Lucketts Spring Market 2026
Before I share my Lucketts recap, I wanted to let you know my next original art sale is Wednesday, May 20, 20206, at 1:00 pm Eastern. For those interested in early access at noon, you can sign up HERE. On Thursday night, we packed our van with oil painting supplies, two bins of framed paintings, […]
Lucketts Spring Market Wish List 2026
I’ve reached that tipping point in my life where I feel like I probably have enough stuff. No doubt, I passed that point years ago, but hunting for antiques and just the right piece for my house is still so much fun! I have noticed I walk out of more antique stores empty-handed or with […]
learning charcoal
A few weeks ago, I was thinking to myself, Marian, you simply don’t have enough hobbies. You should pick up another one. Okay, not really. I have hobbies coming out of my ears. In actuality, I just found myself thinking about charcoal as an art medium and felt a pull to it. I struggle with […]
Lucketts Spring Market Preview (available original paintings)
As I shared a couple of weeks ago, I’m heading back to the Lucketts Spring Market as a semi-vendor. Since my business has changed so much over the past eight years, I’m just testing the waters to see how my original art will sell at that venue. I’ll be there just one day, Friday, May […]
four things | seventy four
It’s been a full week. I was called for jury duty, so I didn’t know whether I would have a day of sitting at the courthouse or a normal workday until 4:30 pm the previous day. I got ahead on blog posts and worked over the weekend to be ready in case I was selected […]
my first nikon mirrorless camera | nikon zf review
My suggestion when it comes to camera gear (or just about any creative tool) is to upgrade when your skill level outpaces your tools’ capabilities. Basically, you’ll know when you’re ready. There is no need to buy a $3000 camera if you only know how to use a point-and-shoot, you’re not super picky about clarity, […]
Recent Blog Posts
the non-art parts of selling art
When I use the word “art”, I am referring to art in the broader sense – something that is made by human hands. My art has changed over the years from painting murals on walls to painting furniture to painting on panels with all sorts of other artistic endeavors and experiments mixed in. So, when I’m writing about the non-art part of making and selling art, I’m referring to both my art and yours, whatever your art may be. Even
2025 Home Project Recap
When I first started putting this post together, I felt like we didn’t do many home projects in 2025. We did a lot of landscaping and had new windows installed, but did we do anything else? Well, once I started to look back through the year in pictures, I realized we did a ton of work on our 1970 house in 2025. We did most of the big renovation projects in our first two years in the house, so this
snow day 2026
I love snow. Even living in the Bavarian Alps and in Minnesota didn’t make me tired of it. Living in Florida made me love it even more. So, I was cheering on the snow totals in our area as the forecasts were coming out. We ended up getting much more sleet than they initially thought, but it was still a substantial snow event that cancelled all our normal activities for two days. It’s rare for a pastor to have a
four things | fifty-nine
I know I have a reputation for being a highly productive person here on this blog, but there are days when I faff about and waste time with the best of them. I’ve been glued to the weather reports, surfing blankly online, and generally piddling the morning away. I did catch up with my parents, shipped out a commissioned painting, and varnished another. But I’ve been avoiding diving into actual work. I think the anticipation of a significant snow event
solving the problem of the changing online landscape
A couple of weeks ago, I shared a review of my business for the start of 2026. You can read that HERE if you’re interested in getting into the nuts and bolts of a creative business. One section I skipped was Solving Problems, so I could share about it in a separate post. If you’re puzzling through some of your own in a creative business, you can find the Solving Problems Worksheet HERE. I thought it was important to share
Shopping at the Siena Maket
I was going to share about our day trip to Siena all in one post, but as I was uploading the photos, I realized the post would be ridiculously long with a million photos! So, I decided to break it up into a few shorter, more easily-digestable posts. Our group was going to Siena to shop at the weekly market, tour the city, and meet in the afternoon for tea at the home of one of our Italian hosts and
four things | fifty-eight
As a reminder, my next original art sale is tomorrow, Friday, January 16, 2026, at 1:00 EST. You can see a sale preview HERE. This week has been a busy one for me! I came home from helping my parents on Sunday afternoon, so I had to hit the ground running Monday morning to catch up on things I couldn’t do last week away from my studio. I’ve been catching up on photography, painting, and other things that require more
As seen on HGTV’s Fixer to Fabulous
This summer, I worked on my largest-ever commissioned pet portrait project – a collection of five original oil paintings for Jenny Marrs, to be featured in a home makeover on Fixer to Fabulous on HGTV. It started when Jenny reached out to ask me to write an endorsement for her new book. As much as time allows, I try to say yes to those requests to support other writers and creative entrepreneurs. As I was reading through the digital sample
Dinner in a Castle | Tuscany Creative Retreat
