The Art of Portrait Painting with Marianne Rice – Joleen’s Happy Time Craftcast 84

Well hey there, Craftonians! ✨💛

Ohhh, this episode. This one just filled my cup all the way up.

In Episode 84 of the Happy Time Craftcast, I had the absolute joy of sitting down with Midwest oil portrait artist Marianne Rice — and let me tell you, if you’ve ever thought, “Maybe it’s too late for me…” this conversation is going to gently (and lovingly) prove you wrong.

Marianne didn’t start painting until she was 40.

Forty.

And not in a “I’ll just dabble a little” kind of way. She committed. She studied. She practiced. She showed up. And now she exhibits nationally and is deeply involved in the portrait community. I just love that story because it reminds us that creativity is not on a clock. There’s no expiration date stamped on your artistic dreams.

It’s Not Too Late. It’s Just Time.

One of the things I appreciated most about our conversation was Marianne’s calm confidence about starting later in life. There wasn’t drama about it. There wasn’t regret. There was just this steady sense of, “This is when I began.”

And isn’t that freeing?

We talked about oil painting — which, I know, can sound intimidating. All that talk about solvents and drying times and layering and oh-my-goodness-what-if-I-ruin-it. But Marianne broke it down in such an approachable way. Oils aren’t scary. They’re just a medium. And like any medium, they respond to practice.

Not perfection.
Practice.

She said something that really stuck with me: master the art of showing up.

That’s it. That’s the magic.

Capturing More Than a Face

Marianne specializes in portraiture, and we dove into what it really means to capture someone’s likeness — and their spirit. Because it’s not just about getting the eyes the right distance apart. It’s about essence. Energy. Presence.

There’s something so beautiful about that idea. That as artists, we aren’t just copying what we see — we’re translating it. Interpreting it. Honoring it.

It reminded me that whether you’re painting portraits, making collage, knitting, or building a pom-pom garland (because yes, we talked about that too!), what we’re really doing is saying, “I was here. I saw this. I felt this.”

That’s ancient. That’s human. That’s art.

Practice Over Perfection (Always)

If you’ve hung around here long enough, you know how I feel about perfection. It’s not invited to the craft table.

Marianne echoed that so beautifully. She talked about failure as part of growth. About how every painting teaches you something — even the ones that make you want to quietly turn them toward the wall for a while.

We have to remove the pressure that it has to be great.

What if it just has to be done?

What if showing up consistently matters more than the outcome?

That conversation felt like a deep exhale.

A Few Extra Happy Things

Of course, we wrapped up with some fun — I shared a book recommendation (Paper Collage Chinese Style, which is such a visual treat), chatted about upcoming retreats, and sprinkled in all the usual Happy Time energy.

Because here’s the thing — creativity is serious in its impact, but it doesn’t have to be serious in tone.

We can learn.
We can grow.
We can try scary things.
And we can still keep it joyful.

So if you’ve been waiting to start…
If you’ve been telling yourself you’re behind…
If you’ve been thinking you missed your window…

You didn’t.

You’re right on time.

Until next time, Craftonians — keep showing up, keep practicing, keep embracing the messy middle… and keep crafting happy. 💛✨