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Artistic Endeavors

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

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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

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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.

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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,

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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

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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

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All Things Home

studio transformation | part 3

Today, I wanted to share more detail on the “window walls” of the studio.  I was so excited about all of the natural light that comes in from not just one, but two full walls of windows.  This room is flooded from sunrise to sunset.  Fortunately, though, it’s not direct light until late afternoon, so I don’t have to deal with sunbeams in my face all day. I will have to add some window treatments to diffuse the light, when needed, though.  I’m thinking I’ll make some simple linen shades that will just tie up. The old hardware store cabinet is really the focal point of the room.  I bought it off of craigslist earlier this year and it’s the one large counter I decided to keep from my last studio space.  It was tough to sell some of those beautiful antique counters, but I felt like this one was

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All Things Home

studio transformation | part 1

Believe it or not, we’re not trying to get the entire house completed in two weeks!  We are making a push, though, to get a bunch of big things checked off the to-do list.  One of those big things is painting the studio…all of it.  The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the trim.  Buckets and buckets of paint.  And painting like that is better done with help. But first, this is a room that wasn’t insulated or climate controlled.  That’s just not going to work when it’s 2 degrees outside.  The climate control is coming, but earlier this week, we had it insulated.  The floor and ceiling were both easily accessed, but the walls under the window had to be removed, insulated, and replaced.  This may have been a more advanced DIY project, but we decided to hire it out, so it was done quickly and professionally. The wall on

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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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