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All Things Home

All Things Home

apple orchard picnic shoot

Today was a whirlwind, but packed with activities that were good for my creative soul. Photo shoots are one of my favorite aspects of my job.  If you read my very, very early posts, I share how much I love “playing magazine”.  I loved that I had an excuse to take pictures of pretty things and share them.  And I have never grown weary of it! Today’s shoot was for an “apple orchard picnic” table for HGTV.com.  It was hot and humid outside, which detracted a bit from the fall feeling we were trying to evoke, but we had apples on the trees and a partly cloudy sky, so it was pretty close to perfect.  Thankfully, you can’t experience temperature through a photo!  Just imagine the air is crisp. We’re a few weeks away from full-blown apple season, but our local farm stand did have a few varieties of apples and

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All Things Home

creating with confidence

I have been watching a lot of video tutorials on painting, and sketching, and trying to improve my knowledge and skills.  In one that I watched, a famous watercolor artist (I’m new to this world, so I don’t know who he is) said something like, “The thing that most paintings lack is confidence.” That comment reached into my creative soul and touched a nerve.  Like he was speaking to me.  It wasn’t a comment made in judgment or superiority but in encouragement.  Like all artists, painters, creators, doodlers, drawers, crafters, and makers should have confidence in their work.   I wonder how many of us really do… So, I’m working on that.  Not being overly critical and learning from my mistakes instead of balling up the paper immediately and pitching it.  See what’s good and what can be improved. I don’t think we often think about practicing when it comes

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All Things Home

antique haul | 8.22.16

Late last week, I hit a wall.  I love my work, but sometimes I need to step away from my house and the studio and recharge creatively.  A day out shopping usually does that for me.  So, my mom and I hit a craft store for more watercolor and sketching supplies and we also hit one of my favorite antique stores. I was shopping mostly for inspiration, but I also kept an eye out for things I could sell in the online shop and I found quite a few goodies. Here’s a video showing my “haul”… And here are some detail shots of a few of the items… That huge ironstone platter has the most amazing pattern on it… I did decide to keep the linen napkins.  Just for a little while, anyway!  They are just too sweet to not use in a few photo shoots before I sell them.

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All Things Home

The trials of decorating for an 8-year-old boy

Decorating for kids is hard.  I’m learning that as I’m working with my eight-year-old on transforming the guest room into his room.  We have conversations about it that go something like this… “So, let’s talk about your room, bud, and how you would like it to look.” “Okay.” “What colors would you like?” “Ummm… Red, green, black, gray, orange, blue.  And some yellow.” “Hmm.  Okay.  How about a theme?” “Oh!  Broncos and Star Wars and Ninja Turtles.” “Um.  Okay.  Which is your favorite?” “I want to paint the walls and have you paint a big Mikey over there and a light saber over there…” And it just deteriorated from there. Now, I’m all for letting him have a say in his room.  I want him to love it.  But, I also know that most eight year old boys lack a design sense or the concept that when they are twelve,

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All Things Home

artwork for Calvin’s room

I remember a conversation I had with Jeanne Oliver a few years ago.  We were talking about art and the classes she offers through her website.  At the time, she was offering a painting class that was based on copying the work of masters.  I remember not knowing quite how to feel about that…a class that is encouraging a student of art to copy the work of someone else.  Isn’t that a no-no? Well, that conversation was such an encouragement to me.  Jeanne shared how copying can be a wonderful way to learn new techniques and explore your own style within the framework of someone else’s work.  Copying is a bad thing when you just rip someone off and don’t give them credit or when you’re delving into the world of copyright infringement, but when you’re using it as a learning tool, there is a lot of value in it.

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All Things Home

watercolor herbs

When I get into something, I get into it.  I don’t mess around.  If I get into a TV show, I will binge-watch it.  And, yes, sometimes I get impatient and read the synopsis for episodes ahead of where I am, so the suspense won’t be so intense and I can go to sleep at a reasonable hour.  This is one reason why I don’t read very often, although I love reading.  I just get engrossed and irresponsible! As I shared last week, when I took the watercolor class at Haven, it clicked for me.  I haven’t found a paint I loved so much since I started working with milk paint. In many ways, they are alike.  What makes them different is also what makes them wonderful and challenging all at the same time.  When you get them, though, and use their quirks and unique qualities to your advantage, magical things

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All Things Home

how tidy are your drawers?

Some of you have noticed and commented on the fact that I paint pieces while the drawers are still inside their recesses/cubbies.  (Drawer holes?)  And yes, I do leave the drawers in when I paint and I wanted to share the method to my madness. The habit of leaving the drawers in started due to a lack of space.  When I worked out of my house, every square foot needed to be used strategically and I just didn’t have the luxury of being able to spread my drawers all over the floor.  (This post is getting a little personal, isn’t it?  Can’t help myself.) So, I learned I could paint with them in and the world didn’t implode and, actually, things end up looking nice and tidy when it’s all said and done. I paint the piece, as we’ve established, with the drawers in.  When I’m painting around the edges

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All Things Home

studio flooring options

In my post yesterday, I shared that we’ll be installing some new flooring in the studio.  Well, not in the entire studio, but a corner of it, so I can use that area for photo shoots.  The corner we’ll be installing it in is this one… You can see that the flooring is a bit of a mish-mash; some of the old pine and some plywood, so I haven’t used that corner for photo shoots despite the nice light and big, blank wall. So, I’ve been planning to float some flooring in that corner, so I can create “rooms”.  Rooms that I can design, put together, photograph, and ultimately, sell everything in them. Doesn’t that sound like fun?! So, I was looking for a few specific things.  First of all, I wanted a floor that would be neutral and wouldn’t cast any sort of hue, specifically red, orange or yellow.  (The floors

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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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