The last time I posted about my time in Italy, I shared about my day spent “home” catching up on rest, writing in my journal, exploring, taking pictures, and sketching and painting. If you missed that post, you can read about that day HERE. In the early evening, the rest of our creative retreat group returned from a day visiting a local organic farm and making pizza from scratch. As much as I didn’t want to miss out on that
January 16, 2026 | original art sale preview
I’m so excited to share the latest round of original oil paintings for sale. It is the first of many collections (I’m sure) that include pieces inspired by my trip to England and Italy last fall. The original art sale is scheduled for Friday, January 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (New York). In this original art sale, I have pieces ranging from 4 x 6 hand-painted color charts on antique linen ($50) up to a 16 x 20 painting
four things | fifty-seven
I’m at my parents’ house for a few days to help them as my mom recovers from surgery to repair her broken wrist, so my work has been a little different for a couple of days. That’s also why this blog post is coming out a day late, but hopefully you’re too busy with life and your own creative work to notice. I did bring along things to do, though, as I continue to plan for 2026 and prepare to
A review of my business for 2026
As I’ve been taking some time to plan for the new year, I decided to revisit the Creative Retreat Guide for Business Owners that I created a few years ago. I based it on questions I asked myself as I reassessed my own business during a time of upheaval, as well as those I asked clients during one-on-one coaching for creative business owners. I honestly didn’t know how effective it would be, since I wrote it myself, but my past
christmas gifts
Well, this has been the Monday-est Tuesday I can remember! I spent almost my entire morning on the phone with tech support because of a Carbonite (backup) glitch that put a 4.2 terabyte log on my hard drive, taking up over half of my enormous hard drive and choking my computer. Anyway, I’m relieved it was a simple problem, but it’s thrown my day off schedule. Anyway, such is life. I wanted to share a few of the gifts I
What I did on my 2025 Christmas Vacation
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones, and a restful time during the (generally) quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s. My Christmas vacation, like many things in life, was a mixed bag. While I wasn’t sharing online, I still spent a lot of time working – planning for 2026, working at my easel for the next original art sale, reading, and writing. That was balanced with rest, though. We watched movies and TV series, ate
Christmas Break 2025
When I first started posting on this blog in 2009, I posted every single day. I enjoyed it and was excited to share, but I also saw this blog as a commitment. I wanted to take it seriously. I posted when I was sick, when I traveled, when I had surgery, when I worked at an antique fair all day, and on Christmas Day. Finally, in 2015, after six years of posting daily, I took time off between Christmas and
Christmas Kitchen 2025
I’m squeezing in the last room decorated for Christmas just before Christmas Eve. When I started sharing Christmas content in November, it felt really early, but now I remember why I do! I end up crunched for time in the last week and don’t have the time to share everything I had planned. Sadly, I have a few project ideas that I didn’t photograph. Those will get kicked to next year. Anyway, I wanted to show you how the kitchen
Christmas dining room 2025
I wasn’t sure I’d get my dining room decorated before Christmas this year, but I took some time Friday morning to finish it up and photograph it. Until then, the tree was up, but I was using the table and corners for incoming packages, storing bins of decor as I worked on other rooms, and wrapping presents. So, I tidied up the mess and finished decorating. We have our Christmas brunch in this room, so it’s nice to have it
four things | fifty-six
I cannot believe we are a week away from Christmas! When I was a kid, I felt like December would last forever. It was torturously long. As a middle-aged adult, it flies by. I blinked, and over half of it is gone. Such is life, though. The hours are long and the years are short. I’m looking forward to the quiet, slow days between Christmas and New Year’s, though. I think that might be my favorite week of the year.
straddling creative fences | creative business
In my creative work, I’ve often straddled fences. One foot in refinishing furniture and another in writing a book. One foot in managing a paint brand, while the other is in freelance articles and photography. I have always enjoyed the flexibility and stimulation that comes with hopping from one side of the fence to the other. I have also learned over the years that one creative endeavor often speaks to another. I get writing ideas when I’m working in the
Christmas 2025 Living Room
If you missed it, I shared the details about our 2025 Christmas tree HERE. In this post, I’m sharing how the rest of the living room looks dressed for Christmas this year. Here is the view through the doorway from the kitchen… curtain rod | curtains | rug | pillows | sconces | paint color I do need to say that we don’t usually have this many pillows on our sofa! I learned a long time ago that sofas and
I’m Marian, a painter, writer, and lover of all things creative. From art and antiques to home projects and everyday life, I share my journey in hopes of inspiring you to embrace your own creativity and make beauty in the spaces you live.
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More from the Blog
From the very first coat of paint to custom cabinetry, Marian has been slowly transforming her 1970s split-level into a home filled with charm, character, and creative vision. Explore room-by-room updates, clever DIYs, and the stories woven into each renovation project. It’s a work in progress—and that’s part of the beauty.
