Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 4 of 54

Artistic Endeavors

All Things Home

New Society6 Papers, Prints & More

Surface design is something I’ve played with on and off for a few years and this year, I decided to lean into that interest and create some new patterns for wrapping papers as well as other available products on Society6. While only one is specifically designed for Winter/Christmas, I feel like these designs work well year-round, including for Christmas. (Products are up to 50% off at Society6 for their Black Friday event.) I love Society6’s wrapping paper. It comes in five sheets that are generously-sized, so they will cover most mid-sized and small gifts. The paper is thick, but not too thick, has a matte finish, and a grid on the back so you can make straight cuts. I only wish you could also order it on rolls for larger presents, but it is very high quality and definitely a favorite. I’m so excited about the polka-dots (in green &

November 28, 2025 7 Comments

a slice of life

travel journal workshop

I’ll give you fair warning that my posts will be all over the place for a few weeks. We’ll be bouncing around between Christmas decorating, gifting, and crafting, to early October in Italy, and then whatever else I’m working on. Welcome to my life. Today, we’re back in Tuscany at the La Dolce Vita Retreat. While this trip was a vacation, it was also work. I was here to teach a creative workshop for the retreat attendees. I wanted my workshop to focus on art while staying approachable for those who don’t consider themselves artists. I decided to teach on keeping a travel journal that went beyond sitting and sketching what you see. While that can be a part of keeping a travel journal, I think that’s the piece that is intimidating to most people. I am an artist, and it intimidates me! I’m not as at home with paper

November 24, 2025 9 Comments

a slice of life

miss mustard seed tees & hoodies

Do you remember Miss Mustard Seed tees and hoodies? We’re going almost ten years back when I used to sell in retail spaces, at markets, and regularly added products to an online store. I loved designing and wearing my own tees and hoodies, and they were my uniform for many years. I finally let go of my last paint-splattered, faded sweatshirt a couple of years ago. I’ve wanted to relaunch tees and hoodies for years, but I always get hung up on keeping the stock and physically packing and shipping each order. Well, I’m happy to share that we (my assistant, Heidi, and I) have designed a new round of tees and hoodies AND found a way to sell them, so you can order exactly what you want without me having to ship each piece! (Although I still have my custom-made t-shirt sign because I loved it so much.) All

November 20, 2025 13 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

your creative super power

A question I received when I shared one of my paintings on Instagram earlier this week stuck with me. I posted a picture of a cat painting as an example when someone asked if I only paint dogs. It was this painting… Here was her question… Two of the questions are about method and technique, which I won’t go into in this post. But the second question is the one that hung with me. “Do you actually SEE them that way?” My first thought was, of course, I see them that way. I wouldn’t paint them that way if I didn’t see them that way. But I realized the answer is deeper and more nuanced than that. Yes, I do see them that way, but I have learned to see them that way. I have practiced to see them that way. I have tested, tried, studied, agonized, and spent many hours

November 19, 2025 13 Comments

a slice of life

plein air painting at Hidcote

Let me start by saying plein air painting is not my sweet spot. While I enjoy painting outside and on location, I’m rarely very happy with the results. I prefer painting in my studio in a more controlled environment. The lighting is relatively fixed; I have my easel and chair set to my height, all of my supplies are readily at hand, and I don’t have to worry about bugs sticking to my painting. Whenever I paint outside, I feel like I’m fumbling around a bit, and I almost always feel rushed. I know I would get more comfortable with practice, but it’s also okay if studio painting is my preference and where I do my best work. That being said, painting on location does a lot for my artist’s heart. I love the experience of painting in a place. Whenever I sketch or paint on location, that moment is

October 22, 2025 11 Comments

Art

DIY wet panel carrier for oil paintings

In my previous post about traveling with oil paints, I mentioned I would share a DIY wet panel carrier tutorial, and here it is! If you don’t use oil paints, you may wonder what a wet panel carrier is and why it’s necessary. One of the wonderful things about oil paints is that they are slow-drying. This gives you a lot of time to blend and nudge the paint around, or even just scrape it off. I find it’s even more forgiving than a pencil, which is one of the reasons I love working with oils. The downside of working with a slow-drying medium when traveling is that you now have a wet painting to transport home. That is why artists who work with oil paints need a wet panel carrier. I usually use premade wet panel cases from Raymar when I’m painting on the go, and they work great.

October 9, 2025 9 Comments

Art

Small Business Spotlight | A Gallo Watercolors

When I first started my business and blog, many creative entrepreneurs supported me along the way. They showed me the ropes, invited me into their community, and introduced me to their audience and customer base. I love that I can now return the favor to other creative entrepreneurs, from small start-ups to established, thriving companies, you may have never heard of. This Italian company, which makes handmade watercolor paints, fits into the latter category. They already have a devoted following, but you probably haven’t seen them in the aisle of your local craft store. For that reason, I’d like to introduce you to A. Gallo. (They are Italian-made, so it’s fitting I’m introducing them while in Tuscany!) A. Gallo handmade watercolors are developed and made by artists for artists, and they are passionate about their craft. Their watercolors are made “according to a traditional recipe of raw pigments, gum arabic,

October 7, 2025 3 Comments

Art Supplies

packing art supplies for international travel

I’ve been bringing along art supplies when I travel for the past few years. When I went to China in 2017, I had a vision of standing on the Great Wall and capturing the experience in a sketchbook. I was nervous about it, but I did it! The sketch was rubbish, but I learned that it wasn’t about the results. It was about the process, about being fully present, and taking time to observe. (You can read the post about that HERE.) Since then, I have always brought art supplies with me when I travel. Both times I visited Europe, I made a point to set aside time to sketch and paint. Again, I didn’t end up with anything I was particularly proud of, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I’ve always just brought along supplies for sketching and watercolors, though, because they are easy to pack and travel with.

October 1, 2025 4 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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