Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 6 of 55

Artistic Endeavors

Art

oil painting video tutorial | white irises

After working on pet and animal portraits for most of this year, I decided to take a little break and paint some still life and landscapes. First of all, I want the practice. I don’t want to get rusty in those subjects, even though working on one kind of painting informs and often improves another. These are also the most popular subjects for licensing, so I wanted to create some new works to submit and sell in my next original art sale. I’ve been working on rural landscapes, oranges, and now irises. While I’ve been painting, I set up my camera so I could make video tutorials for those who want to paint along. So, here is a video tutorial on painting these white irises… This painting is based on a photo I took while on a walk one morning this spring. One of our neighbors keeps the prettiest

August 13, 2025 5 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

creativity conversations | on longing, finding inspiration, and “good enough”

Years ago, I used to write “Ask Miss Mustard Seed” posts. I would open up the comment section for questions from my blog readers and would then write posts answering those questions. We’d talk about decorating, DIY, furniture refinishing, upholstery, creativity, and running a business. I realized the other day that I miss those posts. I always appreciate curiosity and inquisitiveness, so I want to encourage that more often and write blog posts in response to what you’d like to know. I’m not setting up this Q and A because I have all of the answers. Sometimes, the answer might be, I don’t know. Most often, I will merely make an attempt to answer a question based on my own experience, hoping it might offer some encouragement and inspiration to others. The point of asking questions isn’t always to get a definitive, final, and “right” answer. Most of the time,

August 11, 2025 31 Comments

a slice of life

Washington County Museum of Fine Art

While I spent most of my week of rest at home, I knew getting out would be beneficial. I also knew that it would be good for me and my mom to have a fun day together since our last day together was so sad. We both burst into tears when she came to the door, feeling acutely that Sebastian wasn’t there to greet her, wagging his entire hind end with happiness. But once we hugged it out, we were ready to have a good time together, to gather some inspiration, and enjoy each other’s company. Usually, when we get together, we work. We wear paint-splattered clothes, only stop for a cut apple and some cheese and crackers, and finish the day tired. But this was going to be a proper mother-daughter day out. I selected a few things to do that felt fun – visiting the local art museum,

July 29, 2025 14 Comments

Art

photo tips for pet portraits

I have been drawn to portraits for years, so it was only natural for me to explore portraiture once I started drawing and painting. Painting portraits of living people can be tricky, though. Winston Churchill famously burned a commissioned oil portrait capturing his appearance in his retirement years because he hated it. It was a good likeness, but he was wounded by how the artist viewed and portrayed him, to the point that he threw a high-quality piece of original art by a celebrated artist into a bonfire. I like painting and drawing people, but I’ll likely do it for my own enjoyment and not on commission. Instead, I explored the world of pet portraits about three years ago. I can still capture faces, personality, and expression the way I see it, without wounding someone’s vanity! Now that I have quite a few pet portraits under my belt, I’ve learned

June 17, 2025 6 Comments

All Things Home

what happened to my willow projects

If you were following along last summer, you might remember my obsession with weaving willow cloches and plant supports. (You can find that post HERE.) I went on a deep dive, sourcing willow branches locally and online, watching tutorials and reading articles, searching for inspiration, and then testing out what I learned. It involved setting up a baby pool in my driveway to soak the willow and experimenting with several weaving styles and methods. It was a thorough effort, and almost every plant got some woven addition. Well, I am here to report that the winter months and the weather were not kind to my creations and beginning efforts at weaving. Almost all of the cloches were in various states of disarray when I started cleaning up the patio pots and garden beds this spring. I tried to salvage a few, but they all ended up in yard waste bags

June 16, 2025 9 Comments

Art

Original Oil Paintings Available at Lucketts

Late last summer, I received a message from some Instagram friends I met through the Lucketts Fall & Spring Markets. “Would you like to sell some of your original oil paintings in our space?” I had considered getting a booth to sell some original oil paintings in antique frames, but I would get overwhelmed at all of the logistics and set the thought aside. Maybe I will one day, but this offer gave me an opportunity to test the waters without having to fill a booth myself and be present all three days. So, I said yes and partnered with Tim & Jodie of The Past Restored. (You can see the finished paintings in THIS post.) I was able to finish four paintings in antique frames, and here is how they looked in their booth last fall. I actually didn’t get to see my paintings in the space in person

May 12, 2025 5 Comments

a slice of life

refillable ballpoint & rollerball pens

I’ve been promising this post on Instagram for a while, and it’s finally here – a round-up of beautiful, refillable, and relatively affordable ballpoint and rollerball pens. I say relatively affordable because, like fountain pens, rollerball and ballpoint pens can get very, very expensive depending on the brand and materials used. I never thought I would spend more than $20 on a “nice pen”, much less over $50 or $100, but I have been wooed into the world of beautiful writing instruments and now I’m hopelessly in deep. I have come to believe that anyone who is an artist or writer should have at least one special pen that is a delight to use and speaks to them. A few years ago, I shared some affordable fountain pens ranging from $5 – $85. You can find that post HERE. I use fountain pens often for drawing and writing, but I

May 7, 2025 5 Comments

Art Supplies

the colors currently on my palette

I started painting with oils over seven years ago (in the fall of 2017), and my palette has evolved over that time. I think this evolution is a natural part of the process of finding oneself as an artist. Being one who loves color, paint, and trying out new art supplies, I was quick to buy way more colors than I needed! In addition to buying colors I was curious to try, I bought any colors recommended in books and by artists teaching online classes. I think it’s a natural tendency to think that if you use the same tools and colors as Sargent, Payne, or Seago, perhaps you’ll paint like them. I felt like that to some extent, but then I read a line in a book that was a great reminder that often a simple, limited palette is best. The author pleaded with the reader not to buy

April 9, 2025 7 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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