This Artist Turns Paint Samples into Masterpieces

Artist Shawn Huckins’s Paint Chip Series may look like scenes painted directly onto the paint chips from your local home improvement store, but a closer look would reveal incredible, full-scale paintings. These paint swatch mimics are so exacting in their layout that they give a spark to the ordinary happenings painted onto them. The warm hues create a relaxing, unexpected background for the viewer, allowing a meaningful connection with the colors that we choose to decorate our living spaces with.

In these acrylic and enamel paintings, Huckins stages everyday objects and people against commonplace items. With this juxtaposition, the implications of our consumer culture and realistic photos resonate with a trick of the eye. Oh, and they also create a super artistic and totally hip color block style that we LOVE.

What do you think of this paint chip-inspired series? Let us know in the comments.

In our series Selfmade U, we’ll tackle the most common questions and pain points that come up for business owners with tips and tricks from Selfmade, a virtual business coaching program, founded by Brit + Co founder Brit Morin and sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax. We’ll hear from Selfmade members and business coaches on what it takes to run a successful business and make it as an entrepreneur.

Entrepreneurship can be demanding, challenging, unpredictable, and deeply satisfying. The wins, big and small, help you rise above the challenges and there are so many perks to being your own boss (set your own schedule, do creative work you love, work from wherever, to name a few). But sometimes you can find yourself stuck on a problem – with nowhere to turn.

“I didn’t really feel like I had a community around me here in Maryland. We moved after the pandemic to be closer to my husband’s family,” says Lucia Diaz, a first-generation Colombian-American and the founder of LUCIA DIAZ, a Latina-owned business dedicated to empowering and honoring Latinas through illustration. “My artworks are a reflection of my commitment to provide cultural representation and instill pride in mujeres poderosas.” That is, powerful women like her.

Lucia turned to Selfmade, receiving an Office Depot OfficeMax scholarship to the program, to help her connect with business mentors and other female founders. “Being the first one in my family to build a business of this magnitude, it's really comforting to have mentors, especially of color or who come from first-generation immigrant families,” says Lucia. “The Selfmade Community is just an outpouring of love and just lots of great women who understand what you're going through and help put you in the right direction with the right resources.”

Lucia has had a banner year, her third in business. She has partnered with major fashion and beauty brands, like Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Estee Lauder, and has curated a show of 100 LatinX artists at the The Oculus Center in NYC for Hispanic Heritage Month. We caught up with Lucia before she was heading out to NYC to speak at the United Nations Science Summit about the digital art exhibit.

Here’s Lucia’s day in the life!

6AM I start my day early, doing a lot of journaling, meditation, giving my cats some love and attention. My Selfmade mentor was like, “You can't just get up and go and just read emails. You have to do something for yourself first!” I've noticed that once I do my morning routine and just really focus on myself first, I tend to have a much better day.

7AM I head to the gym and listen to one of my favorite audiobooks, “I Will Teach You to Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi or "Wealth Warrior" by Linda Garcia, running at my own pace (AKA not super fast!). This is something that I established this year. I feel like I'm much happier now and I feel so grounded and connected to self.

9AM I record two The Art of Representation podcast interviews. Today's interviews were withAlyssa Reynoso-Morris, an Afro-Latina author, and Vero M. Estrada, a life coach. I use Zencastr to record the episode and then I'll use Canva to automate my podcast bookings. To collect guest information, I'll use Google Forms, which will help me create the blog post for fearlessyaya.com. Finally, I'll prepare the podcast links and content for social media. To save time, I'll also schedule social media reels in advance.

12PM I enjoy a lunch of my mom’s amazing beef and potato empanadas. Whenever I visit her, she'll always pack me some empanadas even though I tell her to rest now that she’s retired.:) I am from Colombia and I always feel connected to home through food.

1PM I answer emails and work on my United Nations speech for next week. I'm researching every panelist and just really digging through their history, so I can ask them specific questions.

