Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 2 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

Writing

Move Slow & Make Things | Book Launch Day!

I’ve been counting down the days to September 1, 2026, and now it’s finally here. Move Slow & Make Things is now officially on the market! I cannot express how excited I am that the book is finally available, and I am eagerly awaiting feedback from those who read it. My hope is the book will be an encouragement, a pep talk, and that anyone who reads it will feel pulled to lean into curiosity, to gain a fresh perspective, to work, rest, and grow, to embrace their unique brand of art, to make room for creativity, to make connections, to make a delightfully fulfilling creative life. In addition to offering the book in hardcopy format, you can purchase the audiobook for less than $13 HERE. When the concept for this book first started taking shape, I imagined it as a trade (text only) book. I’m so glad the publisher

September 1, 2026 17 Comments

a slice of life

Why I take pictures at art museums

When I went to the Louvre in the fall of 2018, it was my first time visiting a museum as an adult who truly appreciated art. Of course, Mom and I sought out the Mona Lisa. It’s just something you need to do if you’re a tourist at the Louvre. At the time, you didn’t have to wait in a line to access it. We simply followed the signs and knew we made it to the right room when we saw a crowd of people arranged in a semicircle, holding their phones up to snap a picture of the famous painting. I remember feeling a prick of annoyance at all of the black rectangles obscuring the view of people who wanted to look at the painting with their own eyes. But, even as I felt that, I pulled out my own phone, opened the camera app, and tried to find

August 28, 2026 5 Comments

Art

what I’ve been up to lately…

If you’ve been a regular here on this blog for a long time, you may have noticed I’m not as consistent in posting this year as I have been for the previous 15 years. (Something that’s sort of funny is I wrote this post on Monday, got busy with other things, and realized Tuesday I never hit publish!) Posting less wasn’t something I planned, but as this year has unfolded, I find myself having to drop “write blog post” off my daily to-do list more and more. Writing the blog post has always been a top priority, but as traffic and income from the blog dwindle (I talk about that in detail HERE), it falls lower on the priority list. While I am a “creative type” and a dreamer, I am also pragmatic when it comes to my business. I am willing to look at the profit and loss reports

August 27, 2026 11 Comments

Art

Move Slow & Make Things Giveaway No. 6

The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is one week away! This is when the nerves start to kick in. I’ve done everything I can to make a beautiful book, and now it’s in the hands of the readers. Of course, I have dreams for this book. I hope it does well and it speaks to the people who need it most. If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE. Don’t forget to sign up to receive your preorder bonuses HERE. For this giveaway, I’m so excited to partner with Iron Orchid Designs. I had the opportunity to collaborate with Sally of IOD on a collection of Christmas transfers using my oil painting. In the book, I write about making room for others and making connections. We can create on our own, but I believe our creative work greatly benefits from collaboration and

August 25, 2026 6 Comments

Art Supplies

Move Slow & Make Things Giveaway No. 5

The launch of my new book, Move Slow & Make Things, is less than two weeks away! It’s like the countdown to Christmas. I know what the present is, but I can’t wait to share it with everyone else. This book was a labor of love and one of my favorite projects to date. As I’ve shared before, I am so proud of this book, and I hope you love it, too. If you haven’t already, you can preorder the book HERE. Don’t forget to sign up to receive your preorder bonuses HERE. We’re celebrating the launch of the book with my fifth giveaway. For this one, I partnered with Vanessa of The Onion Skin Journal. I learned about onion skin paper in 2021 when I bought my 1920s, hunter green, Underwood portable typewriter. It was a gift I bought for myself when Feels Like Home was published. A typewriter

August 20, 2026 6 Comments

a slice of life

Stories | the time I was lost in Russia

It’s hard to remember how we functioned before smartphones; before we had a map, a full phone directory, Google Translate, and all the information available by tapping a question into an internet browser in our pocket. Well, this story happened before that time. I was supposed to meet my friend Misha that morning. I don’t remember why we were meeting. It actually wasn’t to find potatoes or other rare summer produce this time. I also don’t recall why I was going alone or why I was okay with navigating a foreign city with only vague directions. To fill in my own memory gaps, I’m guessing I had gotten to the point that I felt at home in Izhevsk, Russia, and riding public transportation to get to a destination was a normal, everyday part of life. Hopping on a bus to meet a friend didn’t sound like a harrowing adventure. It

August 18, 2026 7 Comments

Art

New Prints & FrameTV Art

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who shopped my original art sale yesterday. All of the original paintings are sold out! There are still some hand-painted color charts available, as well as blank color charts for those who want to make their own. You can find those HERE. All of the paintings sold in yesterday’s art sale are now available as prints from 5 x 7″ to 16 x 20″. You can shop the newly released fine art print collection HERE. Included in the print collection are a few of my favorite recent commissioned pet portraits. If I really love a painting, I ask the owner if I can offer prints. And there are also new FrameTV digital art images for the pieces that work in the horizontal wide-frame format. You can find new FrameTV art HERE.

August 14, 2026 4 Comments

Stories

Stories | the unreasonable quest for potatoes

I’m assuming most of my readers have easy access to a local grocery store, and if it’s like mine, you can pretty much buy anything you want there year-round. You might have to hit a few places to find a specific, rare ingredient, but you can probably find almost everything on your list. When shopping for groceries in Izhevsk, Russia, in 1995, you didn’t make a shopping list. You set out, saw what was available, and then decided what you wanted. Making a list was an exercise in futility. This was especially true of produce. You could only buy what was in season. Oranges weren’t imported from tropical climates or grown in greenhouses. Fresh tomatoes were not available year-round. As a 17-year-old American who had only known the abundance, variety, and stocked shelves of Western grocery stores, I didn’t know this. I learned quickly and did all of my

August 11, 2026 6 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.

next art sale

August 13th, 2026 at 1pm EST

NEW ONLINE ART COURSE

Paint a Pet Portrait You’ll Love

Learn to paint pet portraits in oils with confidence, even if you’re a beginner. In this new course, Marian will guide you step by step through creating expressive animal portraits filled with color, personality, and your own artistic touch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when the course opens.

Now Available

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

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