Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 48 of 55

Artistic Endeavors

Photography

improve your photography…

I’ve been planning on writing this post for a while and I kept forgetting about it in favor of sharing a furniture makeover or some progress we’re making in the studio, but I was reminded of it as I was shooting pictures of a home for Cottages & Bungalows last Thursday. I’ve had “real camera crews” come shoot rooms in my house before, so I felt a little unimpressive showing up at Heather’s door step without a ton of fancy gear, scrims, umbrellas and suitcases full of flashes and lenses. I had one camera bag, one circular reflector/scrim that was $11 off Amazon and a couple of lights we use for videos. We didn’t look fancy, but we got the job done! So, while I was shooting, Heather noticed that I was zooming in on each picture on my laptop and she asked why I was doing that. I went on to

October 12, 2014 30 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

walls, apron hooks & a new lens

Jeff and my dad have been working for the past week or so on the rolling walls for the studio and they are turning out so well! I wanted rolling walls for two reasons… First of all, the studio is a big, open space and I wanted to be able to divide the space and have a “back room” for shipping, storage, office space, etc. Second, I wanted to have walls I could use for photo backdrops, so I can experiment with different treatments, trim and colors. The guys built three walls for me. My dad hung drywall on one side of each of them and then Jeff did a couple different wood & trim treatments on the other side of two walls. I’m still thinking about what I want on the other side of the third wall, but I have plenty to work with now! Here’s one of the

October 11, 2014 26 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

milk crate & a peek at the settee

When Kriste and I went shopping last Friday, I was looking mostly for pieces to sell at the Chapel Market, but I was also looking for one specific piece for a specific photo shoot – a milk crate. I didn’t have a particular style in mind, but I figured I would know it when I saw it. And I did. Kriste and I spotted this beauty and there was a silent acknowledgement at the awesomeness of the milk crate. Maybe there was a slight gasp, but words didn’t need to be exchanged. I turned it around to look at the price. It was $59. I cringed. That’s a lot more than the $20 range I had in mind. I looked up at Kriste, “It’s $59. Do you think that’s worth it?” “Oh yeah.” “Yeah. I thought so.” I’ve learned in my years of hunting for antiques that sometimes it’s better

October 7, 2014 36 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

back in the studio…

It was so nice to be back in my studio today after being away for several days. I just love having the creative space to work…it’s rejuvenating and fun and seems so full of possibility. I’m still a little fuzzy-headed from my cold, but I was able to get some good things done today. The light was really soft and pretty today when I arrived, so I carried some new products across the parking lot to the old white and gray building to snap some pictures. The soft colors, chippy paint and old texture are just perfect for me! I was shooting pictures of our new topcoat, Tough Coat… …and of our new sample size bags. I photographed them with the quart size, so you can see the difference. It’s so cute and small. The Tough Coat is available for our retailers to order and the sample sized bags

September 24, 2014 37 Comments

Photography

process of styling | part two

If you missed the first post on my styling process, you can find it HERE. In this post, I’ll talk through how we styled this hand painted piece as a buffet as well as sharing my camera settings. This is where I started with the styling… I’m shooting in my studio and I am working with a white wall as a backdrop. I like shooting against white, but it feels a little stark without anything on the wall. I used wooden breadboards to add height and warmth. The wood chairs tie into the wood of the boards. The white ironstone suggests this is a buffet and the green moss adds some color. I was pretty happy with the way it looked, but called Kriste over for a second opinion. She felt like the casserole was getting lost on the white wall, so she moved the breadboards over. We also

September 22, 2014 22 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

jelly cupboard, organizing & family room fabric

I have been on a streak with finding amazing empire pieces. I currently have five in my stash! Now, these aren’t usually this easy for me to come by, but I’ve just been catching Craig’s List and my favorite furniture haunts at just the right time. It’s also helped to have my dad, who should win some sort of Craig’s List award for his success percentage when it comes to getting pieces I want. I just send him the link and he contacts the seller and shows up at my house with the piece. I give him refusal rights if something looks really bad in person, but that hasn’t happened, yet. Last week, he dropped this piece off at my studio… It’s a really pretty antique empire jelly cupboard. It’s just a little dirty and rough, but very solid. What looks like wood grain is actually brown paint. I admire

September 19, 2014 31 Comments

Decorating

process of styling

I’ve been asked to share my thought process for styling a photo shoot, specifically with a piece of furniture, and this post is in response to those requests. I think styling is something that is hard to teach, because it is an art in itself and is based so much on personal taste. As I walk you through my thought process on styling this piece, you might like one of my “rejects” better than the one I liked and that’s okay. I’m hoping that through sharing my thought process, it can help you think through your own process, so when you’re styling shots you can be more intentional with your choices. The first thing I learned is that I am much happier with my shots when I take my time. This means putting the camera on the tripod and connecting it to my computer. This is known as shooting “tethered”.

September 18, 2014 24 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the perfect place for a gift…

Today I was getting ready for my trip to Toronto. It suddenly occurred to me yesterday that even though I’m driving about the distance I would to visit family in Raleigh, I am going to another country! I needed to call my bank and cell phone provider and get everything lined up, so my credit card isn’t turned off for suspected fraud and I can call Jeff. I also tried on outfits, did laundry, checked and double-checked my list and the usual things one does before heading out of town. I’m bringing some things from my house to populate the booth at the Home Show, so it looks very “me” to my readers. I also had to bring things for demos, etc. We’re packed pretty close to the hilt and my mom and I will be putting our van over 200,000 miles on this trip, so we’d appreciate prayers that we

September 16, 2014 41 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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