I'm super honored that my friend Sandy Martinez selected me to be the first moderator. I remember being a little girl presenting a book report and being so nervous. Now I'm presenting to the UN and it's crazy. It's a dream. When I told my dad he teared up and my mom was bawling. She's like, “How is it that we migrated to this country and now you get to speak to delegates from not only all over the world but delegates also from Colombia.” So it's really powerful.

The main thing that I will touch on is the work that I've been doing with an orphanage in Colombia called CASA HOGAR NAZARETH. For the last seven years, I've been able to donate proceeds. Last year, I was able to donate a whole collection’s worth of proceeds to the orphanage because I had a really great year. My grandfather, Manuel, was an orphan. He raised 12 children, was a rural farmer, and became a leader in his community and made sure to take care of others. That's what he instilled in me. If there's enough for me, there's enough for everybody. We can make it work.

3PM I Zoom with some of the artists to help them upload their artwork for the exhibit. I want to make sure they can all participate. They are artists from all over Latin America, from the Caribbean, from Venezuela and Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and some don’t speak English. I want to make sure they have their chance to show in NYC, many for the first time.

4PM I edit my podcast episodes using Final Cut Pro. I have a passion for video editing. I also create eye-catching thumbnails for YouTube and social media using Adobe Photoshop. My workflow involves scheduling episodes two months in advance, which I attribute to my detail-oriented nature – perhaps it's my inner Virgo shining through!;)

6PM I have dinner with my husband. He is the one who encouraged me to take the leap and start my business. He’s been so supportive.

7PM After dinner, we like to walk by the creek. It’s something my mom and dad used to do. In Colombia, there are a lot of waterfalls and little lakes and places that you would go and reconnect with nature.

8PM I work on my artwork. Fridays are my days for my own art, where I illustrate and I draw for myself. I don't have an agenda. Sometimes it is personal illustrations. Other times it's illustrations of incredible women in the Latin community. I don't take meetings on Fridays. I'm not posting anything on Instagram. I'm not answering any phone calls or emails. I literally hide my phone in my safe and I asked my husband to change the code [laughs].

Lucia also started a stationery business and uses her printers from Office Depot to support her print business. “Aside from my services, I develop greeting cards and stationery and work on showing how through stationery we celebrate the holidays and milestones in our Latinx community.”

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Illustrated by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces

Balance the creative and business aspects of your business with help from Office Depot OfficeMax. We help you organize & save time with a suite of business services & solutions to help you accomplish more – from signs, posters & banners to get your business noticed to marketing materials to help bring your brand vision to life.

No matter what kind of day you're having, Marissa Cooper's having a worse one. Mischa Barton's The O.C. character went through the ringer during the first three seasons of the teen drama (remember how she overdosed in Tijuana...and also saw her parents post-hookup after their divorce?).

And during her time on The O.C., Mischa Barton struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. She was arrested for a DUI in 2007 and eventually received involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in 2009 after allegedly threatening to end her own life. And in a new interview, Peter Gallagher (who played Sandy Cohen on the show) says he's "just so grateful" for "the fact that she’s still alive."

  • Mischa Barton starred alongside Peter Gallagher in The O.C. from 2003-2006.
  • The actress has revealed the "trauma" of being a star at that point in her life.
  • Peter recently opened up about how he's thankful "she’s still alive."


Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for FLC/John Lamparski/Getty Images

The O.C. follows Ryan Atwood, who moves in with the Cohens after getting kicked out of his mom's house, and starts a relationship with Marissa shortly after. While Peter Gallagher played Adam Brody's TV dad instead of Mischa's, Sandy was a definitely father figure for Marissa, and it seems like Peter felt that same responsibility off camera.

"I’ve always felt very protective of her," Peter told The Independent. "First fame is toxic. First fame can kill you. She was 16 years old when she started working with us, so just the fact that she’s still alive, I’m just so grateful."

“You can go to therapy every day for the rest of your life,” Mischa said in a 2023 interview with The Sunday Times. “There’s just a certain amount of trauma [from] all that I went through, particularly in my early twenties, that just doesn’t go away overnight.”

