Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 50 of 55

Artistic Endeavors

moving into the studio

When I say that the business was taking over our house, I wasn’t exaggerating. We moved three 14′ truckloads of furniture, tools, packing materials and stuff over to the studio today. It wasn’t tightly packed in there, but they were pretty full truckloads! We had four guys helping us and they worked incredibly hard. We had three pretty monstrous pieces to move, but they were able to get it done. I started to get even more giddy as I watched my stuff populate the studio. It was coming together even better than I envisioned. I used the oversized oak hutch and t-shirt counter to create a place to film videos and teach workshops. Most pieces will be on casters, but these will be fixed in one spot. (I need to clean out and organize the drawers in the counter.) I was not super organized for this move, so my mom and

September 1, 2014 82 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

sealing the crusty counter

I shared this crusty counter I bought off Craig’s List last week… It is a fabulous piece, but it was shedding paint chips all over the place and it was dirty and had quite a number of cobwebs hanging out in the drawers and corners. So, if I’m going to make it functional, it needed a good cleaning and needed to be sealed. Many of you ask how I deal with pieces like this, so I thought I would share. Before I get into the how, I want direct you to the EPA website for information about working on pieces with lead-based paint. I am not an expert, but I’ve worked on a lot of old, chippy pieces and I’m always mindful of the dangers of lead. Please educate yourself before tackling a project like this. This process is for pieces that do not contain lead-based paint. My mom and

August 31, 2014 45 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

the mustard seed studio

I signed the lease and got the keys for my very own studio yesterday. I’ve been talking and dreaming about one for at least two years. My business has always been spread throughout our house, wherever it will fit. It’s in the upstairs hall closet, the downstairs office, the entire basement, a corner of the family room and usually the living and dining rooms. It’s basically taking over. So, I absolutely cannot wait to get everything moved out of my house and into the studio, so I can start using it. Here’s how it looks from the outside… This is my view across the street… You had better believe I’m going to do a photo shoot or two over there! And here is the inside of my studio… Like I said…it’s just a big open space. White walls, wood floors, big windows and really a wonderful blank slate for photo

August 30, 2014 140 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

crusty counter & other finds

I went shopping with Kriste today and I kept pausing to declare how excited I am about the new studio space. I got a call while we were shopping, letting me know that I can sign the lease on Friday and move in. I feel like I’ve been let out of a box, but even so much more than that. Oh, to have a place to work that’s not my home! To have a place for boxes to be delivered and furniture to be dropped off and a dedicated space for videos and photos shoots and to teach workshops and have sales and whatever else I want to do! It’s incredible and I am bursting to be able to move in and get settled. I don’t want to have a ton of permanent furnishings, but I prefer to have pieces that I buy, fix up, use for photo shoots and tutorials

August 27, 2014 43 Comments

Living Room

repurposed petticoat, mini whisks & an apron

I moved around the furniture in my living room on Monday when the piano was moved out. Of course, moving the furniture in one room usually impacts another room as I borrow and steal from other rooms. Fortunately, all of my furniture is on felt sliders, so I just scoot things around until I like them and then scoot them back if something isn’t working. I have learned that I need to live with new arrangements for a few days to see how it works…aesthetically, functionally. Sometimes things that seem crazy end up working. Sometimes when I first move something, I start to question myself, but I think that’s because it’s change. It just looks different and I have to get used to it before I can look at it objectively. The living room is feeling larger, more open and inviting now, but I’m still playing around with it. I’ll share more

August 13, 2014 11 Comments

Photography

capturing hope

I’m not a portrait photographer and I don’t plan on expanding my business to include that, but I’ve been asked on occasion to take pictures for my friends and family. One family from our church saw some pictures I took of “Mini” and they asked if I would take Hope’s senior pictures. This family is so loving and generous, so I was happy to do it. I introduced Hope to Pinterest and she brought some examples of the kind of pictures she was hoping for, which was so helpful, since I’m usually shooting home decor! Here are some of my favorites from the shoot… I love the picture above. She was posing for a picture and her grandfather, who was lounging on a porch swing nearby, called out, “Say cheese!” Hope started laughing and turned away from the camera for a moment. I had the sense to snap a bunch

July 23, 2014 58 Comments

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

flow blue photo shoot

Whenever I hit an antique store…or really any store, for that matter…I look for props I can use in photo shoots. There are some things that are staples and I use again and again, but I really prefer to buy something that catches my eye, use it for a while and then sell it and buy some new props. It gives me new inventory and it keeps my photo shoots fresh. When we were in the Poconos recently, I found this pretty antique butter dish (minus the dome.) Since it was missing its other half, I was able to get it for only $6.00 and I knew it would be perfect for a MMSMP Flow Blue photo shoot for our upcoming look book. And here’s the result… I love how the water wakes up the blue pigments. It makes me smile every time! Now, I know what some of you

June 27, 2014 19 Comments

Photography

styling photos

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about styling for a retail space. In reply to that post, Tanya from Ever After Cottage shared this comment… “This was a great article! Could you possibly do another article on styling for photos? I’m terrible at it! I have a couple of spots that I love in my home, but when I try to capture them in a photo they turn out looking “off” – either too cluttered or too minimalist or too bland. Part of the problem is that I don’t have a lot of accessories that I truly love, but I’m working on that one. The other part is something I can’t put my finger on, but I’d love some tips to try.” So, this post is in response to that comment. I’m going to put it out there right off the bat that I’m not an expert or a professional photographer

June 25, 2014 56 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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