Miss Mustard Seed

10/18/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out to say hello and purchase paintings, prints, and books at the Fall Market on Friday. We sold all but one original oil painting (the Cavalier Spaniel in the oval frame is still available), sold out of books, and only had a few prints left! It was a banner day and has encouraged me to consider being a full-fledged vendor in 2027. I wasn't sure how the transition from antiques/furniture to fine art would go, but this crowd has embraced my creative shapeshifting, and it means so much!

10/14/2026

Two years ago, I was decorating my mantel with mini pumpkins, gourds, and bouquets of branches with homemade paper leaves. This year, I'm so busy with my art that I haven't even thought about decorating for fall, and I'm already stressing at the thought that Christmas is right around the corner! As I've shared my home online over the years, people have asked how I could spend so much time on home projects and decorating, and I always pointed out that it was my job! I spent my entire workday on it. Now, my workdays are spent at the easel, communicating with clients, sketching, varnishing, and framing, in addition to writing. I still love decorating and scooting furniture around, but it's a new season in life and in my creative work.

10/11/2026

Have you ever wanted to paint animal portraits and/or learn how to use oil paints? Even though I had used almost every other kind of paint, I was very intimidated by oil paints (the clean-up, misconceptions about toxicity, drying times, etc.), but it is now my favorite paint. I want to remove any intimidation others might feel about painting with oils. My new online art course, Pet Portraits in Oils for Beginners, is currently in production and will be available soon! If you’ve always wanted to learn to paint in oils or want a refresher, this class will start from the beginning. I’ll cover the basics of working with oils, selecting strong reference photos, color theory and mixing, drawing your subject, and painting animal portraits in an impressionistic realism style. Join the waitlist to receive an exclusive discount when the course is live. https://www.waitlistcourse.com/missmustardseed.

10/08/2026

On the blog today, I'm sharing about all of the lovely people I met and the pretty things I saw at the in Rhinebeck, NY, last weekend. One of the beautiful things about the online space is the connections you can make, but it's too easy to be lulled into the idea that being a part of an online community is enough. I was able to meet so many beautiful people and soak up inspiration until I was satisfied. It's a feeling I don't get from social media, and a good reminder to get out into the world... https://missmustardseed.com/country-living-fair-people-things/

10/08/2026

My interpretation vs. my reference photo. I love how the sunlight looks like dramatic studio lighting with a different background. This one is coming to Lucketts Store Fall Market in a wonderful antique oval frame. Original oil on 8x10 board.

10/06/2026

On the blog today, I am sharing all the original oil paintings I am bringing to the Lucketts Fall Market. Details about the sizes, prices, and where to find me at the event, are included...

Bringing a few paintings to potentially sell at the Lucketts Spring Market was a test to see how my art would do there. Of course, after years of being a vendor at Lucketts, both at the markets and in the store, I had a good grasp of what would do well, but I never showed […]

10/06/2026

I have finally decided to part with my Manet study of the portrait of Morisot. I painted this in 2018 after only using oils for a year. I was inspired to paint this after seeing it in person during my first trip to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. I've always loved portraits, but I was particularly drawn to the shape of Morisot's hat, ribbon, and chunks of hair. It's been in my basement for 4 years, so it seems like it's time to send it along to a new home where it can be hung and enjoyed. I'll bring it to the Fall Market, but will list it online if it doesn't sell there. Original oil after Manet on 20 x 16 linen board in an antique frame.

10/04/2026

I finished this piece last week to bring to the Fall Market in less than two weeks. I'll be there on Friday, October 16, from noon until close. I'm bringing original oil paintings (a preview of available works is coming soon), fine art prints, and books (Move Slow & Make Things and Feels Like Home). This piece is the biggest one I'm bringing - "Snowball Viburnum in Window Light", original oil on 19.5 x 23.5", framed.

09/30/2026

I always like to put what I'm looking for out into the world when I'm heading to an antique market. It makes about as much sense as wearing a "lucky sweatshirt" when your football team is playing (which I do), but there seems to be something about saying it, writing it down, and sharing it that seems to increase the chance of finding "the thing". It's happened too often to ignore! I share something I hope to find on my blog or here on social media, and it falls in my lap. So, what I'm shopping for at the Fair (and any other antique shop we hit along the way) this weekend are frames and easels. Frames, of course, for my paintings. And easels, also for my paintings. Actually, the easels are for displaying paintings, as I hope to do more shows to sell my art in the future. I'll also keep an eye out for interesting baskets, boxes, and racks for displaying prints and small works.

09/29/2026

On the blog today, I am sharing some behind-the-scenes content for my art business - cutting custom panels for antique & vintage frames...

When I first started painting with oils, I bought a smattering of substrates to test. I painted on stretched canvas and linen, canvas and linen panels, oil paper, and gesso board. Over the years, I learned that I didn’t like the bounce and fragility of stretched canvas and linen. I didn’t like t...