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage revealed that season 1 overdose not only served as a cliffhanger, but gave “network executives an escape hatch on a performer they had been wary about” (via People). But Mischa Barton got her big break, becoming "how people knew the show," and (thankfully) Marissa recovered — only to die after a car crash in season 3.

As hard as that season 3 ending is to watch, Mischa did have the opportunity to watch it with Rachel Bilson and Melinda Clarke for the first time on their rewatch podcast. "It needed to be a thing, after everything she's been through, but if it's here I'll watch it with you," Mischa says.

"I couldn't do it, Mischa, I couldn't do it," Rachel adds. "But I'm going to do it if you're going to do it."

Mischa says even though being written off the show "was a little bit of a bummer," it wasn't necessarily a surprise. "The character was just doing too much," she told Vanity Fairin 2023. "And I think they ran out of places for her to go. It was not the best thing in the world, [but] there wasn’t much you could do at that point. It was whether she could sail off into the sunset, or die. At that point, I guess it’s better to have the more dramatic ending.”
What did you think of The O.C. season 3 finale? Let us know on Facebook!

Meme. Scroll. Headline. Scroll. Dreamy video of the oceanscape. Scroll. Uplifting quote in lettering. Scroll. Sponsored ad. Scroll, scroll, scroll. And so goes the routine of the mindless social consumption that occupies, admittedly, way too much of my downtime. Just me? I didn't think so.

I don't know about you, but often when I'm in this mode, I'm on straight autopilot. So in those moments when I stumble on content that brings me to pause and reflect, I'm so grateful for the creators that breathe new life into our endless wanderings on the interwebs. If your feed is in need of some CPR, let me point your attention to the playful and thoughtful work of illustrator and storyteller, Andrea Campos, whose creations are as refreshing as her backstory.

As we dive into her journey, let's first rewind to 2020. Remember how it began? It was pre-pandemic times, back when we were still excited to be starting a new decade. 20/20 vision, we chanted and captioned, fully leaning into the apt cliche in its full glory. I mean, it felt like we all were declaring that this year would be our year, one when our lives came to attention, reinvention, and realization.

For Andrea, this sentiment was the hallmark of her mindset going into the roundness of the new decade.

At the time, she was working in marketing, insatiably craving more creativity, autonomy, and purpose. And with no insight as to how the world would soon be turned upside down, she decided to gather her savings and take a dip into the world of creative entrepreneurship... right before the fullness of COVID-19 took hold of society.

Talk about timing! Nevertheless, despite the increased uncertainty that could have complicated her pursuits, this story has the happiest of middles (because it's definitely too early to call her current juncture "the end").

Here's the CliffNotes version: a doodler at heart, Andrea started a visual diary on Instagram to draw out her inner thoughts, moods, and feelings. And what started out as more of an act of art therapy and personal expression quickly catapulted into a full-fledged business, be it creating branded content for the likes of Athleta, being commissioned to create the artwork for Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez's highly anticipated children's book, Con Pollo: A Bilingual Playtime Adventure, or authoring books with her own byline. Let’s just say this go-getter deserves all of the flowers.

Are you looking to find your creative calling to design the work and life you love? Check out these tips Andrea credits for bringing her dreams full circle:

1. Give yourself unstructured time and space to get clear on what you want.

The first step is always getting clear on what it is that you want. For Andrea, this clarity came through a lot of trial and error. She experimented with different mediums and styles until she finally landed on something that felt authentic to her vision and voice. Once she found her groove, the rest fell into place organically. So if you're still exploring, don't be afraid to try out new things until you find a sweet spot that feels right.

"I decided to create an artist residency for myself where I was going to do creative things that just made me feel good. The objective was not to get a piece of artwork in the MoMA or get recognition," Andrea reflected. "It was just me doing what felt good. I tried to rebuild my confidence and my creative spirit through that. So at the end of March 2020, I decided to start painting again and start drawing again. I would go on these walks and collect flowers and make portraits out of those and just kind of kept playing and playing and playing. And through that, I started illustrating and it really sparked something in me."

