Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 26 of 56

Artistic Endeavors

Antiques

back home & another antique watercolor box

Despite a trip to the ER after a day in the car (my youngest son has a stomach bug or severe car sickness and needed fluids), we had a wonderful trip out east to visit our family. We made our first stop in North Carolina to visit Jeff’s parents and his sister’s family before we drive up to Pennsylvania to visit my parents. We spent a ton of time in the car, but it was all worth it so we could see family. We hadn’t seen Jeff’s parents since December 2019 and my parents since last summer. I took a break from writing here on the blog, but I did sneak some painting in. Painting outdoors from life (known as plein air painting) is such a challenge for me compared to painting in the studio. I struggled through this one and didn’t love the end result, but it was a

April 5, 2021 58 Comments

All Things Home

trusting what comes out of your hands

For those who missed my announcement last fall, I wrote a book. I’m going to be sharing even more specifics about it very soon, but it is a home decor book with my home being the lead character and my decorating ideas and tips being the bulk of the content. When I was working on the book, it all came easily. I feel like this book has been brewing inside of me for years and it just poured out. I wrote 17,000 words over the top end of the range requested by the publisher and that was even after I completely cut out a couple of chapters. The photoshoots and styling felt natural and fun. The home projects we tackled didn’t always go smoothly, but I enjoyed the process of creating and making and I’ve been thrilled with the end results. None of the work weighed on me like a

March 26, 2021 55 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

what I learned from knitting my first pair of socks

Just a quick note before I get into knitting socks today. There are more details at the bottom of this post and answers to FAQs if you’re planning to shop the art/art supplies sale this evening. I’ll start off by declaring that I’m totally in love with knitting. I like to crochet, but I really love knitting. They are so similar, so I’m not sure why I prefer knitting over crochet, but I am really enjoying it and I’m excited about getting better. I have dreams of making all sorts of fun things to wear, but I have so much to learn before I’m ready to put the time and money into garments larger than socks, hats, and mittens. I’ll get there, though. Since I successfully finished knitting my first pair of socks, I thought I would share what I learned. I dove right in and decided to work on

March 18, 2021 24 Comments

Art

Original Art & Used Art Supplies Sale Preview

I spent several hours yesterday on getting all of the original art and used art supplies listed for the sale on Thursday! It is a big project that I was happy to check off my list. But, I’m happy to share that I have a nice mix of paintings and supplies that will be included in this sale. A few things… First of all, I have upgraded my server, so the site won’t be crashing while you’re trying to check out. I know that was so frustrating for those who were trying to shop the sale last time, but I’ve had many sales on my site and have never had that happen! We’re are ready for it this time, though. Second, items do tend to go quickly, so I wanted to share a preview of what’s available in the hopes that shoppers can make a beeline for what they want

March 16, 2021 24 Comments

Art

Online Painting Classes

If you haven’t guessed, I almost always have an ambitious list of things I want to accomplish each year. Some things end up getting kicked down the road simply because I only have so much time and I have to focus on things that are a higher priority. My little pet projects are the ones that typically get neglected. One of the pet projects I wanted to finally do this year was to offer online art classes. This included making new ones, but also putting the free art classes I made last year into a format that was easier to navigate. I am happy to report that I did it! The first new class available is a master study of Fabritius’ Gold Finch! Here is my version that I did for the class… I absolutely loved working on this painting and filming it for the class. I review all the

March 11, 2021 31 Comments

All Things Home

organizing the art studio | brushes, pastels & rearranging

One of my goals when organizing the art studio was to greatly simplify the amount of stuff that’s sitting out in the open. I waffle between wanting to see all of my supplies, so I don’t forget them and because they are beautiful, and wanting to have completely clear surfaces. The former usually wins out and the studio ends up feeling messy to me as a result. Now, you have to understand that my mess-tolerance is pretty low, so a mess to me probably looks pretty normal to some people! But, I do like stuff and can let things get a little too cluttered. Tidy, but cluttered. In order to tackle the clutter, I needed to clean out the drawers to make much better use of them and be honest about what I use most and what really needs to be at-the-ready. I also have to be honest about what

March 10, 2021 34 Comments

Art Supplies

Organizing & Purging the Studio | Paints & Papers

[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text] Well, I’ve spent the better part of the last three days going through my studio with a fine-tooth comb. I’ve organized the studio before and have cleaned out a few things, but nothing compares to the thoroughness of this most recent endeavor. As I’ve been working in my studio over the past few months, I’ve realized that the quantity of supplies, instead of being inspiring, has been overwhelming. It doesn’t look out-of-control because everything is in neatly labeled drawers, but it’s a lot of stuff and I realized the full extent once I started pulling it all out! Having all of this choice might seem like an artist’s dream, but I found it to be more of a hindrance. It reminded me of when my boys were younger and, after a successful dentist visit, they were able to pick a prize out of the treasure chest. The experience

March 8, 2021 10 Comments

Antiques

Fixing & Cleaning Paint Brushes

As I shared last week, my Victorian-era watercolor box came with a bunch of brushes and other tools. I finally took some time to give them a little TLC and I thought I would share my process for fixing and cleaning paint brushes. This is helpful not only if you buy/acquire a lot of vintage or antique brushes, but if you just need to take care of some of your favorite brushes that get heavy use. The first thing I do when fixing and cleaning paint brushes is to pull on the tops to see if they are firmly attached. Most of these popped off easily, so that was the first thing I needed to address. (Those little marks of dried paint are from Violet’s paws! She has a knack for stepping straight in any paint if she sneaks into the studio.) I bought waterproof, neutral PH adhesive a while

March 4, 2021 19 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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