Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 27 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

lessons from queen victoria’s sketchbooks

A few weeks ago, I was searching around for something short and inspiring to watch. Maybe a documentary on an artist? Or a short art lesson? My curiosity was piqued when I spotted The Royal Paintbox on my Masterpiece Subscription. I mean, anything about paintboxes these days is interesting to me! So, I started the documentary. In it, HRH Prince Charles shares his own artwork as well as art from various royals, kings, and queens, who showed varying levels of proficiency. The work I was most interested in, though, was the sketchbooks of Queen Victoria. I figured she painted since I have seen that portrayed in movies and series on Victoria, but I never imagined she sketched and painted extensively using different mediums. As I watched Prince Charles slowly flip through some of her sketchbooks, I had to pause the documentary to see if they had ever been published. And

May 6, 2021 24 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

Creative play | making a cyanometer

Have you ever heard of a cyanometer? I hadn’t either until I was doing a random search for vintage color wheels and came across one. It’s a device that measures the blueness of the sky! How perfect is that for someone like me who 1.) loves blue, 2.) loves studying color, and 3.) loves painting skies? Pretty darn perfect. The picture above is the original cyanometer that was invented by Horace-Bénédict de Saussure and Alexander von Humboldt in 1789. It’s a circle with 53 colored sections ranging from light to dark. Isn’t it just beautiful? I feel like it’s a work of art in and of itself. I looked around online to see if I could find any information about making a cyanometer. What specific blue should be used? Or what colors should be mixed? I didn’t find any tutorials that were helpful. (One used paint chips from a hardware

April 30, 2021 20 Comments

Art

the atelier | working with a limited palette

Through February and March, I was working on creating and filming and it is now open for preregistration! The course is The Atelier | Creating with a Limited Palette. Here is what Jeanne Oliver says about the course… And this is the synopsis I wrote for the course… In this class, Marian Parsons, a paint enthusiast and lover of color, will show you how to mix beautiful shades for landscapes, still lifes, and portraits with just four colors. Together, we’ll create color studies, sketches, and finished, frameable works in several paint mediums – oils, water-soluble oils, acrylics, and watercolors/gouache to discover harmony in your work when transitioning from one medium to another (or working in your favorite mediums.) This class is about the discovery and exploration of mediums and limited colors to include in your palette for the purpose of clarifying your aesthetic as an artist. Techniques Taught in this

April 22, 2021 27 Comments

Art Supplies

antique drafting box

Before I get into today’s post, the winner of the Feels Like Home Giveaway is Joanne B. (Joanne81931)! I loved reading through all of your comments about what feels like home to you. Seriously, it was a pleasure and they all made me smile. Lots of references to family, pets, coffee, books, and comfy chairs by the fire. I will be having more giveaways as we get closer to the book launch date. About the same time I found the Victorian Reeves watercolor box, I found this beautiful box of drafting/architect’s tools and I decided to spend my birthday money on both. After learning lessons about buying things on impulse, I let both sit in my digital shopping cart for a couple of days. Would I use these? Would I love them more than something I already have? The answer to both was yes and I had butterflies in my

April 21, 2021 12 Comments

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

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

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.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.