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Oil Painting

Art

Encouraging words from Degas about AI

“Without a heart, can one not be an artist?” – Edgar Degas I heard this quote in Sebastian Smee’s book The Art of Rivalry.  It was in the context of Degas’s reputation for being a misogynist and having an aversion to love and marriage.  He said and wrote things that seemed to show at least some sentimentality and softness, including the quote above, and an anecdote about when he and Monet argued about who cared for Berthe Morisot more as they organized a retrospective after her death.  I wrote the quote in my Commonplace Notebook for future reference. AI seems to come up in conversation with more and more regularity, especially when it comes to creative work.  Will AI make artists, writers, filmmakers, designers, and the like obsolete? One of my commission clients sent me an AI-produced “oil painting” of her dog, and I have to admit, it was a

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Art

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 of the book so I could write the endorsement, I realized that we both went to high school in Orlando, Florida.  As it turns out, we went to rival schools, and I was just a couple of years ahead of her!  I would imagine we crossed paths at some point.  Anyway, this led to more chit-chat, and I had the thought that I should present the idea of using my

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Art

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 of a Cotswold cow ($650).  This collection includes still life paintings featuring plums, clementines, limelight hydrangeas, blueberries, and pears.  There are landscapes from Maryland, Italy, and England.  And I have a few animal portraits available, including Cotswold sheep, rabbits, one cow, and a few dogs (one Italian and the rest American).  I always think I’m going to stick to one theme for an online sale, and maybe I will one

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a slice of life

plein air painting at Hidcote

Let me start by saying plein air painting is not my sweet spot.  While I enjoy painting outside and on location, I’m rarely very happy with the results.  I prefer painting in my studio in a more controlled environment.  The lighting is relatively fixed; I have my easel and chair set to my height, all of my supplies are readily at hand, and I don’t have to worry about bugs sticking to my painting.  Whenever I paint outside, I feel like I’m fumbling around a bit, and I almost always feel rushed.  I know I would get more comfortable with practice, but it’s also okay if studio painting is my preference and where I do my best work. That being said, painting on location does a lot for my artist’s heart.  I love the experience of painting in a place.  Whenever I sketch or paint on location, that moment is

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Art

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 more forgiving than a pencil, which is one of the reasons I love working with oils. The downside of working with a slow-drying medium when traveling is that you now have a wet painting to transport home.  That is why artists who work with oil paints need a wet panel carrier.  I usually use premade wet panel cases from Raymar when I’m painting on the go, and they work great. 

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Art Supplies

packing art supplies for international travel

I’ve been bringing along art supplies when I travel for the past few years.  When I went to China in 2017, I had a vision of standing on the Great Wall and capturing the experience in a sketchbook.  I was nervous about it, but I did it!  The sketch was rubbish, but I learned that it wasn’t about the results.  It was about the process, about being fully present, and taking time to observe.  (You can read the post about that HERE.) Since then, I have always brought art supplies with me when I travel.  Both times I visited Europe, I made a point to set aside time to sketch and paint.  Again, I didn’t end up with anything I was particularly proud of, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’ve always just brought along supplies for sketching and watercolors, though, because they are easy to pack and travel with. 

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Art

September 2, 2025 | original art sale preview

As always, thank you so much to all my new and returning collectors!  It is truly an honor that you would hang a piece of my art in your home.  Over the past year, I’ve primarily been working on animal portrait commissions, so I enjoyed shifting gears to focus on still life and landscape paintings.  I loved creating these pieces and hope you find one that resonates with you. My next original art sale is scheduled for Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern (New York).  In this original art sale, I have pieces ranging from 8 x 10 ($225) up to a framed 16 x 20 ($650).  This collection includes still life paintings featuring clementines, limelight hydrangeas, peaches, mock orange blossoms, and white irises.  I also have a few landscapes based on photos taken around Maryland. As usual, this post provides a preview of all available works, including

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a slice of life

A short trip to MN & upcoming art sale

Jeff is usually the one who takes the boys on trips so they can have some father/son bonding time, but he had recently been on a couple of trips, and it would’ve been a stretch to miss more work.  So, as we planned a trip to Minnesota for Calvin to visit his friends, it was clear I would be the one to take him.  At first, it felt like a minor inconvenience, something I was doing just for him, but it turned into a treat for me as well.  Since Calvin has plans for most of our short trip, I would have time to do whatever I wanted.  I decided to turn that time into a mini-creative retreat.  I would spend two days collecting inspiration, painting, reading, and resting. I had planned to stay in a hotel, but when I reached out to schedule a meal with my friend, Cheri,

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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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

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