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Watercolors

Art

Handmade Watercolor Binder Recipe & Video

I’ve lately felt like I needed new creative pursuits.  It’s not that I don’t have enough, but I’ve felt the need to try new things, to be a beginner, and to create something without any expectation on the outcome.  I’ve just needed creative process.  Maybe it’s because of weariness from the pandemic or weariness from writing, styling, and shooting a book, or a combination of everything.  As I shared in my post about the pigments from Choosing Keeping last week, something I bought as a “book gift” for myself, this was also an exploration of what big things might come next.  It doesn’t mean that mixing my own paints is what’s next, but it’s something I’m curious and drawn to, so I’m allowing myself time to explore it, knowing that one new creative endeavor can lead to another.  Knowing that discovery sparks more ideas.  And I thought I would share

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Art Supplies

Mineral Artist’s Pigment Set from Choosing Keeping

As I shared when Feels Like Home launched, I’m not likely to throw a big party.  I just want to have a good dinner at home with my family and throw a bit of confetti in my studio.  But, I also like to celebrate special occasions with gifts!  So, I got a few “book presents” for myself at each major milestone – signing the contract, turning in the manuscript, and launching the book.  One of those book gifts was a new camera lens and I’ll share that in another post.  One was a beautifully restored 1920s Underwood typewriter in the most delicious shade of green.  (I bought it from .)  And one was a set of 104 mineral artist’s pigments for the “what’s next time” that comes after a major project. Isn’t this typewriter just the prettiest thing?  I’ve come to believe that every writer should treat themselves to a

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Art

3rd completed sketchbook tour

I actually finished my 3rd sketchbook back in August, but I haven’t taken the time to film a little sketchbook tour video.  I like doing those because they hold me accountable, but I’ve also received wonderful feedback from people who have shared how it’s encouraged them.  Keeping a sketchbook really has changed me as an artist.  It’s helped me to loosen up, try more mediums, experiment, and explore in ways I didn’t feel as free to on a panel or on a piece that was supposed to be “finished” and good enough to sell.  I’m falling in love with watercolors, pen & ink, and charcoal.  I think oil will always be my first love with it comes to art mediums, but I’m enjoying the growth in other mediums.  I’m also learning that growth in one medium helps you grow in others.  I’m getting better at interpreting what I see in

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Art Supplies

antique watercolor palettes

Calls with my friend Julia in the UK have become a pretty regular weekly thing.  She’ll give me a call or text pictures of some of the latest treasures she found for me.  We’ll also just chat about life and family between talks about antique watercolor palettes and other fun art supplies.  We are definitely two peas in a pod when it comes to things we love and she’s gracious enough to sell me pieces she loves, too.  In one of our recent conversations, as I told her to add something else to my pile for the next box she sends across the pond, she said, “There can’t be much more that you need, right?” I laughed, “First of all, I don’t need any of this!” Art supplies and books have become my vice over the past couple of years and, honestly, there are worse vices to have.  I’m sure

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Artistic Endeavors

watercolor tutorial | study of Berthe Morisot’s “On the Cliff”

Over the weekend, I worked on a study in my sketchbook of Berthe Morisot’s “On the Cliff” and I decided to turn the camera and film a watercolor tutorial while I was working on it.  I’ve had so many requests for more painting classes and to share my work in my sketchbook as I’m creating it, so I’m trying to turn the camera on more often to create tutorials for those who want to paint along. This study in my sketchbook came out of taking time to read through the book .  It is a hefty, gorgeous book on how the use and art of watercolor has developed over the centuries.  I found it to be incredibly inspiring and I was motivated to pull out my sketchbook and paint. Before we get into the watercolor tutorial, I want to share why I love doing master studies so much.   First of

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Art

five lessons I learned from filling a sketchbook | video sketchbook tour

I know you’re not all my “art people.”  Some are my art people, some are my home people, some are my furniture people, and some are my everything & anything people.  But, the art posts are not just for my art people.  There is so, so much I’ve learned from art that can translate to so many other areas of life!  So, today, I want to give you a tour of my second completed sketchbook (yep, I’ve filled a second one already) and share what I’ve learned from filling two sketchbooks so far this year. the old Roman gate in Barga, Italy | pencil & watercolor sketchbook lesson no. 1 | practice makes better I’ve been learning this through my whole art journey – practice makes better even in drawing and painting.  It’s easy to recognize that practice is important when it comes to sports and instruments, but we often

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Art Supplies

vintage watercolor box giveaway

As I was thoroughly organizing the studio through February and March, I came to the conclusion that one person can only use so many antique and vintage art boxes!  Don’t get me wrong, I am perfectly willing to extensively explore and discover the true limits of the number of art boxes one person can own, but I wanted to spread the love around to those who might want to explore that territory, too.  I currently have two antique oil paint boxes, five watercolor boxes (two English Victorian and three mid-century French), a drafting box, two pastel boxes, and several smaller boxes for pencils, nibs, etc.  What can I say?  I love art supplies and pretty containers.  I will offer no other excuses or clarifiers. The fact is, though, it is important to me to use things I have.  It’s okay if using them means displaying them, admiring them, or actually

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Artistic Endeavors

my first completed sketchbook

For all of the talk I do about journaling and sketchbooks, can you believe that I have never fully completed a sketchbook?!  Well, not until a few weeks ago.  I have filled plenty of pages in plenty of sketchbooks over the years, but I typically end up abandoning a book, unhappy with many of the completed pages.  It’s interesting because I’m not a perfectionist, but I do take creative work seriously.  When I was in college, studying musical theatre, my music theory teacher once told my parents at a performance, “Marian is very serious.”  And I was.  I vividly remember feeling an irritation with my peers who didn’t practice or work hard during rehearsals or focus during classes and workshops.  I cared about doing things with excellence. So, when I’d go to fill a page in a sketchbook, I would look back at the previous pages and cringe at some. 

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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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