up and
packing up another 10, and there were two 10 minute

breaks for the model.  So I think I got this much done in 25 - 30
minutes. It was so much fun.

What's good about that is that I just paint and can't think.  This

week the model was great. I haven't captured him completely, 

and would have loved to work on it longer -- but

I like how far I got.

Have a loving your life day. 

Working on a new work and other reasons to be happy

 

Market pansies in a cream jug
Acrylic ink and marker
on watercolour paper
5.5 x 8.5 inches
Barbara Muir © 2023

I've been thinking about the 10 Reasons to be Happy exercise I started with my
students. Today I had a wonderful time working on a landscape I dreamt about,

and it was a good day.  So why not try the 10 Reasons list again?

10 Reasons to be Happy

1. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and I saw bluebells under the large trees in
      a nearby neighbourhood.
2. I dreamt of working on a painting for submission to a show this coming
      Wednesday. I worked on it today and I love it so far.

3. My printer redid the invitations for my final opening of my solo
    show on April 27, and they look great.

4. I went to my art store and got advice about which red to use because
    they didn't have cadmium red.

5. It was Steven's night to make dinner, and dinner was delicious.
6. Our French (from France) evening Police show, with subtitles in
    English has 14 seasons!  We just finished season 1, and we are
    hooked. It's called Murder In.

7. We went to the lake yesterday (Lake Ontario) and the beauty of that
     blue always makes me happy.

8.  I got a new canvas today for a painting I'll begin tomorrow.  
9.   One of the servers at the café, where we order wraps for lunch on the weekend
      came to my Wednesday opening, liked my work, and now she gives me a
      knowing happy look when we see her at work.

10. I have so many flowers (tulips) that I haven't had time to arrange them.

Have a loving your life day!

A beautiful spring day

It's been a colder spring this year --
but the farmer gave me these beauties 

yesterday, and flowers are coming back

to the market next week!
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2025 

So soon we can expect this! 

Daffodils from the farm
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2024

It was a lovely day today, and Steven and I went to the lake.  Always a magnificent
inspiration.  Canadians are funny. At 9 degrees Celsius 48.2 degrees Fahrenheit people
were out in shorts, and crop tops! The temperature rose to a whopping 15 degrees Celsius,
59 degrees Fahrenheit. (P.S. that's still cold.)

Have a loving your life day!

The why. Why do art?

 

One part of the display of 50+ works in The Art of Celebration
at the Heliconican Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto

Please come out on April 27 between 2 and 5 p.m. 
I'd love to see you!

It's movie night at our house so I am going in a minute to watch a movie with Steven.

I found a piece I posted last year at this time, and I'd like to post it again today.
It resonates with me. My current solo show gives you an idea of what a wonderful
time I've had giving in to the desire to paint.  This of course is also powered by a 
life full of kind, intelligent, creative loving people.  Thank you for being one of them.

"There are addictions that are easy to explain -- coffee,
alcohol, dope -- but art is a whole different story.

How do you explain it?  Something hit you over the
head with a passion to paint and draw, and you
can't ditch it.  I know almost no one who has
successfully quit drawing and painting.

The desire runs deep.  Even when it doesn't work,
even when we've got no time for it, even when
we need a break.  Even if we don't paint, or draw,
or sculpt, or take photos or one other arty thing --
it is there.  Planted deep in our skulls, brains,
hearts, probably in our blood cells.  This incredible
urge to make something."

True.  So if this is you I get you.

Have a loving your life day.

What did you do today?

 

Left to right Monet, Sally and Fiona

all female

Photos

Barbara Muir © 1. 2022, 2. 2021, 3. 2022

What did I do?  Made phone calls, wrote and thanked collectors, and helpers for
my April 27 opening of The Art of Celebration at Heliconian Hall, from 2 - 6 p.m. 

I planned new paintings and ordered reference photos to be printed. It was a
very good, organized day.  I hope you had a good day too.

