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Artistic Endeavors

Art

My painting in the McGee x Threshold collection at Target

On Monday, I was browsing through Instagram Stories and did a double-take when I saw a piece of artwork I recognized in a round-up of Liz Marie’s favorite things from the new McGee x Threshold collection at Target… Do you see it?!  This is one of my oil still-life paintings and it was picked up for the McGee collection and is now being sold in Target stores and online!  You can buy one HERE or see if it’s available at a nearby Target. When I first saw it, I recognized it instantly as mine, but when I studied it further, I started to question myself.  For some reason, I felt like it was better than my painting!  I had a chance to look at it objectively, in a new context, and it gave me a new appreciation for my style.  For a few brief minutes, I wondered if someone had

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Art

royalty-free artist reference photos site launch

I’ve been working on a new project behind the scenes for a few months and now, we’re ready to officially launch!  I am so excited to introduce you to my new site… www.artistreferencephotos.com One of the greatest frustrations I’ve experienced as a growing artist is finding reference photos for the things I want to paint that I might not see daily.  My readers and Instagram followers have generously shared photos with me when I put the call out, but not every artist has a generous audience as a resource to tap into when specific photos are needed.  Yes, artists can search for images online, but there are restrictions even on “free” photo-sharing websites and things can get sticky if you want to license your work for reproduction and sale.  I found in all of my online searches that there isn’t a website that is truly a royalty-free reference photo library

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All Things Home

marian tries | weaving garden cloches

Do you know what I’ve been thinking lately?  I need more hobbies.  I mean, a girl needs a few tasks to keep her busy.  Of course, I’m being facetious since I have hobbies up to my eyeballs, but it’s still hard for me to resist dabbling in a new one when it looks intriguing.  As I’ve been spending a lot of time this spring working on our yard and garden beds, I thought it would be fun to make some of my own willow garden cloches and plant supports.  I just adore them when I see them in books and TV shows.  They add a homespun charm that I wanted to add to my suburban garden.  As I started researching sourcing willow for weaving garden supports, I realized this hobby wasn’t going to be quite as simple to delve into as knitting or painting.  It seems that weaving your own

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All Things Home

first willow garden structure project & an English dovecote

Several of you have asked about the English dovecote hanging near our front door as well as the willow garden support, so I wanted to back up a bit and share about those two pieces.  Since the English dovecote came first, let’s start with that. I was initially planning on making a trellis for this bit of wall that would complement the two larger trellises on the wall just around the corner, but I was wondering if that might be trellis overload.  This wall needed something, though. Maria of Dreamy Whites had sent me a dovecote from one of her shopping trips in England and Europe last year, but it had been waiting in the basement until we started working more on the exterior of the house.  I have long admired English dovecotes and knew I wanted to mount one somewhere in the yard or on the house, but there

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a slice of life

back to IOP for a creative retreat

The last time I met up with Shaunna for a creative retreat was in February 2020.  We met up in Panama City Beach, Florida to spend a few days at her parent’s amazing condo that overlooked the ocean.  We ate charcuterie boards and ordered DoorDash.  We painted, played, talked, took notes, dreamed, asked questions, listened to music, and rested.  It was such a wonderful time and I couldn’t wait to do it again. (You can read more about my past creative retreats HERE.) Well, we all know what was around the corner in March of that year.  We have talked about doing a creative retreat for years but the timing was always off for one or both of us.  In addition, her parents were weary of repairing the property after the hurricanes (including a contractor who started squatting in the place) and sold their condo.  We would look at the

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Art

original art sale preview | April 15, 2024

I can’t believe the last time I had an original art sale was last August!  The months just fly by and the collection of recent works has just been hanging out in my studio.  I kept thinking I would wait to have a sale until I completed more paintings to add, but once I gathered all of the paintings in a stack, I realized I had enough to schedule a sale.  I have learned that clearing paintings out of the studio that are just learning on the drying shelf or sitting in a stack, gives me motivation to produce more paintings.  I think it makes physical space as well as creative space to do something new. I’m excited about this sale because it offers a mix of subjects and a variety of sizes.  I’m selling a bunch of smaller works as well as works on paper, so there are some

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Artistic Endeavors

playing with abstract art

If you had asked me a few years ago if I had any interest in abstract art, I would’ve told you confidently that it’s not my thing at all.  More than that, abstract art seems too chaotic, pointless, and lacks a true display of artistic talent in my estimation.  As the famous quote goes – Modern art = I can do that + yeah but you didn’t Maybe, if you splatter enough paint on canvases and put enough colors next to one another, you’ll come out with a winner eventually.  It might just boil down to high creative output and luck.  And then, art snobs will stand in front of a work the right person called a masterpiece and try to ascertain the deeper meaning.  Honestly, it all seemed silly and pretentious.  But, then I started intently studying art about five years ago.  I did a deep dive into art

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Artistic Endeavors

five projects for creative play

Just as I was starting to gain my energy and feel better after being sick, I got hit again!  I tested positive for the flu on Monday, so I am back to snuggling with the kitties most of the day.  I don’t know if I’ve ever gotten two viruses back to back like this and it is the pits.  I am ready to get back to my usual work and life routines, but I am thankful that it’s just a virus, it’s temporary, and I’ll be back to my old self soon.  I’m also so glad I made a big batch of Carrot White Bean Soup (recipe HERE), a dozen Chicken Patties (recipe HERE), and a container of brown rice.  We’ve been able to eat off of that and the carrot soup has been soothing on my throat.  Anyway, since I’m down and out again and not working on new

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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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