Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 41 of 58

Artistic Endeavors

All Things Home

art studio organization

This art studio is totally different from my last one. It’s about a 20th of the size, maybe even smaller than that. It doesn’t have storage closets, rolling dividing walls, or many zones for different tasks. This studio is designed specifically for small-scale creative endeavors and photography. No shipping, no office work, no big sewing or furniture projects. Even small-scale creative endeavors require lots of gear, though so art studio organization is vital! I am still figuring out how to maximize the space I do have, but this is what’s working for me so far… The large, antique hardware store cabinet is the focal point, statement piece, and most of my storage rolled into one. It’s perfectly sized for art supplies – everything from tubes of paints and brushes to canvas and papers. (For those who missed it, I found the cabinet on Craigslist. It came out of an old

October 26, 2017 No Comments

Art

studio organization

This studio is totally different from my last one. It’s about a 20th of the size, maybe even smaller than that. It doesn’t have storage closets, rolling dividing walls, or many zones for different tasks. This studio is designed specifically for small-scale creative endeavors and photography. No shipping, no office work, no big sewing or furniture projects. Even small-scale creative endeavors require lots of gear, though! I am still figuring out how to maximize the space I do have, but this is what’s working for me so far… The large, antique hardware store cabinet is the focal point, statement piece, and most of my storage rolled into one. It’s perfectly sized for art supplies – everything from tubes of paints and brushes to canvas and papers. (For those who missed it, I found the cabinet on Craigslist. It came out of an old hardware store in Maryland.) Someone asked and

October 25, 2017 34 Comments

Art

100 meadows project | 21-40

Well, I’ve been sticking with the 100 meadows project and I do believe that I will make it to 100! I am almost halfway there and I found myself getting emotional when I completed #40. I have grown so much and learned so much. This has been such a worthwhile artistic undertaking on so many levels and it has pushed me to explore oils and practice them almost daily. If you’d like to see my progress from the beginning, you can check out 1-20 HERE. I’ve also shared about the 100 Meadows Project HERE and what I’ve learned so far about working with oils in PART 1 and PART 2. In this post, I’m sharing paintings 21-40… My second group of 20 was kicked off with a yellow-flower-filled meadow in Switzerland. I struggled on the tree and the composition of this one, but I was enjoying skies more and I

October 16, 2017 28 Comments

Art

oil painting | what I’ve learned so far (pt 2)

I shared all about the paints, brushes, and painting surfaces I’m using in PART ONE of this series following my oil painting journey. The post was getting really long, so I split it into two posts. I would suggest reading the first one, if you haven’t, so you hear the story behind this journey. I also want to restate that I am new to oils, so I’m just sharing what I’m doing and take it with a grain of salt. I hope that I communicate – If I can do it, you can do it. And I don’t mean that we’re going to be good all the time! But we can have fun learning and expanding our horizons. So, let me share about inspiration… I am regularly sucked down the rabbit hole of oil painting tutorials on You Tube, painting blogs, forums, etc. and I’ve picked up a lot just

October 5, 2017 30 Comments

Art

oil painting | what I’ve learned so far (pt 1)

One of the things that has been so enjoyable about the 100 meadows project, is how it’s pushed me to learn a medium that, quite honestly, intimidated me. Oil painting seemed so serious, technical, and with strict rules. It’s for the real artists, not the aspiring ones. And if you can even get beyond all of those notions and put brush to canvas, how do you clean up the palette, paints, oil mediums, and solvents? I stuck my toe in the oil painting waters when I was back in PA and my “art friend”, Katie, who is a trained artist (and a very talented one), walked me through some of the basics. When I moved, though, I was nervous about picking it back up again on my own. I figured it would be one of those things I got excited about for a brief time, but didn’t continue to pursue.

October 4, 2017 44 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

100 Meadows Project | No. 1-20

If you’ve been following me through my Instagram Stories, you have seen my progression as I’ve been working my way through painting 100 meadows in oil. The project was created by Michelle Wooderson, someone who has been a constant source of inspiration for me artistically. After taking a hiatus during my move, I wanted to start painting again. This was just the kind of challenge I needed to push me into picking up a brush… Well, one other than a 2″ angled sash! So, I started. I am painting on 4 x 6″ piece of canvas, cut from a canvas pad. They are pre-gessoed pieces of canvas and painting on them somehow seems less intimidating than a stretched canvas. I am using artist-grade oil paintings in a few different brands, mostly Utrecht and Windsor & Newton, although I just order a few other brands to try. I have a glass palette,

September 27, 2017 31 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

100 meadows

Even though I’m still relatively new to “fine art” painting, I feel a pull to it on a regular basis. I love the creative muscles I can flex when I’m working on my home, but there is something different about putting something on a blank canvas or piece of paper. I hope to one day create a lot of art for the walls of my home and maybe even officially claim the title of “artist”. With Lucketts and moving and settling in, I haven’t had a lot of time to paint. There were other priorities. And even when we moved out of our last house and I figured I would have all of this time to devote to art, I didn’t. I was just too drained and life was too chaotic. Now that the boys are in school and this home is feeling more like home and we’re starting to

September 10, 2017 50 Comments

All Things Home

studio transformation | part 4

We’re almost there! The studio is nearing completion and I am so excited to be able to start using this space now that it’s insulated, climate-controlled, and the walls are back on! Today, the wall around the mini-split went up and it looks so good! Of course, it still needs to be painted, but that will be happening this week. A few of you have asked about the mini-split. It’s a Mitsubishi unit that heats and cools, similar to something you might find in a hotel room, except this one is actually quiet! I have found myself putting my hand over it to make sure it’s working. It is, though it’s just a quiet little thing. It’s also a lot more not-ugly than I thought it would be! I realize that’s a poorly structured sentence, but I was just expecting it to be an eye-sore. It just blends in and

September 6, 2017 55 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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