Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 31 of 55

Artistic Endeavors

Favorite Things

the Scandinavian yarn shop

It’s hard to know what to write about at a time like this. Even since I posted yesterday so many things have changed. While I’m not feeling panicked, I do feel some anxiety about what the next few weeks and months hold. Not just for myself and my family and friends, but for people who are hit hard by the virus or closures or quarantines. But, we can each only do what we can do. We can keep “doing our verbs.” I’ll keep writing, reading, painting, creating, and taking pictures. I’ll continue to share, hoping it will be a welcome diversion. I’ll prepare meals, clean the house, play games with the boys, and take walks when the weather is nice. One thing that I can do to support my community of readers is to pray for each of you. Please let me know how I can do that. Is there

March 17, 2020 96 Comments

Art

bottling pigments & other creative rabbit holes

“But to be quite oneself, one must first waste a little time.” – Elizabeth Bowen In this busy season, I have found more of a need to fiercely protect time that is unhurried; when I permit myself to chase some creative rabbits down a few holes. It’s in those unhurried times that we find our creative selves and discover new things. The other day, I did just that. I bounced from pouring artist’s pigments into pretty cork bottles, labeling them with thin masking tape, to cutting flowers, and then arranging and taking pictures of all of it. It was necessary time; gloriously well-spent, wasted time. It wasn’t about the act of bottling the pigments, although it put pretty things into pretty containers that I can display. It was about interacting with pretty things and seeing where we went together. I played and arranged and took pictures while I sang with

March 12, 2020 23 Comments

a slice of life

creative retreat | feb 2020

I went on my first creative retreat almost two years ago. It wasn’t a conference that was packed with classes and activities. It wasn’t a family vacation where I was wrangling kids between pockets of relaxation. It was a time away specifically for the purpose of filling my creative tank and stepping outside of my daily routine, so I could think without distractions. I came back from that first retreat with clarity and excitement and I immediately knew this had to be a regular thing. Since then, I’ve done a few creative retreats and they’ve all been beneficial in different ways. Last week, I went down to Panama City Beach to spend a few days with Shaunna at her parent’s condo. We had a to-do list, but it wasn’t so aggressive that we wouldn’t have free time to read, journal, paint, walk on the beach, or just go to bed

March 2, 2020 9 Comments

Art

color charts on linen & an art giveaway

I was checking my DMs on Instagram and saw that one of my followers had forwarded a post to me. She had a feeling I would like it and she was absolutely right. My jaw dropped and I clicked on the link quickly to learn more about these beautiful swatches of color painted on linen. Were they, by chance, for sale?! This is the post that got my heart fluttering… Cathleen of @815vintagegoods found these amazing color charts at an estate sale. Unfortunately, they were already spoken for, but I knew immediately I wanted to try to replicate them. I had never seen color charts on natural linen – only on a bright white surface like a gessoed canvas or oil paper. Those are pretty, too, but the linen is yummy! Not only do I love the look of the colored squares on linen, but creating the charts on a

February 27, 2020 223 Comments

All Things Home

vintage/farmhouse-style glass cozy crochet tutorial

Years ago, I was shopping for inventory for the Lucketts Spring Market and found a ziplock bag containing some cream crochet work. I wasn’t sure what they were initially, but I’ve learned how to hunt and peck to try to find things others might overlook. I’m the one crawling into the depths of an antique booth, opening all of the cases and boxes and bags and looking at the bottom of piles! When I pulled the pieces out, I knew immediately what they were. Socks! Not the kind you wear on your feet, but the kind you put on your glass. You see, I grew up using socks that my great-grandmother made. We used them to identify our glasses and to prevent water rings on wood furniture. I even still have a few of them in a ziplock bag in my butler’s pantry. But, I loved the style of these

February 18, 2020 44 Comments

Art

#indexcardartproject take two

Since regaining the use of my right arm, I have been working on getting back into oil painting. It’s been a challenge to try to fit it into my schedule. It’s not just busyness with work, but with family, church, and personal goals (meal prep, exercise, language-learning). When I’m trying to fit it all into a day, something has to give and that something is usually time at the easel, mostly because I know I’ll get lost in it. I completely lose track of time when I’m painting, drawing, or creating, so I get stuck in the mindset that I need a large, uninterrupted chunk of time…which rarely comes. So, I decided to do another “index card art project” to get myself going again. I did one last year and it was such a great challenge to get me painting consistently and to help me paint more relaxed. You can

February 13, 2020 22 Comments

All Things Home

Crochet Potholders Tutorial for Beginners

I have another crochet project for you this week crochet potholders for beginners! A couple of weeks ago, my mom requested that I figure out how to make a pair of potholders similar to the ones my great-grandmother made her over 50 years ago. I didn’t even have to ask which potholders she was referring to. I knew the pair well, as I witnessed them being used and used them myself my entire childhood. Through every move, in every military housing kitchen, those potholders were a constant. These crochet potholders were thick, white, and made with tight stitches and a loop on one corner that was frayed from time and use. So, I went to my yarn stash to see if I had a cotton yarn that would be suitable for the project. I selected the Cotton XXL by Yarn Bee. I have worked with it enough to know it

February 10, 2020 22 Comments

a slice of life

My Europe Sketchbook

Just an FYI to those who might be thinking about Mustard Seed Mentoring, but you’re on the fence. We close our doors tonight (Thursday) at midnight, but before we do, we’re offering the opportunity to have a full membership for ONE WEEK for $1.00! You can snoop around, join us for a live session and see if this group is right for you and your business. You can get more details about Mustard Seed Mentoring HERE. When my mom and I traveled to Europe a couple of years ago, I brought all sorts of art supplies and sketchbooks and ended up doing two sketches at the airport. (Insert eye-roll at self.) I did keep a journal, but I was so disappointed that I let the fear of not living up to my own expectations get in the way of a dream-come-true experience. See how that worked? I was scared of

January 23, 2020 22 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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