Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 33 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

Art

Live Painting Class | Landscape for Beginners

Last Friday, I held my very first live oil painting class and it was such fun! I have to admit I was very nervous, butterflies in my stomach and everything, but it ended up going well and I was floored at how many people participated and then shared their work with me. And I was even more impressed by the quality of the work that came from people who were painting with oils or painting period for the very first time! Anyway, Friday morning I got my workspace set up and tested out my computer camera to make sure I could get a good angle. The tough thing about recording live is that I have to use the computer camera and the viewers need to be able to see the canvas, my palette, and me! That’s a lot to fit into the frame! So, I did the best I could

April 6, 2020 32 Comments

All Things Home

ruffled-edge farmhouse crochet dishcloth tutorial (for beginners)

I’m so excited to share another crochet tutorial! I know a lot of you are learning crochet or dusting off that skill to keep your hands and minds busy during this time at home. I, for one, thought I would have so much extra time, but it just hasn’t turned out that way! What I need to do for my business day-to-day hasn’t slowed and Jeff and the boys are home, which requires more help on schoolwork, cooking, feeding, and tidying-up. We’ve also been more intentional about spending quality time together – playing games, going on walks, and just paying attention to one another. Teen and pre-teen boys aren’t the best at expressing themselves, so them asking you to come watch them do pull-ups might be their way of asking for reassurance. In a way, this time has been so sweet. We haven’t been running from one thing to the

March 24, 2020 22 Comments

Art

Let’s do some oil painting together (from a distance)

Since last summer, I have been working on an oil painting course for beginners. Since it’s my own little project (and not for a client), I keep pushing it aside in favor of work with a deadline. While I still plan to release that course someday (since it will be more comprehensive), I don’t want to wait to paint with those who have been asking to learn from me. I know a lot of people are looking for fun, creative projects, so what better time to start oil painting if that’s been on your wish list? If anything, it’s therapeutic. It could be a jumping-off point to a whole new hobby, though! Here’s how it’s going to work… We’ll paint a landscape together and keep it small and simple. In the 5×7 – 8×10 range. We’ll only be using four colors with an optional 5th to keep costs down, two

March 23, 2020 110 Comments

Art

color samplers

Thank you so much for sharing your prayer requests with me and each other yesterday. My heart aches for those who are already in crisis and have had all of these new developments added to the stress and worry. I was also moved by my readers who wanted to help, encourage, and pray for those who left comments. This is a good group of people. I have been and will continue to pray for all of those who left comments and, of course, for our first responders, healthcare workers, all of the people who are serving us at the grocery stores, business owners who are facing tough decisions, and our leaders. I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I want to explore playing with combing yarn/thread and paint. I know there are so many amazing artists already combining different mediums, including yarn and paint, but I want to find my own

March 18, 2020 36 Comments

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

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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