Artistic Endeavors Archives | Miss Mustard Seed

Artistic Endeavors

Art

custom cut plywood art panels

When I first started painting with oils, I bought a smattering of substrates to test. I painted on stretched canvas and linen, canvas and linen panels, oil paper, and gesso board. Over the years, I learned that I didn’t like the bounce and fragility of stretched canvas and linen. I didn’t like the texture of canvas panels, but I’m okay with the texture of a fine Belgian linen panel. I also learned that not all gessoed plywood, MDF, and hardboard are the same. Some are rough and grippy. Some are slippery, and the paint almost resists the surface. Doing “the thing” is the best teacher, and through doing, I learned that my favorite surface was plywood panels I gessoed (primed) myself. (THIS is the gesso I use.) I like that they are easy to store in my studio, inexpensive to ship, rigid and unlikely to be damaged, and have a

September 29, 2026 13 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

moving fast & moving slow

I intended to share more on the blog over the last couple of weeks, but my days have been busy! On top of a full plate at work, we’ve had to fit car shopping into the schedule. (If you missed why, you can read about it HERE.) I wish I could say car shopping was super fun, but it’s depressing how much a five-year-old minivan with 90k miles costs. We ended up getting a Honda Pilot (SUV), but we hit a bit of a snag with that. It’s all working out in the end. The issue is being resolved, and we’ll pick up the car later this week. It’s just been disruptive, and my last couple of weeks have felt a little clunky. As I rush to get everything done, it’s not lost on me that I am in the thick of promoting a book titled Move Slow & Make

September 28, 2026 9 Comments

Antiques

Country Living Fair, here I come!

It is not lost on me how cool it is that I get to wake up each workday and decide what I want to do. Some of that is dictated by deadlines and commitments to clients, but since 2008, I’ve been able to jump into working on my house, refinishing a piece of furniture, doing a photoshoot, writing a blog post, or painting at the easel. In addition to getting to do creative work as a profession, I have been invited to do some pretty amazing things over the years. I’ve been to New York City twice for guest appearances on TV shows; I’ve been a mainstage speaker at the Toronto Home Show and other home & blog conferences, and I’ve been able to teach creative workshops in Italy. And a few weeks ago, I received another exciting invite – to be a part of a speaking panel at the

September 21, 2026 16 Comments

Art

perfection vs. personality

Most of the time, when I’m working on a project that requires something of me physically, but allows my mind to wander – gardening, painting, cleaning, drawing, walking – I put on music or listen to a podcast or audiobook. But sometimes, I give my mind quiet to see what thoughts bubble to the surface. One day, as I was painting in a quiet studio, I thought about Vincent Van Gogh and his struggle with draftsmanship. He was on my mind a lot lately since I had been listening to a marathon audiobook biography on his life. (I finally finished it a couple of weeks ago, by the way!) He received a lot of criticism for his out-of-proportion figures, clunky faces, and wonky buildings. He knew it was a struggle, and he practiced fanatically to improve. He started using the grid method, but since he painted from life, he used

September 8, 2026 20 Comments

a slice of life

Move Slow & Make Things x An Acre of Land Giveaway

I was meandering through Instagram one day and came across An Acre of Land. I was immediately drawn to the photography, the styling, and the layers of feminine, generously gathered skirts. I pressed the follow button. For months, maybe even years, I would admire the clothes, which are just my style. It was the appearance of a cyanometer, though, which made me realize the creative minds behind An Acre of Land were my people. A cyanometer is a scientific/art instrument used to measure the color of the sky. I tripped across their existence in a book in 2021 and fell in love immediately. I haven’t seen one referenced anywhere else, though. (I still have my cyanometer, hand-painted in oils, in my studio.) The use of blue in An Acre of Land’s Blueprints Collection further piqued my interest. Their featured collection when I started following the account consisted of black, cream,

September 4, 2026 8 Comments

Writing

Move Slow & Make Things | Book Launch Day!

I’ve been counting down the days to September 1, 2026, and now it’s finally here. Move Slow & Make Things is now officially on the market! I cannot express how excited I am that the book is finally available, and I am eagerly awaiting feedback from those who read it. My hope is the book will be an encouragement, a pep talk, and that anyone who reads it will feel pulled to lean into curiosity, to gain a fresh perspective, to work, rest, and grow, to embrace their unique brand of art, to make room for creativity, to make connections, to make a delightfully fulfilling creative life. In addition to offering the book in hardcopy format, you can purchase the audiobook for less than $13 HERE. When the concept for this book first started taking shape, I imagined it as a trade (text only) book. I’m so glad the publisher

September 1, 2026 17 Comments

a slice of life

Why I take pictures at art museums

When I went to the Louvre in the fall of 2018, it was my first time visiting a museum as an adult who truly appreciated art. Of course, Mom and I sought out the Mona Lisa. It’s just something you need to do if you’re a tourist at the Louvre. At the time, you didn’t have to wait in a line to access it. We simply followed the signs and knew we made it to the right room when we saw a crowd of people arranged in a semicircle, holding their phones up to snap a picture of the famous painting. I remember feeling a prick of annoyance at all of the black rectangles obscuring the view of people who wanted to look at the painting with their own eyes. But, even as I felt that, I pulled out my own phone, opened the camera app, and tried to find

August 28, 2026 5 Comments

Art

what I’ve been up to lately…

If you’ve been a regular here on this blog for a long time, you may have noticed I’m not as consistent in posting this year as I have been for the previous 15 years. (Something that’s sort of funny is I wrote this post on Monday, got busy with other things, and realized Tuesday I never hit publish!) Posting less wasn’t something I planned, but as this year has unfolded, I find myself having to drop “write blog post” off my daily to-do list more and more. Writing the blog post has always been a top priority, but as traffic and income from the blog dwindle (I talk about that in detail HERE), it falls lower on the priority list. While I am a “creative type” and a dreamer, I am also pragmatic when it comes to my business. I am willing to look at the profit and loss reports

August 27, 2026 11 Comments

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.

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

NEW ONLINE ART COURSE

Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love

Learn to paint pet portraits in oils with confidence, even if you’re a beginner. In this new course, Marian will guide you step by step through creating expressive animal portraits filled with color, personality, and your own artistic touch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the course opens.

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