Apparently it is National Pets' Day in Canada too today.  Then there's a National Dog

Day, and on it goes.  We love our pets, and they love us.  That's worth celebrating.

Have a loving your life day!

Catch up day

 

Our cat Monet enjoys catch up days

Photo
Barbara Muir © 2024

After the second wonderful reception for my solo show The Art of Celebration yesterday
it was time for other tasks -- calling collectors, calling possible guests for the next reception,

paying bills -- you know what I'm talking about -- catching up.

The next reception for the show is on April 27th from 2 - 6 p.m.  I'd love to see you
there -- The Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto.  It looks like a church, but

it's a beautiful art venue.

Have a loving your life day!

Super opening today

 

At my solo show with the amazing artist --
Andrew Cheddie Sookrah
Photo
Vivian East © 2025

It was a delightful and quiet opening today, with friends, and new friends dropping

by.  I was so excited to meet the awesome artist Andrew Cheddie Sookrah, who
I've gotten to know through conversations on Instagram.  What a treat.  Andrew
had a great time with everyone he talked to. 

It was a pleasure talking to visitors to the show, and enjoying people seeing the art in this
happy exhibition. 

If you get a chance please come out and see The Art of Celebration on April 27 between 2 and
6 p.m.  We will have goodies, and would love to see you.

Have a loving your life day!

More invitations -- more openings--Please come out to tomorrow's opening

 

Here's the revised invitation.  Lots of discussion with

my wonderful printer at
St. Clair Printing & Graphics

He says keep all 3 dates on even after the first one is over.

Someone said that his name should be on the invitation.

My printer Chris would disagree. He doesn't put his
name on the prints he makes.

This is another photo of people
enjoying themselves at the
Saturday opening on April 5.

The full plate of cupcakes tells

you it was early in the opening.

Photo

Peter Ramdeholl © 2025

I look forward to seeing you if you come out tomorrow.  We will have lots of goodies, coffee,
and other beverages.  I hope you come and see it.  I'd love to see you.

Have a loving your life day!

The space between

 

Me and my friend artist Georgia Fullerton
in front of the portrait of her daughter

India Morgan who posed for

the portrait Our Garden.

The painting In the City on loan for
the show is the landscape in the photo,
and one of the first guests to the show,

artist and collector Ellis Berman sits on the couch
in front of the portrait.
Photo 
Peter Ramdeholl © 2025

One of my paintings in the show is called The fields between, and it's of the land where
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia join at the border. Today is a day between -- tomorrow
too.  But tomorrow the hustle, and prep begins again for the Wednesday afternoon opening
of The Art of Celebration -- my solo show at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Avenue 
from 4 - 7 p.m.

I hope you'll come out -- I'd love to see you. People have said that the exhibition is

a joyous escape from the news, and on Saturday's opening -- from the rain.  So that
makes me happy.  Once again we'll have treats, and I'm sure it will be fun. 
The visitors Saturday loved being there.  That mood is always wonderful.

Have a loving your life day!

A day of immense gratitude

The Art of Celebration
The start of the opening at The Heliconian Hall 
Yesterday.  Guests were just beginning to
come in and enjoy the exhibition
Photo
Peter Ramdeholl © 2025

Yesterday (Saturday April 5) was the first opening for my solo show -- The Art of
Celebration. It was raining, and I knew that that would happen a couple of weeks
ago reading the long range weather forecast.  I also knew that Torontonians
don't like rain -- but there they were, collectors, friends, supporters, people I'd

given invitations to in the past few weeks, all coming in and enjoying the
exhibition, and it was so fun.

My thanks to the wonderful Heliconian staff (Peter Ramdeholl who took this photo)
and members for their help, and kindness, without which I couldn't have done it.
And major thanks to my husband and family for helping wrap the large paintings and load them in the van, and for help with the lovely classical music playlist. 

Have a loving your life day!

