Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 50 of 59

Artistic Endeavors

cottages & bungalows photo shoot

Last fall, I received an e-mail I wasn’t expecting. I had worked with Cottages & Bungalows for years as a contributor to their DIY essentials column, but when the editor asked me to work for them as a photographer and stylist, it was a total surprise. I felt like I could do it, but I was really, really intimidated. I have had photographers come to shoot my house before and they had so much gear and knew exactly what they were doing. I was…just me. And my gear pretty much fits in one bag. And I had never photographed someone else’s home, dealing with all of the lighting and composition challenges that may come with it. It may seem silly to some of my readers that I felt intimidated. I do photo shoots in my own house and studio all the time. I did all of the photography for my book

August 31, 2015 34 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

BHG Kitchen Photo Shoot

Two whole years ago, a stylist and photographer came to my home to photograph my kitchen for the Better Homes & Gardens special interest publication “Kitchen + Bath Makeovers.” I was beginning to think the shoot ended up on the cutting room floor, but then it appeared in the Spring 2015 issue! …and now that it’s out in the world, I can finally share the details of the photo shoot. It’s always exciting to have a crew come to photograph my home. I take pictures of my spaces often, so it’s nice to get a fresh set of eyes on everything. I also love watching the photographers work… The one I worked with on this specific shoot, John, was so talented. I think I audibly gasped a few times when the image was relayed from the camera to the computer screen. With this particular shot, the head-on

July 15, 2015 17 Comments

All Things Home

how to custom mat a photo | video tutorial

I’ve shared before that I grew up an Army brat. Some kids really hate the instability of moving around, but I thrived on change and, despite crying when they were ripping up flower beds to work on WWII era pipes, I loved living on a military base. We could walk everywhere and had so much freedom as kids. There were also tons of programs to get involved in. I did theatre, baton twirling, tap dancing, basketball, soccer, baseball, ballet, tin-punching, rafting, hiking, ice skating and was a part of a ski club…it was a really cool way to grow up. My mom also got involved in the classes they offered for military wives. One of those classes was learning how to frame and custom mat a photo. I remember my mom taking family pictures to the frame shop to work on and, eventually, we had a beautiful gallery wall. So,

March 8, 2015 23 Comments

All Things Home

styling the jelly cupboard

I’ve been under the weather for the past few days. I’m getting better, but hanging out in bed doesn’t make for very fun blog posts. I checked out my draft folder to look for posts I started, but never finished or posted, usually because something more exciting comes along to write about. As I was digging through the drafts folder, I found this one… I have written about styling before and I thought I would share the process I went through styling this primitive jelly cupboard I sold at the Chapel Market last October. I started out with a large market basket sitting on top. I’ve learned when it comes to styling that a lot of little things can get lost in a picture. It’s better to use pieces that make a bigger statement. I think this can also translate to styling a piece for your home. Imagine this jelly cupboard with

January 29, 2015 24 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the first workshop

We opened the doors for our very first workshop in the Mustard Seed Studio on Friday. It was so much fun getting ready for it and a great incentive to get things in the studio finished. My goal for these workshops is to educate, but also to share this amazing creative space with others and make our guests feel pampered…in a DIY sort of way! I know many of them are taking a vacation day or hiring a sitter or getting this for a birthday present, so I want to make it worth it! Each space was set with a look book, a note card for taking notes, an apron and a hand painted linen name tag. I found these adorable mini wood clothes pins in the office section at Wal-Mart and they were the perfect way to clip the tags onto the apron. Attendees wrote their name on their tags

January 25, 2015 21 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

getting ready for company

I’ve lately turned my attention to getting the studio spruced up and ready to host our first workshops. I’ve loved the space from the moment I first set foot in the door, but it’s really starting to come alive now that we’re working on the details. Here’s how it looked a few months ago when we had only been in the space a few weeks. I whitewashed the work tables that Jeff built and finished them in a gray wax (a mix of Antiquing Wax and Furniture Wax.) We added rolling chalkboard walls behind the counter to hide the shipping/office/storage area and provide a nice backdrop to the counter. On Friday, we added curtains to further divide the space. Since we had to span over 7′, we ended up using a piece of metal pipe held in brackets used for dowels. My dad referred to it as the “anti-tank curtain rod”.

January 21, 2015 43 Comments

All Things Home

more furniture to paint…

I have had a tough time getting back in my groove since the Christmas holiday. It’s mostly because of this… No, not an amazing old mill. The snow! The boys keep having two hour delays and full days off from school for snow and ice. I love my days off with them, but it’s tough trying to balance work with two boys home all day, especially on the heels of a long school break! We’re managing, though. There’s lots of Lego-building, movies, games, “guy battles”, snacks and lunches and I’m sneaking work in when I can. I did get a few days in at the studio last week and I enjoyed them so much after my time away… One of the top things on my to-do list is to finish introducing the European color line for MMSMP before they are released (Jan 24, 2015), so I’ve been stocking up on

January 13, 2015 22 Comments

Photography

photo styling gone wrong

I love looking at catalogs and magazines where the styling is creative and artfully done. Of course, one I enjoy most is Anthropologie. Their presentation is amazing and always so inspiring. When I saw the use of a hand mannequin in their gift look book, I thought it might be fun to get one to use for pictures of our milk paint and products. It’s hard not to have a little fun with a hand mannequin. Kriste and I clapped with it. We “raised our hand” and gave a thumb’s up and even saw if the wooden thumb could bend at an angle as freakish as my thumb. My thumb won. Then, we tried styling it in pictures with the products. Holding a brush seemed like a no brainer, but who holds a brush like that? And why is a wooden hand holding it? Maybe showcasing the logo on the

December 30, 2014 61 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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