Artistic Endeavors Archives | Page 9 of 54

Artistic Endeavors

crafts

preserving cuttings in my gardening notebook

Do you remember the gardening notebook I put together in the spring? You can read about it HERE if you missed it. I thought it would be fun to keep a record of what I planted and how I cared for it so I could track what worked and what didn’t. It would also give me a place to store receipts for bushes that can be refunded if they don’t make it through the winter as well as a place to make notes to myself for future reference. I’ve put all of my plant tags in it and have recorded what I have fertilized and when. I also took cuttings from a few plants to press them for the book. Is it necessary? No. Is it a beautiful way to record what was growing in our yard each year? Yes. I pressed them in a heavy book between two sheets

July 24, 2024 11 Comments

All Things Home

the story of the sailboat pillow

If you’re in a hurry, here is the short version of the story. I met Wendy when she became a Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint line retailer in her shop in Canada. She became our Canadian trainer and my friend and we traveled all around Europe together. She sold her shop and I sold the milk paint line. I started painting. Her husband, John, takes pictures and I asked to paint one of those pictures. That picture, taken from their front porch, was licensed and made into a pillow. That pillow made from one of my paintings made from one of her husband’s photos ended up in the shop Wendy sold. Wendy bought the pillow. My mom bought the pillow. And here we are. If you want the longer story behind the pillow, here it is. Wendy and I met years ago when she signed up to carry the newly

July 22, 2024 16 Comments

All Things Home

antique French drawing box & other goodies

If you can believe it, I added a few antique art supplies to my collection earlier this year (timely happy-birthday-to-me purchases) and I haven’t shared them here on the blog! I’ve been so busy with other things that I haven’t written about them even though I took pictures a while ago. Anyway, today is the day I’m going to introduce you to an antique French drawing box I purchased from Julia of Ponder & Purchase. I used to order a box of goodies from her a few times each year, but I was feeling pretty stocked with antique art supplies, so I haven’t ordered what we jokingly call my “P&P subscription box” in over a year. I have some very nice art boxes, palettes, brushes, and all sorts of pens, pencils, and rulers that I’ve gotten very picky about what I buy. This French drawing box was like nothing else

July 9, 2024 4 Comments

Art

My painting in the McGee x Threshold collection at Target

On Monday, I was browsing through Instagram Stories and did a double-take when I saw a piece of artwork I recognized in a round-up of Liz Marie’s favorite things from the new McGee x Threshold collection at Target… Do you see it?! This is one of my oil still-life paintings and it was picked up for the McGee collection and is now being sold in Target stores and online! You can buy one HERE or see if it’s available at a nearby Target. When I first saw it, I recognized it instantly as mine, but when I studied it further, I started to question myself. For some reason, I felt like it was better than my painting! I had a chance to look at it objectively, in a new context, and it gave me a new appreciation for my style. For a few brief minutes, I wondered if someone had

June 20, 2024 41 Comments

Art

royalty-free artist reference photos site launch

I’ve been working on a new project behind the scenes for a few months and now, we’re ready to officially launch! I am so excited to introduce you to my new site… www.artistreferencephotos.com One of the greatest frustrations I’ve experienced as a growing artist is finding reference photos for the things I want to paint that I might not see daily. My readers and Instagram followers have generously shared photos with me when I put the call out, but not every artist has a generous audience as a resource to tap into when specific photos are needed. Yes, artists can search for images online, but there are restrictions even on “free” photo-sharing websites and things can get sticky if you want to license your work for reproduction and sale. I found in all of my online searches that there isn’t a website that is truly a royalty-free reference photo library

June 6, 2024 16 Comments

All Things Home

marian tries | weaving garden cloches

Do you know what I’ve been thinking lately? I need more hobbies. I mean, a girl needs a few tasks to keep her busy. Of course, I’m being facetious since I have hobbies up to my eyeballs, but it’s still hard for me to resist dabbling in a new one when it looks intriguing. As I’ve been spending a lot of time this spring working on our yard and garden beds, I thought it would be fun to make some of my own willow garden cloches and plant supports. I just adore them when I see them in books and TV shows. They add a homespun charm that I wanted to add to my suburban garden. As I started researching sourcing willow for weaving garden supports, I realized this hobby wasn’t going to be quite as simple to delve into as knitting or painting. It seems that weaving your own

June 4, 2024 26 Comments

All Things Home

first willow garden structure project & an English dovecote

Several of you have asked about the English dovecote hanging near our front door as well as the willow garden support, so I wanted to back up a bit and share about those two pieces. Since the English dovecote came first, let’s start with that. I was initially planning on making a trellis for this bit of wall that would complement the two larger trellises on the wall just around the corner, but I was wondering if that might be trellis overload. This wall needed something, though. Maria of Dreamy Whites had sent me a dovecote from one of her shopping trips in England and Europe last year, but it had been waiting in the basement until we started working more on the exterior of the house. I have long admired English dovecotes and knew I wanted to mount one somewhere in the yard or on the house, but there

June 3, 2024 12 Comments

a slice of life

back to IOP for a creative retreat

The last time I met up with Shaunna for a creative retreat was in February 2020. We met up in Panama City Beach, Florida to spend a few days at her parent’s amazing condo that overlooked the ocean. We ate charcuterie boards and ordered DoorDash. We painted, played, talked, took notes, dreamed, asked questions, listened to music, and rested. It was such a wonderful time and I couldn’t wait to do it again. (You can read more about my past creative retreats HERE.) Well, we all know what was around the corner in March of that year. We have talked about doing a creative retreat for years but the timing was always off for one or both of us. In addition, her parents were weary of repairing the property after the hurricanes (including a contractor who started squatting in the place) and sold their condo. We would look at the

April 24, 2024 9 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.

next art sale

May 20th, 2026 at 1pm EST

Now Available for Preorder

Move Slow & Make Things

A book about creativity, intention, and making things with care. Sign up to receive updates, preorder details, and exclusive bonus content.

From the Studio

Artful pieces for your home and everyday life.

From original paintings and art prints to Pup Club releases and curated goods, each piece is created or chosen to bring warmth, creativity, and character into your home.

From the Studio and Home

Shop the Feed

A handpicked collection of items styled and shared throughout posts, projects, and social feeds. Every product is thoughtfully chosen to reflect a timeless, collected aesthetic.