Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 38 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

Art

one year of oil painting

I really wanted to write this post on the one-year anniversary, but I was in Italy on that date and have been posting mostly about my trip, so I missed the boat. I really didn’t want to let this milestone pass without a post about it, so better late than never. After about a year of dabbling with watercolors and sketches, I started oil painting in earnest last September. I had purchased most of the materials a few months earlier and they had been languishing in a drawer, mostly because I felt intimidated by using oils. I didn’t know how to use them or even how to clean up after using them. It is something I dreamed of doing, though. I wanted to be an oil painter and it’s impossible to be an oil painter without painting with oils! An instructor I took a watercolor class from, Michelle Wooderson, wanted to

October 10, 2018 39 Comments

a slice of life

French Inspiration

Last week, I shared that I was heading to France and Italy in September. In fact, it’s just under two weeks away now and I am positively giddy about it. I find it hard to even focus on the things I need to work on now, because my mind keeps drifting to my upcoming trip and how much I want to soak it all in. Instead of fighting the daydreaming, I’ve been allowing it in moderation and I will even admit to feeding it with books and Instagram feeds. So, I thought I would share some of the inspiration I’ve found as well as some more details about my preparations and plans for the trip. We will be spending the bulk of our time in Italy, but that is the “work” (if it can seriously even be called that) portion of the trip and we’re a part of a group

August 28, 2018 102 Comments

Art

RAFA & Oil Paintings

The last couple of days have been busy with birthday parties, Mayo Clinic visits, house keeping, and back to school shopping, so I haven’t had much time for home projects or for posting here on the blog! I thought I would pop in, though, just to give an update on my oil painting. I started oil painting last September and the journey has been such a gift to my creative soul. I don’t paint with any grand aspirations. I paint because I love it and I’m thoroughly enjoying the progress I am seeing in my work. The excitement at the visible progress keeps me coming back for more. I still have so far to go, but I am “getting it” more and more with each painting and book and tutorial. I decided a few months ago that I would like to further nurture this new love and take an art

August 15, 2018 25 Comments

All Things Home

a new love for dip pens & other found art supplies

I have found a new favorite thing… dip pens. Yes, they are completely impractical by modern standards and you have to get used to the rhythm of stopping to dip your pen every couple of lines, but there is something about the scratching sound on the paper and the grace of the delicate nibs that captivate me. I recently bought the D Leonardt & Co Drawing & Mapping set and it comes with a nice wooden nib holder, a small tin for storing nibs, and five nibs made for drawing and mapping (as opposed to calligraphy nibs.) It’s a great set and I’m hooked. Now, I’m on the hunt for antique dip pens, inkwells, and nibs. I actually had an antique inkwell with a sterling lid that belonged to my great-grandmother. I didn’t know it was a inkwell until I started searching for antique ones on Etsy and eBay. I

June 5, 2018 20 Comments

Art

“better to create crap than to not create at all”

For a long time, I’ve had a hang-up with sketchbooks, notebooks & journals. Don’t misunderstand me. I love them. I walk through the notebook/journal section almost every time I’m at a store that carries them. I look for ones with beautiful bindings, filled with inviting papers. And I’ve certainly bought enough of them. But, what I’ve accumulated is a collection of journals and sketchbooks that have two or three pages filled, a few pages torn out, and then the balance of the pages are blank. So I’ll stroll through the notebook section, get wooed into buying another one, and do the very same thing to that one. I finally had to draw a line. Stop buying notebooks until you fill the ones you have. Don’t fill them in a spirit of angst and criticism, but with joy and passion. Why does that seem so hard? It’s hard because I approach

May 23, 2018 74 Comments

Art

new paintings for sale & quiet in a busy season

I usually don’t post on the weekends, but I wanted to pop in to let you know I’ve listed my latest round of paintings for sale. These are the ones that are up for auction in this group… You can check them out HERE. With the nicer weather, a push to complete projects, and all of the activities that come with the end of the school year, I haven’t had as much time to paint, but I am still working through the #100oilstills series. I hope to do a lot more painting this summer, though. I have been working on some sketching in addition to painting through an online class I’m taking. I was initially planning on taking some art classes at the local community college, but then I saw a three year online course offered by Renaissance Academy of Fine Arts – Online Classical Impressionist Art Lessons. It was

May 19, 2018 4 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the stool covers are back

Remember these cuties? They were ticking stool covers made as reproductions of one I made out of antique ticking for an industrial stool and sold by Decor Steals a couple of years ago… Those simple ticking stool covers were a big deal for me, because it was the first product I designed that was reproduced. Well, they’re ba-ack! We changed up the fabric to a different style of ticking and they are available in red & blue… They have fit well on just about every stool I’ve tried it on, but check your measurements to make sure. I love how they soften up a hard piece of furniture and add a custom farmhouse finishing touch. And the fabric has a great woven texture… They are on sale now HERE at Decor Steals, if you want to get your hands one (or more). If you want to make some yourself, you can

May 15, 2018 18 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

rugs & quilts & other things dreams are made of

As my business has grown and hit milestones over the years, I’ve learned that things seem to come in waves. There will be a lull just before another swell. Right now is a swell. My first fabric line officially launched just a few weeks ago and in April we launched a new MMS Milk Paint color and I just got through the final approval stages of the two rugs I designed for Dash & Albert. Never thought I would string a sentence together like that. So, let’s start with the rugs. Here is the one I received a couple of weeks ago… It is still surreal seeing it in person. Even when I look at the picture, I have to remind myself that it isn’t a mock-up! This rug is beautiful. It has a thick, soft pile that feels so comfy underfoot. I think it works well with the pattern and

May 3, 2018 52 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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