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Watercolors
Artistic Endeavors

isle of palms | part three | painting & sketching

Our trip to Isle of Palms in May was primarily about visiting with family and celebrating my parent’s 50th anniversary (51st now since it had to be postponed for a year), but it was also our first vacation in a long time, so I wanted to take intentional time to do things that were restful and restorative.  Being at the beach and gathering shells were a part of that, but so was painting and sketching.  Not only are those endeavors relaxing, but they help me really pay attention, be observant, be present, and appreciate the beauty around me.  So, I made a commitment that I would paint or sketch every day, even if it was just a quick pencil sketch while sitting at the beach.  And I stuck to that, even doing some quick landscape sketches in the car ride. I also wanted to work on watercolor sketches and drawing

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June 7, 2021 36 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

may 12 art sale preview

Despite putting a focus on custom paintings over the past 2-3 weeks, I also accumulated enough paintings to have an art sale before I work on the next round of commissions and the next series.  We’ll be going to the beach for my parent’s 50th (now 51st) anniversary, so I am planning on focusing my next sale specifically around inspiration I pick up from that trip.  Of course, there will be lots of beaches and skies, but I hope to get some pictures of sailboats, lighthouses, and beautiful buildings and street scenes from around Charleston.  I’m really excited about creating a collection around one specific theme.  Aside from the 100 meadows and 100 still lifes, I am sort of all over the place!  I paint whatever inspires me, which could be people, landscapes, still life, a master copy.  I don’t want to box myself in too much, but it’s also

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May 11, 2021 26 Comments
Creative Play

creative play | customizing a sketchbook

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Kitchin sketchbooks, reading them, doing pencil studies of the sketches, and scanning each page.  Handling them has made me think about my own sketchbooks and how I approach keeping a record of how I see the world. Beyond admiring the artistry, I love how the sketchbooks are a uniform collection.  Aside from one that is a little larger, all of the books are the same size and covered in linen.  He signed the interior and put his address in addition to labeling the cover and spine with the year(s) the book was filled. It inspired me to go through my sketchbooks and be more intentional about seeing them as a part of a larger collection instead of as individual books.  I still like to have separate books for different mediums and purposes, but I want to be mindful of how they

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May 7, 2021 16 Comments
Artistic Endeavors

lessons from queen victoria’s sketchbooks

A few weeks ago, I was searching around for something short and inspiring to watch.  Maybe a documentary on an artist?  Or a short art lesson?  My curiosity was piqued when I spotted The Royal Paintbox on my Masterpiece Subscription.  I mean, anything about paintboxes these days is interesting to me!  So, I started the documentary.  In it, HRH Prince Charles shares his own artwork as well as art from various royals, kings, and queens, who showed varying levels of proficiency.  The work I was most interested in, though, was the sketchbooks of Queen Victoria. I figured she painted since I have seen that portrayed in movies and series on Victoria, but I never imagined she sketched and painted extensively using different mediums.  As I watched Prince Charles slowly flip through some of her sketchbooks, I had to pause the documentary to see if they had ever been published.  And

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May 6, 2021 24 Comments
Art

the atelier | working with a limited palette

Through February and March, I was working on creating and filming and it is now open for preregistration!  The course is The Atelier | Creating with a Limited Palette. Here is what Jeanne Oliver says about the course… And this is the synopsis I wrote for the course… In this class, Marian Parsons, a paint enthusiast and lover of color, will show you how to mix beautiful shades for landscapes, still lifes, and portraits with just four colors. Together, we’ll create color studies, sketches, and finished, frameable works in several paint mediums – oils, water-soluble oils, acrylics, and watercolors/gouache to discover harmony in your work when transitioning from one medium to another (or working in your favorite mediums.) This class is about the discovery and exploration of mediums and limited colors to include in your palette for the purpose of clarifying your aesthetic as an artist. Techniques Taught in this

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April 22, 2021 27 Comments
Antiques

back home & another antique watercolor box

Despite a trip to the ER after a day in the car (my youngest son has a stomach bug or severe car sickness and needed fluids), we had a wonderful trip out east to visit our family.  We made our first stop in North Carolina to visit Jeff’s parents and his sister’s family before we drive up to Pennsylvania to visit my parents.  We spent a ton of time in the car, but it was all worth it so we could see family.  We hadn’t seen Jeff’s parents since December 2019 and my parents since last summer. I took a break from writing here on the blog, but I did sneak some painting in.  Painting outdoors from life (known as plein air painting) is such a challenge for me compared to painting in the studio.  I struggled through this one and didn’t love the end result, but it was a

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April 5, 2021 58 Comments
Art

Original Art & Used Art Supplies Sale Preview

I spent several hours yesterday on getting all of the original art and used art supplies listed for the sale on Thursday!  It is a big project that I was happy to check off my list.  But, I’m happy to share that I have a nice mix of paintings and supplies that will be included in this sale. A few things…  First of all, I have upgraded my server, so the site won’t be crashing while you’re trying to check out.  I know that was so frustrating for those who were trying to shop the sale last time, but I’ve had many sales on my site and have never had that happen!  We’re are ready for it this time, though.  Second, items do tend to go quickly, so I wanted to share a preview of what’s available in the hopes that shoppers can make a beeline for what they want

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March 16, 2021 24 Comments
All Things Home

charcoal, a glass dip pen, and a Victorian watercolor box…

It’s time to share some more antique and vintage art supplies!  Obviously, I haven’t bought any this month because of “no-spend February”, but I bought an antique Victorian-era watercolor box with some Christmas money in January and I received a few little things last week as a gift. An antique dealer from PA who used to buy things for me to resell sent me a few art supplies she picked up as a part of an auction lot.  It was a total surprise and so sweet of her to think of me! She sent me a box of vintage Flair vine charcoal… I love the label on the box, but was even more delighted to see it was full of vine charcoal sticks!   And she also sent a glass dip pen!  It has the most interesting nib.  I haven’t had the chance to use it, but I’m looking forward

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February 25, 2021 19 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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