In the Studio
Artistic Endeavors
Spring Break Paintings
Painting really is like any other skill or strength-based activity. If you step away from it, even for a few days, there is a bit of dust to knock off when you get back to it. For this reason, I wanted to try to fit in some painting while I was at the beach. Not only is it good practice in general, but it’s good practice to get better at painting when away from my studio. I feel pretty confident
King Louis & Sky Miles | IOP Dog Reunions
Each morning, as we walk and collect shells on the beach, there is also a dog party happening. At Isle of Palms, dogs are allowed off their leashes to run free for a few hours each morning, and both owners and dogs take advantage. Dogs are running in the surf, chasing balls, playing with each other, greeting all the other beach-goers (who are there for them, naturally), and jogging alongside their owners. It finally occurred to me in 2024 that
what makes you an artist
This is a quote from Junot Díaz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, that I wrote in my notebook years ago. I’ve probably shared it here before, but I thought I would share it again. “A writer is not a writer because she writes well and easily, because she has amazing talent, or because everything she does is golden. A writer is a writer because, even when there is no hope, even when nothing you do shows any sign of progress, you
my painting style
When you first start a creative endeavor, you’re just trying to do the thing, and you aren’t too worried about what bucket or genre you might fit in. As you grow and start to find your style and voice, you do start to wonder where you fit. When people have asked me to define my art style over the years, I haven’t really been sure how to answer. I like the impressionists, but my work clearly doesn’t look like a
My new book | Cover & Title Reveal
I am so excited to finally reveal the title and cover for my new book – Move Slow & Make Things: Pursuing the Delightfully Fulfilling Creative Life. This book was born out of hundreds of conversations I’ve had with people over the years, in person, in small groups, and online, about creativity and what it means to be an artist. Sometimes, the conversation starts with a question from someone seeking to make more room for creativity in their own life:
Fine Art Prints available at Marrs on Main
After working with Jenny Marrs on pet portraits for one of her design clients (you can read about that HERE), the shop manager for Marrs on Main reached out to me about carrying some of my prints in the store. I was naturally excited about the opportunity, but I had never sold prints directly, so I had a lot of logistics to figure out. The first step was finding a printer I liked, so I ordered a bunch of
Seasonal
Fall
subtle seasonal dining room
The week after I got back from Europe, summer was still hanging onto Rochester, but it finally released its grasp. The trees are turning fiery hues at their tips, there is a refreshing chill to the air, and I donned my favorite leather boots in church this weekend. Fall is here. Having missed a week and a half of September, it feels like autumn will be shorter this year than usual. For that reason, I’m not going to spend too
apple tart recipe review – fall desserts
My mom and I leave for Paris on Saturday and I have been a bit of a crazy person the past few days. I’m pretty set when it comes to packing my suitcase, but it’s the backpack/purse I’m going to be carrying with me daily that has been causing all of the angst and I started to second-guess my plan. In a nutshell, I ended up buying two anti-theft bags and one was too small and one was the right
apple tart recipe review
My mom and I leave for Paris on Saturday and I have been a bit of a crazy person the past few days. I’m pretty set when it comes to packing my suitcase, but it’s the backpack/purse I’m going to be carrying with me daily that has been causing all of the angst and I started to second-guess my plan. In a nutshell, I ended up buying two anti-theft bags and one was too small and one was the right
Seasons of Home | Fall Porch
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by . I shop from them regularly as a customer, so this was a natural sponsorship. All words and opinions expressed in this post are my own. One thing that excited me about our new home was the porch! I only had a small stoop at our last house, but this house has a nice front porch with lots of potential for decorating for the seasons. We still have some power washing and window cleaning
seasons of home | fall living room
I’ll be really honest here… The only reason I decorated my living room for fall was for this post. And there it is. Before you bail on this post, though, let me tell you something more… As I started clipping eucalyptus and tucking it in around pumpkins, grabbing apples from the bowl in the kitchen and mini pinecones from the dough bowl in the dining room, there was a joy discovered that went beyond having a styled mantel for a
(working with what you have) fall table
Last year, I participated in the Farmhouse Holiday Series and it was such a fun blog-hop to be a part of that I agreed to participate again this year. I like saying yes to fun things and collaborations with creative people. But then I realized that only about 2% of my house is finished in my colors and style… And I really felt that as I was working on this fall tablescape. It was supposed to be in the dining
at home
All Things Home
salt-dough season | traditional salt-dough ornament recipe
One of my favorite holiday projects over all my years of Christmas crafting is making things with salt dough. It started with an impulsive purchase from an Instagram ad. I bought two wooden cookie molds, not really even sure what I was going to do with them. I just thought they were pretty and had good crafting potential. After languishing in my tin with cookie cutters and piping tips, inspiration hit. What if I used those pretty molds with humble
