First of all, thank you so much to everyone who shopped my original art sale earlier this week. No matter how many times I have a sale, whether it’s antiques and furniture or art, I get nervous that nothing will sell. I appreciate that I don’t take a successful sale in the past for granted, and assume it will automatically lead to a sell-out in the future. I hope I always approach my sales with that balance of confidence and nerves, even if it stresses me out on some level!
The sale and packing/shipping paintings took a lot of my time earlier this week, and now I’m turning to what’s next.
Here are my four things for the week – English style, learning gives me chills, playtime, and restocking.
what I’m reading
This week, I have been hovering over the pages of A New English Style: Timeless Interiors by Salvensen Graham. It’s such a beautiful book and I just love their interiors. The book is filled with charm, texture, and traditional rooms that feel homey yet refined.
Even though I have spent most of the summer pulling English ivy and cleaning the stains and roots off our brick, I do still love it when a house is perfectly covered in vines. I studied this page for quite a while.
I also like that this book features rooms that are unapologetically pretty. They are not trying to be sleek and modern, but celebrate pleats, ruffles, texture, pattern, and a few frills. I’ve been considering making another bed crown for the bed in our master bedroom, and this book is giving me a push to do it.
what I’m watching
As soon as I watched the first episode of Limitless: Live Better Now on Hulu/Disney+, it was a no-brainer to add it to this post. I have always been inquisitive, and I’ve learned as I’ve aged that few things light me up like learning. The first episode of this limited series focused on nurturing the mind through the learning of a musical instrument. I loved following Chris Hemsworth’s journey of learning the drums, which is a challenging instrument. Not only was he learning the drums, but he had a performance scheduled to play with Ed Sheeran in front of 70,000 fans, so the stakes were high.
He honestly shares his doubts and struggles through the endeavor, and you get to witness the familiar frustration that comes with being a newbie at something. So many people never get past the point when they want to chuck it all out the window. I’m guessing Chris might have given up when he realized he wasn’t a natural time-keeper, had it not been for the concert date and the camera crew following him around.
It is an inspiring story, and I found myself with chills at the end, as Chris sat on the stool, sticks in hand, and did something terrifying, thrilling, and most likely life-changing.
what I’m loving
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” – C.G. Jung
Are you allowing yourself some play time?
what I’m working on
I shipped out all of the sold paintings yesterday, and now I’m working on restocking. Restocking, in my case, means sitting at the easel, painting. I’m working on a mix of commissioned pieces as well as ones for the next original art sale. I hope to have another one in late October.
Speaking of learning, I have been painting consistently every day and have noticed so many small improvements that are having a cumulative effect on my work.
What are you reading, watching, loving, and working on?
11 Responses
I’m reading: Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools
I’m watching: Bosch Legacy
I’m Loving: That blueberry painting!
I’m working on: Cleaning out cabinets, cupboards and organizing!
I’m planning to: watch Limitless!
I am wishing you that whole yellow bedroom in your colors in your home. It iust looks like you should have it.
What pretty fabrics.
I love the blueberry painting.
I think many of us want that blueberry painting; I know I do!
Yours is one of the few blogs that I haven’t “unsubscribed” as I always learn something new. I thank you for that even though your proofreader sometimes slips up!
My mom proofs for me and sometimes she slacks! You can always let me know if you see a typo. I like to fix those when they are spotted.
I guess I’m an anglophile at heart cause I love English decorating. Bring on the roses and the patterns! In that vein I am reading a very interesting book called “The English Understand Wool.” Ficition, so maybe not your thing, but fascinating so far.
I also love your blueberry painting, and you always remind me that I should be painting everyday if I want to see improvements!
We just watched Thursday Murder Club on Netflix. We both loved all the books and the movie was close to the book (which is always a pet peeve of mine when they wildly differ). I
I watched Painting the Mona Lisa. It was so good. I don’t even paint and I loved it. It is not a tutorial for a person who wants to sit down and paint the Mona Lisa it is so much more. Fake or Fortune another amazing art series (They go thru a process of finding whether the piece is a fake or a fortune) . The repair shop. People bring in vintage and antique items for the shop to repair . It is heart warming and educational. Escape to the country. Great show about people finding a home in the English countryside. All of the programs are British. They are brilliant.
I like that you encourage other to try to learn new things (and show it by your example!).
A long time ago I read a something about putting your energy into the things your good at and not wasting your time on the things your not. Like if at best you’ll only be a 3 at playing the piano but you’re already a 7 at drawing then focus on that, if that makes sense. But maybe you want to play piano anyway?
It’s nice that you encourage people to be vulnerable and make a fool of yourselves even. But, for goodness sake, go for it and live life, and not let perfection nor even being good at something stand in your way! It challenges me and has got me thinking of trying a few new things…
I love it there comes more light in your paintings every time you show us a piece. The dots of light perception our brain recognises and interprets as colour. Dark and light. To learn to think as an impressionist. I always felt that playing, being playful and not wanting to name things is important. Like the Buddhists say, the moment you name a flower, you go past the perception of its beauty. You stop being in the now. Knowledge seems a Western thing; to reach a position of mastership is not about knowledge, but about ‘being’. Being one. Quite the journey of letting go, eh? It takes me on a lifetime journey of unlearning.
Marian,
I plan to watch Limitless…I love Chris Hemsworth.
That blue block fabric with the pen laying on it.
The blueberry painting…I want it.
This was a great post.
Thank you!
Hello Marian, I recently re-subscribed to your blog, and I am enjoying it so much! I had gotten to a point that I was overwhelmed by email and unsubscribed from EVERYTHING! I found that I missed you and Ann, from On Sutton Place. So, I’m back!
I would dearly love a miniature landscape from you to display on a tiny easel. Please paint more miniatures!
Oh, I’m so glad you’re back!