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Art

#indexcardartpoject 2025 | free oil painting video tutorial | card “c”

For those who have been waiting for another paint-a-long video, this post is for you!  I am going to film painting a few of my index cards since they are great little studies for beginners, those new to oil paints, or those who want to do a little painting exercise with me.  For this card, card “C”, I’m painting a quick and loose study of an Edward Seago painting. If you’re just hopping into the 2025 Index Card Art Project, you can get all of the details HERE. This is the Edward Seago painting we’re studying, although it becomes more of a loose interpretation and less of a study as I get going! I’ll be posting the exact colors on my palette in a separate video and blog post, but if you’re new to oils, this is the beginner palette I would suggest.  I do use a touch of red

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Art

Index Card Art Project 2025 | Inspiration & References

For those joining me in the #indexcardartproject (or those who are just interested in following along), I decided to walk through my inspiration for this project along with some of the reference photos I’m using.  I’m going to stick with landscapes as I did for the previous two Index Card Art Projects, primarily because I haven’t worked on landscapes lately and would like to give them some attention.  Little studies are a great way to practice color mixing and composition.  I will paint a mix of my own reference photos and some master studies. Here is a video showing my sources of inspiration as well as some of the reference photos I’ll be painting from.  All of the reference photos are royalty-free and available on the Artist Reference Photos website. The books shared in this video are… Composition of Outdoor Painting… This is a must-have book by Edgar Payne for

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Art

how to clean up artists’ oil paint

I wanted to work with oils for a long time, probably years.  I set out looking for different kinds of paints to try, to experiment with.  As intrigued as I was with oils, I was also terrified of them.  What about the fumes, the clean-up, and the slow drying time?  I had used oil products when we built and refinished butcher block counters and on a few other projects, but I always bought brushes specifically for the purpose and I disposed of them after use because I was scared of the clean-up.  I finally decided my desire to try oil paints as a fine art medium outweighed my fear of the clean-up.  I was going to learn how to use and how to clean up artist’s oil paint. I painted a landscape, so I got past that initial hurdle.  I was still scared of the clean-up so I let the

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Art

Join us for the #indexcardartproject 2025

As I shared last week, I decided to do another Index Card Art Project and you’re invited to paint along!  I did one in 2019 with two of my art buddies from Instagram – Michelle Wooderson and Paige from Open Field Mercantile.  We started our oil painting journeys together and have stayed in touch and checked in through the years.  I cannot tell you how amazing it was to have two other artists who were brand new to oil paints to talk to.  We could ask each other questions, share what we learned, exchange feedback on our work, and encourage one another.  Having books and video tutorials is awesome, but it doesn’t replace the ways you can grow in a digital “sewing circle.”  Michelle and Paige are going to paint along with the 2025 index card art project and, if you want to be a part of it, you can

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Art

January 24, 2025, original art sale preview

The last time I had an original art sale was last April!  Ack.  What happened?!  Well, I know that I was writing, working on a book proposal, gardening, working on house projects…  I did some commissioned pieces and a lot of sketching and studying, but I didn’t have many finished works last year.  My goal is to have ten this year, but we’ll see how that goes. In this original art sale, I have pieces ranging from 5 x 7 ($75) up to 11 x 14 ($400.)  Most of the paintings were completed within the past few weeks, but there are a few abstracts from my last sale, a painting of Esmé I did in 2022 (I’m going to paint another one), and a few I painted earlier in 2024 (including some winter/Christmas themed paintings for commercial clients.)  It’s a nice assortment of my favorite subjects – still life, animals,

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Art

slow and steady artistic growth

For many years, I have championed the idea that practice makes better.  I recently saw something to add to that from James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.  “Two simple rules: 1.) You get better at what you practice.  2.) Everything is practice.” Sometimes, with my art, I wonder if I’ve improved and, if so, how much.  There are days when I feel like I’ve grown in leaps and bounds and other days when I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten how to paint entirely.  But knowing that it’s all practice is such an encouragement,  Even the paintings that go directly to the trash are practice.  The sketches, studying, reading, and observing all add up.  My animal painting improves my still lifes.  My still-life painting improves my color mixing.  My color mixing improves my landscapes.  And everything I do from photography to writing to decorating to gardening is all a part of practice.

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Art

Society6 prints & paper sale

For those interested in prints, wrapping papers, and cards, I added a few new designs to my Society6 shop and most of my products are currently 50% off! One of my newest prints is this pair of rabbits… I didn’t add any new paper designs this year (time got away from me), but papers I designed in previous seasons are still available and are on sale for $10, which is 60% off the regular price.  You can find all of my wrapping paper designs HERE.  Society6 wrapping papers come in packs of five 20″ x 29″ sheets and are the perfect weight for wrapping presents or even using for craft projects and handmade gifts.  It’s thick so it doesn’t tear easily and isn’t see-through, but it’s not so thick that it won’t hold a nice fold. I hope to add some more patterns this year.  I really love pattern design,

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Art

Artist Reference Photos | Portraits & People

We have been adding a bunch of new photos to the Artist Reference Photos site each week, including some lovely new still-life vignettes and landscapes with barns, cows, and sheep.  I’ve always collected photos for myself, but it’s been fun to be more intentional about it and collecting photos to share on the site.  As a recap, Artist Reference Photos is a free, reference-sharing site for artists.  All images on there are either taken by me or donated to the site through our contributors, so you never have to look over your shoulder wondering if it’s okay to sell a painting made from one of our pictures.  I hope this library will grow from the thousands into the millions so it can be a great resource for artists all over the world. There was one category we haven’t listed photos in yet, though – portraits and people.  This category gets

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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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May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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