Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 2 of 54

Artistic Endeavors

Art

the business of art vs. the art of art

There is an anecdote about Vincent Van Gogh that I’ve heard and even repeated myself. Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. It’s often used as an encouragement to struggling artists. If his work, which was so unique, brilliant, and beautiful, wasn’t appreciated, then you’re in good company if you find yourself in the same boat. I’ve shared in my Four Things posts over the past few weeks that I’ve been reading THIS BOOK on the life of Vincent Van Gogh. It’s a massive book, and it’s taking me forever to get through the audiobook, even though I’m listening to it on walks and at the easel. I still have over 25 hours left. But I’ve been taking notes and thinking a lot about Van Gogh as I’ve been listening to the story pieced together from records left by the family chronicler, people who knew him well, and

April 20, 2026 10 Comments

All Things Home

styling pet portraits in interiors

I received a question a couple of weeks ago about how to style a pet portrait in a room without it looking like a shrine to your dog, cat, hamster, or horse. Good question! I’m so glad you asked. Let’s talk about animal art in interiors and how to make it work with your decorating. First of all, let me say that there really aren’t rules when it comes to style, art, decorating, or aesthetics. I mean, there are rules (like the rule of thirds, the golden mean, complementary colors, etc.), but people break them all the time with outstanding results. There are always exceptions. Hang a portrait of your dog in any room of your house in any way you want. But, since the question was asked, I will offer some practical tips and lend my opinion on the matter. This first picture is of animal portraits currently hanging

April 14, 2026 5 Comments

Art

Move Slow & Make Things Book Bonuses Available!

I am so excited to share that the preorder bonuses for Move Slow & Make Things: Pursuing the Delightfully Fulfilling Creative Life are now available! If you’ve already ordered the book, thank you! You can enter your order information on THIS to claim your bonuses. If you haven’t preordered the book yet, you can do that HERE. I will be released September 1, 2026, so you still have plenty of time, but I learned through the release of Feels Like Home that preorders have become an important part of a book’s success in the current market. Preordering is one of the best ways you can support an author and champion their work. It tells booksellers how much interest there is in a book, helping them determine how many to order for their physical and online stores. It can also put books on bestseller lists once they are released. So,

April 13, 2026 7 Comments

a slice of life

the Gibbes Museum

When we planned our Charleston outing for our anniversary, we were going to visit a few antique stores and then have a nice dinner. My aunt’s proposition changed that, though. We knew we would be transporting two large paintings in bulky frames home, so space would be at a premium. (We won’t mention all of the shells I was bringing home, too!) For that reason, we decided not to go to the antique store. I have a knack for finding impossibly large items at the most amazing prices when I don’t have room to get them home. So, let’s not even tempt that scenario. Instead, we decided to visit a local bookshop and the Gibbes Museum. I never would’ve pegged Jeff as someone who would do anything more than endure a museum visit, but he has come to appreciate and even enjoy them. In truth, I had to learn the

April 7, 2026 8 Comments

Art

criticism & what makes you an artist

I received a critical comment on social media a couple of weeks ago. It happens when you share online, and after over 15 years of posting, I’ve gotten used to it and generally have a healthy perspective. Most of the time, I can shrug off the comment. It’s from a stranger on the Internet, and in many cases, it’s not even about me at all. My inbox, DMs, or comment section is just where someone’s frustration, hurt, or bad mood landed on that particular day. I usually don’t respond unless it’s necessary and seems like it would be productive. I can’t recall the last time I responded to a private, critical message publicly, but this comment has stuck with me, and I felt it was important to write about it. The gist of the message was this: the commenter felt compelled to tell me I wasn’t a real artist. She

April 1, 2026 46 Comments

a slice of life

my favorite part of the Uffizi Museum

We are back in Florence, Italy, in today’s blog post, but this story will circle back to Charleston and then to my house in a beautiful, serendipitous story about art. It started with my favorite part of the Uffizi Museum. Let me start off by saying that I loved most things about the Uffizi. The U-shaped building with light-filled halls was spectacular, and the art collection might be my favorite of any museum I’ve visited to date. It’s big enough to keep you busy, inspired, and interested, but it still can be toured in a day. I loved the Brozino exhibit, but I will share about that in its own post. I will quickly say that it was breathtaking, and will, I think, forever impact me as an artist. The exhibit that captured my heart, though, was the self-portrait gallery. I love portraiture and seeing how artists see, interpret,

March 30, 2026 17 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

Spring Break Paintings

Painting really is like any other skill or strength-based activity. If you step away from it, even for a few days, there is a bit of dust to knock off when you get back to it. For this reason, I wanted to try to fit in some painting while I was at the beach. Not only is it good practice in general, but it’s good practice to get better at painting when away from my studio. I feel pretty confident in saying that I’m much more comfortable as a studio painter, but I do want to improve when it comes to painting in a new environment with different light, and pared-down tools and materials. It’s also a nice way to fill the time when the sun is too intense for me to be on the beach. I painted on the covered porch at our rental house when the weather was

March 23, 2026 8 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

King Louis & Sky Miles | IOP Dog Reunions

Each morning, as we walk and collect shells on the beach, there is also a dog party happening. At Isle of Palms, dogs are allowed off their leashes to run free for a few hours each morning, and both owners and dogs take advantage. Dogs are running in the surf, chasing balls, playing with each other, greeting all the other beach-goers (who are there for them, naturally), and jogging alongside their owners. It finally occurred to me in 2024 that it was the perfect opportunity to gather reference photos of dogs! I did it secretly for a couple of days, pretending to photograph the beach, clouds, and surf, while also capturing a dog trotting in the water after a tennis ball. Finally, I got a little braver and asked the owners if I could photograph their dogs. Everyone I asked was happy to oblige, and most even helped me get

March 17, 2026 7 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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