Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 8 of 54

Artistic Endeavors

Art

Society6 prints & paper sale

For those interested in prints, wrapping papers, and cards, I added a few new designs to my Society6 shop and most of my products are currently 50% off! One of my newest prints is this pair of rabbits… I didn’t add any new paper designs this year (time got away from me), but papers I designed in previous seasons are still available and are on sale for $10, which is 60% off the regular price. You can find all of my wrapping paper designs HERE. Society6 wrapping papers come in packs of five 20″ x 29″ sheets and are the perfect weight for wrapping presents or even using for craft projects and handmade gifts. It’s thick so it doesn’t tear easily and isn’t see-through, but it’s not so thick that it won’t hold a nice fold. I hope to add some more patterns this year. I really love pattern design,

December 9, 2024 4 Comments

Art

Artist Reference Photos | Portraits & People

We have been adding a bunch of new photos to the Artist Reference Photos site each week, including some lovely new still-life vignettes and landscapes with barns, cows, and sheep. I’ve always collected photos for myself, but it’s been fun to be more intentional about it and collecting photos to share on the site. As a recap, Artist Reference Photos is a free, reference-sharing site for artists. All images on there are either taken by me or donated to the site through our contributors, so you never have to look over your shoulder wondering if it’s okay to sell a painting made from one of our pictures. I hope this library will grow from the thousands into the millions so it can be a great resource for artists all over the world. There was one category we haven’t listed photos in yet, though – portraits and people. This category gets

October 30, 2024 4 Comments

All Things Home

Feels Like Home | three year anniversary giveaway

This giveaway is closed. The winners are Naomi B, Gail J, and Judi Y. Congrats, and thanks to all who entered and celebrated this book birthday with me! Feels Like Home is still $11.99 on Amazon if you want some extra inspiration for making your house feel more like your home. Can you believe Feels Like Home turns three this week? It was released on October 12, 2021, and we can’t let this book birthday pass without a little celebration. (There’s a giveaway at the bottom of this post, so don’t miss that!) This book is honestly one of the creative projects I’m proudest of. Typically, when I’m in the thick of a project, I hit difficult and slow-going patches. I question if it’s even a good idea any longer or if I’ve exhausted the energy I can give to it. I used to be discouraged when I hit that

October 17, 2024 331 Comments

Artistic Endeavors

original oil paintings to sell at Lucketts

It was sort of inevitable. I move back to within an hour from Lucketts and I get sucked back in. (And I mean that in the best possible way.) If you were reading this blog before I moved to Minnesota, you’ll remember the days when I was a full-time vendor at the Old Lucketts Store in Lucketts, VA, and when I sold at the Spring Market each year. Lucketts has always been a very special part of my story since I used to shop there over 25 years ago when I discovered a love for antiques. My first antique market over 15 years ago was at Lucketts. My business grew so much when designers and vendors from Lucketts bought my pieces, took me under their wings, mentored me, and invited me into their wonderful world. It was a hard place and community to leave when I moved over 1,000 miles

October 2, 2024 27 Comments

Art

new art prints

I haven’t been doing as much painting as I’d like this year. How are we already deep into September and I have only had one or two original art sales this year?! I don’t think there is a simple answer for that, but it’s been a lot of things. I focused a lot of attention on gardening through the Spring and early summer. I worked on some behind-the-scenes writing projects that took up a lot of my time. And this fall has been a tricky season with our high school senior taking all college classes except two. We’ve had to juggle rides from one school to another throughout the day until he gets his license (which will be happening soon!) It’s really eaten into my day and I’m trying to fit a full-time job into part-time hours. I actually said to Jeff the other day that I felt like I

September 23, 2024 5 Comments

Art

tonal floral still life sketch | oil painting tutorial

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a painting video tutorial, so even though this was just a sketch to get into the groove of oil painting again, I decided to set up the camera and turn it into a tutorial. Really, it’s more of a paint-a-long than a tutorial since I wouldn’t consider myself an expert when it comes to painting flowers! It is definitely not my sweet spot when it comes to oil painting, but they are a popular subject so I’ve decided to keep working on them despite feeling like it’s not my forté. This painting was done in about 40 minutes, so it’s what I would consider a sketch more than a finished painting. My goal wasn’t to have something that looked refined and detailed, but instead a painting that was impressionistic, simplified, and loose. I focused on blocking in the larger shapes and only

September 5, 2024 9 Comments

All Things Home

pressing & mounting flowers | video tutorial

Last month, I shared how I was taking cuttings from my garden to preserve them in my gardening notebook. As various other herbs and flowers have reached their peak, I have clipped them to add. I decided I would make a quick video on pressing and mounting flowers in a notebook while I was at it. I still have a few more to cut and press, but I have a pretty nice collection happening and I love how it makes my notebook even more personal and special. I pressed all of the herbs, a few annuals that are in pots on the patio and in the garden beds, and blooms off of flowering bushes. I labeled each one along with the date it was planted or cut. Admittedly, I didn’t stay consistent with the dating, but precision wasn’t the goal. I just want to keep a general record of the

August 28, 2024 9 Comments

1970 home renovation

Landscape Mural Design & Colors

I’m getting things lined up to start “dining room mural take two.” I painted the mural in my last dining room with very little planning. I just had an idea in my head and used MMS Milk Paint and some acrylics that I had on hand. I was just going to throw the paint on the wall to see how it worked. It’s just paint after all and I could always paint over if it wasn’t working. I kept it very loose, drippy, watery, and light, so I was able to finish it in just a couple of days. For this mural, I decided to use Farrow & Ball paints so there is cohesion with the paint colors (Light Blue and Card Room Green) used in adjoining rooms. I also like the idea of having a palette of colors instead of mixing my own colors. I’m sure some amount of

August 6, 2024 15 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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