While the boys were at the climbing lessons, I mingled around the nearby Walmart store, looking for inspiration and pieces to use in an upcoming post about a summer table setting. I found beautiful jade dishes by Pioneer Woman as a great launching point, but I wanted to add a whimsical element to the table beyond fruit, flowers, and a … Read More
cow/calf pair
A couple of weeks ago, I painted a cow-calf pair. If you follow me on Instagram, you would’ve seen some of the process as well as the final painting shared on the grid. For those who don’t follow me there, here is the underpainting… …and then the finished work… I didn’t have plans to keep it when I first started … Read More
climbing up weeds
Walking has become one of my best tools for generating ideas. In the past, I sort of felt like walking was an alternative to “real exercise”, but since I’m still limited by my shoulder (I’m still doing PT), walking has been what I can reliably do. And I’ve seen and felt the benefits of it beyond just weight loss and … Read More
How I Journal
I’ve mentioned journaling a few times on Instagram and here on the blog and have received some questions about how I journal. I know there are a lot of “journaling methods” out there and I wouldn’t say I follow any specific method, but just started writing and figured out the best way to organize it all for my brain and … Read More
ABLE leather backpack & other pretty workhorses
I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes or shoes or purses or jewelry. I don’t eat out a lot or get expensive coffees every day. I don’t get the works done to my hair every eight weeks and I don’t get my nails and toes done with any regularity. What I do buy is good supplies. I love … Read More
mastery & all things worthwhile
Mastery… I’ve been thinking about that word a lot lately and have been challenged by it as I’ve been reading books like Essentialism and The Creative Habit. If I had to draw a diagram of my creative journey, it would probably look more like a spiderweb than a straight or even meandering path that heads in one direction. And, I … Read More
number one
On my @marianparsonsart Instagram, I shared my very first oil painting along with this caption… Number one. This was my first attempt at oil painting just over two years ago. You can see my tentative use of the paint. The barely-there stippled cloud declares my uncertainty. The mishandling of the colors and weak composition show my lack of knowledge and … Read More
“cover bands don’t change the world”
I love Todd Henry’s quote from the Accidental Creative podcast, “Cover bands don’t change the world. Don’t be a cover band.” Initially, I took the quote at face value. Right. Do your own thing. But I’ve been thinking about it a lot more lately and getting a little deeper with it. It really is not simple or easy…mostly because the … Read More