After more than 2 years, I finally finished this painting… and it wasn’t easy. In this week’s Artist Diary, I’m taking you inside my studio as I complete *Vibrant Flight*, a piece from my Needle and Brush series—a collection of mixed media paintings created with both wool and paint. What surprised me most about this process was feeling completely stuck at the end. I usually know exactly what the next step is in a painting, but this time, I didn’t. For weeks, I avoided finishing it… until I finally worked through the resistance. If you’ve ever struggled to finish a creative project, this video is for you. I’m also sharing a little behind-the-scenes of my evolving art practice, what’s next for the Needle and Brush series, and why I’m feeling pulled back to my Backwards Beauty paintings (and possibly a new landscape series). And stay until the end—I’m reviewing two new studio products I recently tried and sharing my honest thoughts.
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Spring 2026 Hobby Lobby 🌷 Shop With Me + Artist Haul
Join me for a Spring 2026 Hobby Lobby Shop With Me as I explore what’s new in spring decor, florals, wall art, and creative supplies — all through the lens of an artist. I stopped by Hobby Lobby to pick up a few studio essentials, but while wandering the aisles filled with spring flowers, pastel color palettes, botanical prints, and seasonal home decor, I found myself asking a bigger question: Can an artist find real inspiration in mass-produced art and decor? In this video, we walk through the spring collections together — from floral arrangements and canvas prints to textures, color combinations, and design trends — and talk about how inspiration works when you’re a working artist. At the end of the video, I share a small studio haul and what I plan to use it for: • A new paint storage idea for preserving my water-soluble oil paints • A brush shaper product to restore worn-out detail brushes If you’re an artist, creative, or simply love spring decor and shop-with-me videos, I hope this inspires you to look at everyday spaces a little differently. Let me know in the comments: ✨ Did you see anything inspiring? ✨ Can mass-produced decor still spark creativity? ✨ What are your favorite spring color palettes this year?
Where I’ve Been Lately — A Creative Reset
There’s something strange about posting your life online each week — when you step away, it can feel like you owe an explanation. In this video, I’m sharing where I’ve been lately and why I’ve needed to slow down. While working on Vibrant Flight, an oil painting from my Needle and Brush — Birds and Botanicals: Paintings of Wool and Pigment collection, I talk honestly about energy, health, creative pressure, and what it means to put your body first. Living with adrenal fatigue and a sensitive nervous system means I have to be careful about how much I stretch myself. The colder months, busy seasons, and long days can take more than they give. And sometimes something has to give. For now, that has meant stepping back from weekly uploads and allowing space to rest and rebuild. If you’ve ever felt behind, exhausted, or guilty for slowing down — this is for you. My hope is to continue cultivating serenity through creativity — even if the pace looks different than before. Thank you for being here. I truly appreciate every single one of you who watches, listens, and shows up.
Cozy Snow Day In The Studio | Calming and Inspiring
We had a snow and ice storm here on the East Coast of the USA and I am sharing with you what I got up to in the studio. I made this a silent video with some calming music so you can join me and enjoy the peace or have me in the background as you create. I mixed in some backyard beauty of the snow and ice and the birdies. The birds are so fun to watch. I also start working on a painting that I started a few years ago and is part of a series called Needle and Brush Collection and the collection is of Birds and Botanicals, paintings of wool and pigment. I take the same composition and create it in paint and wool. Today I am working on Vibrant Flight and I am painting it in oils. I hope you tune in and stay a while and leave me a comment. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Antiquing at the Largest Antique Mall in America
If you watched last week’s video, you know I spent the holidays away with my family at a ski resort — creating art, eating way too much, and laughing nonstop (while I avoided skiing because I’m extremely fond of walking 😂).
One of my favorite traditions during that week is taking myself on a cozy antique adventure, and this year I visited one of my favorite places — The Factory Antique Mall, said to be the largest antique mall in America. In this video, I take you along on my slow wander through the mall, including a visit to Amanda Mercantile Booth, which I discovered years ago and instantly fell in love with. If you’re an antiquing lover, you’ll definitely want to check out her YouTube channel — I’ve linked it below.
✨ Let me know in the comments: Have you ever been to The Factory Antique Mall? Or what’s your favorite antique spot? Thanks for being here. — Jan
Amanda's Mercantile : https://www.youtube.com/@amandasmercantile