Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 19 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

Art Supplies

EdgePro PaintBook easel review | art supplies

A few people have asked me about the easel I have been using in my temporary studio, so I thought I would share a review of it now that I’ve been using it for about a month. EdgePro PaintBook Easel in the large size, walnut finish. I’ve been looking at this easel for a long time, but felt like the one I had was sufficient to bring with me on trips. I paint mostly in my studio, so I didn’t need anything too fancy. (As an FYI, I bought this easel and this review is not sponsored.) For a few years, I’ve been using the , which is a great palette/easel combination for the price ($130.) It adjusts to hold small and large panels, the palette is a nice size, and it has side tables for brushes and accessories. After a few years of use, though, the easel started slipping when

June 29, 2022 12 Comments

Art

pet portraits | creative play

After painting a study of Maud Earl’s American Pointer, I felt confident to tiptoe in the world of pet portraits. I suppose I had to because my mom told me that Sebastian was feeling a little jealous that I was painting other dogs. Then, of course, the kitties also felt a little miffed that I was painting dogs and not their beautiful fluffy faces. I had no idea painting would get me in such hot water. In all seriousness, I’ve wanted to paint our animals for a while and I have taken so many pictures of them that I thought would make good paintings. But there are so many elements of pet portraits that I find intimidating. First of all, there is all of the fur, hair, and whiskers. The coloring can be a challenge to capture as well since there can be so many colors mixed together, as in

June 23, 2022 44 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

maud earl pointer study in oils

One of the best parts about being in this transition is that I am finally getting “free time” after all of the preparations and packing that dominated my time the past couple of months. I’ve been doing restful things like watching TV, finishing some knitting projects, and doing lots of drawing and painting. I just have a small rental house to take care of, so I have been a lady of leisure! Well, I’m still working, but my work is enjoyable and I’ve been able to have a lot more flexibility in how I spend my time. That means I’m getting around to painting subjects that have been in my “to paint” file for a long time. Pictures from the beach, landscapes I’ve done sketches of but never painted, and master studies. One of the master studies I have been itching to paint is Head Study of an American Pointer

June 21, 2022 12 Comments

Art Supplies

antique combination sketchbook & palette

One of my observant blog readers noticed that I wrote “I bought art boxes” instead of “I brought art boxes” in yesterday’s post. We both had a laugh at it, but the truth is I have still bought a few things here and there. Some of it was timed to arrive before we closed on our house and some of it has been shipped to my parent’s house. I mean, what are parents for if not to get your mail and store stuff in their garage? (And ask them for your inoculation records when you’re in your 40s. My mom actually said, “You are in your 40s and I have no idea where your inoculation records are.” Valid.) Anyway, in our final week in our house, I received one of my last-minute purchases – an antique combination sketchbook and palette that I just couldn’t resist even in the middle of

June 15, 2022 11 Comments

Art

my temporary studio

As we were looking for an apartment or home to rent for the month between moving out of our house and driving out east, we had a few requirements. Number 1, we didn’t want it to be outrageously expensive and, let me tell you, renting furnished apartments by the month can get absolutely crazy. I was not prepared! The second thing is that we wanted to have enough space so we wouldn’t feel on top of one another for four weeks. That would be three bedrooms so the boys could each have their own personal space. The final thing is that I needed a place to work…a temporary studio. My work can pretty much be done anywhere. I just need my laptop and wifi and I can be productive, but I knew that I would really want a space that felt conducive to writing, painting, and creative work. When I

June 14, 2022 14 Comments

Art Supplies

antique artist’s paint box

Before I no longer had a permanent address, I snuck in a few final purchases. One of those purchases was this antique artist’s paint box. Sniffing out beautiful old boxes online has become a favorite hobby of late and I’m building a nice little collection. I do try to be choosy, though, and select antique art supplies that I will actually use in one way or another, and that isn’t like another piece I already own. I clicked the buy button on this particular antique artist’s paint box without hesitation. The thing that made me smitten with it immediately was the palette… Isn’t that just a lovely collection of color blobs? I will likely hang it on the wall in our new studio because it is certainly art in and of itself. I also imagined using it as color inspiration for original works. I also love the crusty linseed oil

June 8, 2022 9 Comments

Art Supplies

victorian box easel

As I shared earlier this week, packing up the studio has been the hardest part of the move. (You can read about why we’re moving HERE.) feel like I can cook anywhere. I can do laundry anywhere. We can have family pizza movie night anywhere. I will miss our bed and bedding, but I can sleep in any reasonably decent bed and quiet room. But I have wondered about creating in a space other than my studio. There is nothing magical about a particular room, but it is designed specifically for me, the way I work, and the way I want a creative space to feel. I’m used to the light and I know where everything is. I know I will miss that until I can create a new studio wherever we land. I am doing what I can to make my “portable studio”, which consists of bins, bags, and

May 19, 2022 11 Comments

Art

the porcupine by ray french

As I shared in the tour of my great aunt and uncle’s home in South Carolina, they have acquired a lot of interesting art pieces over the years. I wanted to highlight one specifically because it’s a neat piece by a known artist, but also because of a special inscription. The work is the Porcupine, a 1949 engraving by Ray French. At first glance, you might think this is just a framed print, but when you lean in and look… You can see that this is engraving 5/25 and the Porcupine is signed in pencil by Ray French. One cool thing about this particular engraving is that another engraving in the series of the Porcupine was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in 1949. And you can see that the engraving hanging in my aunt’s house is inscribed “To Marian.” Of course, I wasn’t around in 1949, so I’m

May 9, 2022 12 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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