A super opening for The Art of Celebraton

A sample of the 55 paintings showing in my
Art of Celebration solo show

(There are 8 paintings in this photo.
The big still life is made up

of four paintings.)

It was a wonderful opening today at the Heliconian Club, 35 Hazelton Ave.,

and people loved the show.  It was great to see so many friends, and to meet
so many new friends.  I'm so grateful to everyone who helped with the show,
and to the Heliconian Club for asking me to have a solo show.

I hope if you're in Toronto that you'll come out either on Wednesday, the 9th
from 4 - 7, or on April 27 from 2 - 6. The show is up all month.  Other than
the reception dates, you can see it by appointment through the club office.

Have a loving your life day! 

Tomorrow's the first opening!

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.

Such an amazing team hanging my solo show

Steven and the club's Property Manager, Peter

hanging 

Breakfast at the hotel
-- a big job for sure.

The show is up at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto and eager to
see you (the show?  Yes the show is eager to see you!) Saturday, April 5,
2 - 5 p.m. Goodies, 55 paintings to see.  So come on down. Free of course.

My thanks to Catherine, Simone, Flo, Tanya, Nola, Heather, Steven and Peter.

You are all amazing and I am very grateful.

Have a loving your life day!

 

Packing the truck -- the show hangs tomorrow

 

The Cake House

Acrylic on canvas

14 x 18 inches
Barbara Muir © Revised 2025

Today I spent the day packing up my art -- more than 50 pieces, many large
for my solo show opening Saturday between 2 and 5 p.m. at the Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto.  

My husband Steven and I packed and then drove through snow and sleet
to pick up a rental van to move the paintings to the show (too many, and
too big for a car. 

Then my son Christopher came and helped us too. What a great team.
Weird weather, and we are almost ready to take the paintings to the show.

Next -- get the treats for guests, look for a dress, and I'm sure there's a 

long list of other tasks before the event.

Love to see you there.

Have a loving your life day.

Super happy with The Happiest View

 

The happiest view 

Acrylic on canvas

36 x 60 inches

Barbara Muir © Revised 2025

For quite awhile I've felt that there was something missing in this painting,The Happiest View, and it was the waves.  Yes!

I am a huge fan of water.  Take me to a stream, a pond,  a lake, and best of all the Ocean,

and I am super happy -- no matter what time of year it is.  And I really love crashing waves.  These are mild ones, and this painting will be on view as part of Art of Celebration, my solo show at the Heliconian Club, 35 Hazelton Ave., Toronto, opening this coming Saturday -- April 5, 2025 from 2 - 5 p.m.

Still painting and getting ready.

Have a loving your life day!

Wrapping it up

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!

Happy Mother's Day to mothers in the United Kingdom

 

The baby's sleeping

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 

(This painting captures my feelings about

motherhood perfectly.  No matter how

grown up your children become, this early

beautiful time, and the powerful

feelings of new motherhood last for mothers

throughout their children's lives.

That's why we are so protective, so

crazy, so fiercely proud, and so loving.

A heady mixture.  Enjoy kids!)

It is Mother's Day in the United Kingdom today, but not in Canada.
Happy Mother's Day to UK mothers.

Getting ready for a solo show is a busy time -- exciting yes, but aside from
painting -- finishing some new works, revising older works (thank you
Mitchell Johnson for inspiring me to do that), and just gathering and 
planning -- it is delightfully time consuming.  In a way the perfect
escape from world news, and the constant worry lurking and ready
to overwhelm us. 

I learned a couple of days ago that a wonderful artist, and teacher
Skip Lawrence died. I studied with him in California, and he inspired
me to switch from watercolour to acrylics.  He was a fabulous teacher. So
I was sorry to hear that.  His main message about painting was that
painting created joy, and I completely agree.  Thank you Skip.

Have a loving your life day!

