Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 14 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

Art

two of the best shows on TV

I have mentioned both of these series in past Favorites Posts as well as on the TCe podcast. And I can’t count the number of times I have brought them up in conversations with other people, specifically when talking about art or adjacent subjects like finding your creative voice. I have watched all available seasons at least twice. These series are Landscape Artist of the Year and Portrait Artist of the Year and, if you haven’t heard of them, I want to share all about them (without any spoilers), why I love them so much, and what I’ve learned from watching them. (All of the photos in this post are from sky.com) I tripped across Landscape Artist of the Year first a few years ago on Amazon Prime and I loved it right from the beginning. I was then delighted to learn about Portrait Artist of the Year, which I

February 8, 2024 8 Comments

a slice of life

better & done

What started as “feeling under the weather” and having a bit of a sore throat early last week turned into being flat-out sick mid-week. So instead of photographing things I’ve worked on, painting in my studio, and getting things ticked off the to-do list, I was blowing my nose raw and redecorating my nightstand with coughdrops, saltines, a thermometer, and an array of beverages. While I didn’t appreciate the little detour my week took, the kitties loved the extra snuggles and hardly left my side. I’m still dealing with a cough and fatigue, but I am definitely on the upswing. Since I didn’t get to take those new pictures and work on putting new posts together, I am picking up a post I started writing a few months ago. I looked back over my drafts and this one made me smile as I reread what was already written and I

February 5, 2024 29 Comments

Art

art books | new releases in 2024

Well, now that I have more shelf space in the studio, I can buy more books! I say that partially in jest, but my book-loving mind does think that way to an extent. There is a practical, organized side of me, though, that understands limits are good and things are only valuable if I can interact with them meaningfully. They have to be accessible and useful to be enjoyed, so keeping that in mind, there will always be some limits. That being said, I really, really love and use my art books. I visit and revisit them regularly, so I feel like I can justify making more room for more books without feeling guilty. I have learned, though, that I need to be intentional about the books I curate, so I’ve gotten in the habit of maintaining a pretty meticulous art books wish list. When I see a book I’m

January 25, 2024 12 Comments

Art Supplies

more studio bookcases

Almost a year ago, I decided I really needed to address the stacks of books that had been moved from room to room since our move. I had dreams of built-in library shelves in the dining room, but it became clear that project wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Even if we were ready to tackle it, I needed more time to live in the rooms to decide if that was even what I wanted. So, I ended up buying four Billy bookcases from Ikea to use in the studio. You can read about that HERE. I was able to fit two on either side of the antique hardware counter and they were the perfect, inexpensive solution. I went with the thinner bookcases since I have a lot of heavy books and I knew wider shelves would likely sag over time. So far, that has been a good choice. I

January 22, 2024 10 Comments

Crochet & Knitting Patterns

easy crochet bauble garland tutorial (two ways)

I spotted some crochet garlands when I fell down an internet rabbit hole a few years ago, but I never got around to making them and I then got sidetracked by other things. Then this year, I saw my friend Cheri from This Cottage Life making and selling some and I got the itch to make them. I looked at a few different tutorials to get me started and then played around with techniques, designs, yarns, and hook sizes until I found a couple I liked. So, in this post, I’ll share two different crochet bauble garland tutorials (a printed pattern and a video tutorial.) bauble crochet garland tutorial no. one – chunky bauble For this version of the bauble garland, you’ll need Lion WoolEase Thick & Quick yarn (or a similarly chunky yarn), scissors (THESE forged scissors are my favorite), and a 6.5mm crochet hook. THESE are the ones

December 14, 2023 4 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the patina of practice

I saw this post a few weeks ago on Instagram… View this post on Instagram A post shared by Araminta Sainsbury (@minty_sainsbury) And I just loved it. I love that the artist saved all of her pencil nubs, 272 of them created and collected over 8 1/2 years of practice to become the artist she is today. I love that she wanted to celebrate them and take it even further to turn them into a piece of art. When I’m browsing at an antique market or store, I seem to be drawn to pieces that have been well-used, patched, and repaired. I always felt like it was evidence that the object was very useful and loved. We simply don’t take the time to repair things we don’t need, use, or love. But, we’ll superglue, stitch, tape, mend, darn, and care for our favorite things. We’ll tolerate stains

November 15, 2023 17 Comments

All Things Home

Original Frame TV Art

Over the past year or so, a few people suggested offering my artwork as a digital file sized for the. Since I don’t own a FrameTV, I had never really considered that, but I thought it was a good idea! So, I combed back through the digital files of my original oil paintings and selected ones that would work well with the crop ratio of a TV. So, if you’re interested in adding some of my art to your home on your , a selection of paintings is now available HERE. There are currently four collections of FrameTV art available… The Animal Collection features dogs, ducks, and rabbits… The Landscape Collection features landscapes, villages, beaches, water, and barns… The Still Life Collection features carrots, pears, clementines, baby shoes, and more… And, I included a collection of scans of sketches and watercolors from the antique GH Kitchin sketchbooks in the

October 25, 2023 10 Comments

Art

three art exercises to loosen up & get unstuck

Sometimes it’s little things that make you feel stuck. A few months ago, I stopped filming art videos and tutorials. I was busy and the house was noisy and messy due to renovations, but that hadn’t stopped me before. I finally realized that making videos fell off a cliff when I moved my desk away from the window. I didn’t feel like I had a nice, bright place to film, so I just stopped filming. I moved my desk back a few weeks ago and I’ve already filmed several painting videos, including the one I’m sharing in this post. I’m sharing this to introduce an art video that feels a little out of the blue since I haven’t made one in a while, but also as a prompt. If you feel creatively stuck, maybe one small change will get you creating again. Maybe you need better light, some fun new

October 6, 2023 13 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.

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