Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 23 of 56

Artistic Endeavors

start where you’ll start

There’s a popular saying, “Start where you are.” I’d like to tweak that a little bit. Start where you’ll start. That has been the answer I’ve given several different people over the past few weeks who have asked me a variety of questions. “We just moved into a new house and I’m not sure where to start decorating. Where do you suggest starting?” There are a few different places you could start depending on the house and your situation. Obviously, time, finances, and the bandwidth of life all play into working on a house. So, here are a few possibilities… Start where it’s easiest – the room feels like it would take the shortest amount of time to finish. You already have most of the components of the room and finishing it would be relatively quick and low cost. Start where you have the clearest vision. Sometimes we know exactly

September 13, 2021 9 Comments

Decorating

feels like home | preorder bonus two | renter’s guide

It’s Friday! If you have already preordered the book and collected the first preorder bonus I announced (the free high-resolution original art download), then you may have snooped around and discovered the second preorder bonus that I’m highlighting today – a bonus chapter! It’s the Feels Like Home Renter’s Guide. While there are a lot of ideas in that can be applied to spaces that are rented, I felt compelled to write a bonus chapter specifically for renters. Yes, you can rearrange furniture, hang art on the walls, add lots of yummy layers, and textures, but there are limitations when you’re renting. Having been a renter for many years as an adult, I know from experience and was bursting at the seams to paint a wall when we bought our first little townhouse. I grew up in rentals, though. It actually might be one step down from a rental, because

September 10, 2021 7 Comments

my business story

feels like home book launch team

Thank you so much for all of the enthusiasm and support for my new book, ! Writing a book is such a long process and you never know how it will be received, but the feedback I’ve been hearing on the sneak peeks and previews have been so positive and encouraging. I can’t wait until the physical book ships out to all of those who order it! For those who have preordered the book and are super-excited about it, I’d like to invite you into something really special – The Feels Like Home Launch Book Team! Since I’ve never launched a launch team before and you may have never been on a launch team (or heard of one), let’s do a little Q&A. I’ll answer the questions I think you’ll have and then I’ll answer them, too. You can just sit back and read! So, basically, just like usual. What

August 19, 2021 7 Comments

Art Supplies

refinishing a vintage paint palette

I spent much of last week working on some freelance writing projects, so I didn’t have a chance to make more progress on the basement family room makeover. I am planning to install the chair rail this week, though, and get some more painting done. This is a slow and steady project, but I do want to keep some forward momentum going! Since I don’t have an update on the basement, I thought I would share a little project I worked on a couple of weeks ago – refinishing a vintage paint palette. I realize this is sort of a niche thing and not everyone has a vintage paint palette sitting around that they want to refinish and use, but refinishing wood is refinishing wood. This would work for a cutting board, a tabletop, a dresser… anything that is wood. I purchased this palette off of Etsy because I loved

August 17, 2021 8 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

watercolor tutorial | study of Berthe Morisot’s “On the Cliff”

Over the weekend, I worked on a study in my sketchbook of Berthe Morisot’s “On the Cliff” and I decided to turn the camera and film a watercolor tutorial while I was working on it. I’ve had so many requests for more painting classes and to share my work in my sketchbook as I’m creating it, so I’m trying to turn the camera on more often to create tutorials for those who want to paint along. This study in my sketchbook came out of taking time to read through the book . It is a hefty, gorgeous book on how the use and art of watercolor has developed over the centuries. I found it to be incredibly inspiring and I was motivated to pull out my sketchbook and paint. Before we get into the watercolor tutorial, I want to share why I love doing master studies so much. First of

August 10, 2021 9 Comments

Art

feels like home | preorder bonus one | original art download

Now that the release of has been postponed (manufacturing & shipping delays are affecting so many industries including publishing), we are just over 10 weeks away from the launch date! To make that time go a little faster (for me and for those who are anxiously awaiting its arrival), I have a fun countdown schedule planned! It’s sort of be like opening advent windows as you countdown to Christmas. This countdown will be filled with preorder bonuses, six amazing giveaway packages to thank my blog readers and social media followers for supporting this project, live online events, and a way for those who are super excited about the book to get involved in promoting it (and have even more opportunities to win amazing prizes.) It’s all going to be so much fun. So, let’s kick this off with a preorder bonus. This is a freebie for those who have (or

August 6, 2021 14 Comments

Art

making time for creativity

One of the questions I’m asked most of is about my time. How do you fit it all in? Do you sleep? I was actually asked that twice in the last three days. It comes up a lot, so I thought I would share some thoughts on time and how I spend mine. First of all, if it looks like I fit it all in, like I get everything done that I want to get done, and like I always have it together, I can assure you that I don’t. As with anyone else, I have things that slip through the cracks, things that fall into the black hole of procrastination, good intentions that are forgotten, and things that languish on my to-do list. There are times I feel frustrated with the limitation of time. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said to Jeff that I wish I

August 5, 2021 18 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

creative play | bookbinding single pages

In my last box of goodies that came from across the pond from Julia of , I received several vintage and antique sketchbooks and drawing/oil papers. She’s been on the hunt for those for me, so I could recreate some of the Kitchin sketches on old paper. And I love old art supplies and she loves a challenging shopping list! This particular sketchbook had amazing paper in it – thick with a good texture and slightly off-white with age. It even had slightly uneven edges that added to the charm. The only problem is the book wouldn’t stay open! I mean, there was no way you could actually sketch in it, which is probably why it hadn’t been used. It would just flip shut the moment you weren’t holding both sides open. So, I decided to try my hand at bookbinding to make it useable. I meant to take a

July 28, 2021 9 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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