Delighted to show this next Saturday

Tea Alone

Acrylic on canvas

30 x 30 inches

Barbara Muir © revised 2023

This painting, one of my favourites, will be in my solo show next Saturday.  Please come out between
2 -- 5 p.m. to the Heliconian Hall at 35 Hazelton Ave., on Saturday April 5. I am really looking 
forward to seeing you there.

It's Saturday night, which is movie date night for me and Steven.  We spent a wonderful afternoon

with family, and are looking forward to finding a funny movie to watch.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

Plus have a loving your life day!

 

Getting ready!

Robin earns his stripes

Acrylic on canvas

8 x 8 inches

Barbara Muir © 2019

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!

A great painting day

 

Untitled -- Work in progress
Acrylic on canvas

24 x 24 inches
Barbara Muir © 2025

There are days when paintings just come together, almost magically.  It was a beautiful day
today, and I spent most of it in my studio, happily working on finishing touches on some
work.  This needs a bit more refining -- that will happen, and I'm very happy with it.  You

can see the finished work next Saturday, April 5 -- from 2 - 5 p.m. at the Heliconian Hall,
3rds 5 Hazelton Ave., Toronto.

I had been working on this and not finishing it for a few years -- and today -- all is well.

Have a loving your life day!

The sweetness of snow

Night shot -- Sudden spring snowfall
Photo: 
Barbara Muir © 2025

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.

Art of the kitchen -- a sweet still life

 

Kitchen scene
Photo
Barbara Muir © 2025

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.

More celebrations

 

Steven and me at the 

beginning

(Yes I was not blonde yet)

Photo
Wallace Muir © (my father)

It's out Monthaversary of our wedding day today, and as on

every month we toasted one another and wished each other
Happy Monthaversary. Here's a post from a former blog on
the topic.  Corny yes.  Is love corny, then I'm all for corny.

"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.

So glad we got to see the last day of Eleanor Lowden’s solo show

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!

Happy Monthaversary plus a belated Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day celebration!

 

Lucky Shamrocks

acrylic on birch,

5 x 5 inches

 Barbara Muir © 2012

SOLD ♥

Me and my sweetheart Steven, with some 

Valentine's Day bluebirds
(These photos were taken at
the Louvre by a friend who
lives in Paris.)

It was a pretty great Monthaversary of our first date today. We celebrated
Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day with the family.  The most fun. 
The younger family members collaborated with a neighbour to create
comedy routine, after comedy routine -- and had us laughing all afternoon.

Now it's movie night, so we will talk again tomorrow. I hope you also had

a wonderful day.  If you're wondering why we're celebrating these things

now -- it's because it was when we could get together.  Simple -- and fun!

Have a loving your life day!

The love of tulips

 

Spring tulips

Three versions in acrylic on

watercolour paper

Barbara Muir © 

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!

Happy Spring

 

Cloud Magic

Acrylic on canvas

4 x 6 feet 

Barbara Muir © 2018

The first day of spring makes me think of my mother who loved the changing of

the seasons -- especially spring and summer.  She loved walking and swimming.

She would be massively shocked at the state of the world now--not that the
world was not in chaos when she was alive.  It just seems more so.

My solo show opening April 5 and on view at The Heliconian Club, 35
Hazelton Ave., Toronto for the month of April, is about celebration. In

fact it's called The Art of Celebration. So my art in the exhibition
features the things in the world -- people, landscapes, still life
that make me happy. Everyone I know now is worried, or anxious
about the news -- so this show will be an escape. All cheerful.

A wonderful painter, Mitchell Johnson is having a few shows in the next
month, and one is of giant paintings in his super style.  This painting is

so far my most giant painting without combining canvasses, and I may
show a couple of the combination paintings too.  

I wish my mother was alive to come to my show.  I think she would be
happy for me.  I am slowly working on a large portrait for the show, and
the model comes again tomorrow.  As soon as it's finished, the
organizing, labelling, packing will begin.  I am so proud of all the

artists I know who do this all the time.  Hats off to you -- it's a big

deal.

Have a loving your life day.