my favorite realistic faux evergreens
I really loved my Christmas decorating last year, so I will probably do something very similar this year. It felt classic and beautiful, and looking back over the pictures makes me excited to pull out the bins and deck the halls. Well, almost. But, while I’m thinking about it and while you might be planning and shopping, and before everything Christmas is sold out, I wanted to share my favorite realistic faux evergreens for Christmas and winter decorating. Years ago,
tucking in the garden for winter
This is our fourth fall in this house, and I think we have finally figured out how to best deal with the leaves from the six large maple trees on our property. The first fall, we had just moved in and were completely overwhelmed by them. Our amazing neighbors jumped in and used their two riding mowers to help us out. Since then, Jeff (primarily) and I have been trying to figure out a system to stay on top of
Handmade Christmas Garland Round-up
The past few Christmases, since our move back to the East Coast, I have been behind on sharing holiday and Christmas posts. After years of working way ahead on Christmas for retail, articles, and blog posts, it felt good to decorate, shop for gifts, and share in real time. I realized, though, that I was often sharing too late for people to make handmade decorations, or that all the products I was using were already sold out! So, I’m going
My Favorite Local Antique Stores
I have been asked several times since I moved back to the mid-Atlantic region if I would share some of my favorite antique stores. I will start by saying, there are a plethora of fantastic antique stores, markets, co-ops, barn sales, consignment shops, and thrift stores all within about an hour from me. There is no way I can give an exhaustive list, but I wanted to share the places I regularly check out that are either in Hagerstown or
DIY wet panel carrier for oil paintings
In my previous post about traveling with oil paints, I mentioned I would share a DIY wet panel carrier tutorial, and here it is! If you don’t use oil paints, you may wonder what a wet panel carrier is and why it’s necessary. One of the wonderful things about oil paints is that they are slow-drying. This gives you a lot of time to blend and nudge the paint around, or even just scrape it off. I find it’s even
Everyday Moments
A Slice of Life
shell collection competition 2026
The jokes, comments, and ribbing about the shell collection competition started happening the first afternoon we arrived at our rental house on Isle of Palms. I walked out to the beach for our first visit of the vacation and found a small pale gray whelk at the base of the sign at the beach entrance we use most. I posted to my Instagram Stories, “Let the games begin.” There’s always a lot of banter around the competition. My mom accuses
shelling diaries 2026 | part three & “whelk graveyard” map
You can read my 2026 Shelling Diaries Part One HERE and Part Two HERE. Jeff jokingly said we should bring shovels to dig in the whelk graveyard, but then he actually found some decent sand shovels in the garage of our rental house, so it wasn’t really a joke anymore. We were going to visit that spot again and, this time, we were going to do some serious shelling. The morning was brisk, in the low 50s, so we all
shelling diaries 2026 | part two
While we’ve all been getting lots of steps from walking on the beach. Jeff has been the grand champion with over 24,000 steps each day. (I’ve been clocking in 15,000-20,000.) Since he’s been covering so much ground, we asked him to do some shell reconnaissance for us. He found some gray olives and whelks for me (he’s redeemed himself from his traitorous act earlier in the week ), and some pink whelks for my mom, but he also found a
four things | sixty-seven
It’s Four Things: Isle of Palms edition! We’ve been at the beach since last Friday, so we’ve been going for lots of walks, eating great Lowcountry food, preparing for the annual shell-collection competition, doing puzzles, playing Bananagrams, and visiting family. We always have a grand time, and it’s been a great week. Here are my Four Things… what I’m reading My friend Cheri gave me the book Theo of Golden a few months ago, and I’ve been saving
the top three questions about shelling
Every year, when I’m sharing our shelling adventures on social media, the same three questions pop up, so I thought I would share the answers all in one place. Where are you shelling? We are at the Isle of Palms in South Carolina. We’ve been coming here for Spring Break for several years, and it’s a wonderful area for shelling. I’ve been to the Outer Banks, Myrtle Beach, Wrightsville Beach, and Hilton Head, and this is where we’ve found
shelling diaries 2026 | part one
We are back in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, for Spring Break. We love coming this time of year because it’s still “off season”, so it isn’t crowded, and it’s rarely overly hot. We can still have some warm, sticky days, and we do risk having gloomy, cold days that aren’t great for the beach, but we have found this is a good window for our crew. I’m often asked what the water temperature is here in early March. I
Explore painting at your own pace—no experience needed
Free Art Classes for the Creative at Heart
While the world slowed down in the spring of 2020, I found connection and creativity by offering live art classes each Friday—just a simple way to share something joyful during uncertain times. What began as a small spark turned into something truly special. After receiving such kind and encouraging feedback, I decided to turn those lessons into a free online course. Inside, you’ll find nine beginner-friendly oil painting classes covering everything from mixing colors to painting a sweet grazing cow. It’s a gentle, joy-filled place to start (or continue) your painting journey.