2. Find a community of people who will support your vision.

One of the game-changing moments was finding a tribewho related to her voice and vision. When Andrea mustered up the courage to post her artwork online, she found an outpouring of support from family, friends, and strangers alike that helped validate her talent and gave her the push to keep going.

"My doodles were helping me process all of the uncertainties that we were feeling in those early pandemic days, and somewhere along the line towards the end of March 2020, I decided I'm going to share these on Instagram because they're funny, I'm bored and I don't have a community right now. I'm just stuck by myself in an apartment," she shared. "In the process of doing that, I realized that I tapped into something really special. My feelings were so authentic and what I was putting out there was so relatable that people started following along. They were feeling how I was: stressed, overwhelmed, confused by everything that was going on in the world. And my images captured that in a really kind of positive and sometimes playful way that made people feel like: 'okay, you get it, I'm going through this too.' And over the course of the next few months, it amounted to new followers. I was like, this is wild. I never expected this to be something that took off. It was purely just for fun."

3. Seek guidance and mentorship as you find your footing.

Even if you have a clear vision of what you want, it's okay toseek out guidance from people who have been there before. These mentors can provide clarity and reassurance that you're on the right track — and more importantly, they can help save you time and energy by sharing their own experiences and hard-earned wisdom.

"I tookSelfmade and I started to realize I don't have to work for someone else. I can actually work for myself. In the community, hearing all these success stories from women who spoke to our cohort changed me. Like when I heardJustina Blakeney, it was inspiring for me to see the progression in her story from artist to business owner to full-blown entrepreneur," Andrea recalled. "It was the first time a lot of these pieces started to click: like, oh, they're not mutually exclusive. You can do it all."

4. Invest in yourself and your craft — it will pay off.

As Andrea's following continued to grow, so did the opportunities to monetize her work. But it wasn't until she started valuing her time and talent that she was able to take her business to the next level. It was a huge lightbulb moment when she started seeing her art as a product, and not just this hobby that she did on the side.

“It's so great to be able to break the cycle of being a shadow artist or 'artist on the side' ,” Andrea said. "I remember Googling and trying to find the right pricing for my work. And some of the words from Selfmade were in the back of my mind, specifically around knowing your worth, making sure that you're asking for what you deserve, and having a rate that is reflective of your skills and talents.”

5. Be open to new opportunities... you never know where they might lead.

As Andrea's artwork continued to evolve, she found herself saying yes to new opportunities, even if she wasn't quite sure where they would lead. Andrea has kept an open mind — and it's paid off in a big way.

"I think if I could go back in time and whisper into the ears of my younger self, and say, you're going to do this, she would be over the moon. It's been a really beautiful journey and I am just letting the universe guide me at this point.”

Love learning new tips for creativity? Feeling inspired to jumpstart your own creative calling? Join the waitlist for Selfmade to transform your hobby into your hustle.

Former Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin are certainly living the sweet life after tying the knot in Palvin's native Hungary. The couple, who have been together for nearly five years, have always been pretty low-key — except for the occasional and undeniably adorable Instagram post (and a stunning wedding!). We are simply ~obsessed~ with this celebrity couple, especially after they pulled out all the stops for their couple's Halloween costume. Keep scrolling to see some of their best moments :').

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Halloween Couple's Costume!

For Halloween Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin stunned as the Phantom and Christine from Phantom of the Opera. Dylan wore a mask and a black cape, while Barbara wore a beautiful white dress. While the costume is obviously a nod to the musical, it also totally reminds us of their day as bride and groom.

"In Sleep He Sang to Me," Barbara said in a post, quoting the musical's titular number. "@dylansprouse my forever Phantom."

Who did Dylan Sprouse marry?

www.instagram.com

On the couple's wedding day (July 15, 2023), Barbara wore a Vivienne Westwood wedding gown to celebrate her Hungarian nuptials, bringing together their nearest and dearest for an intimate(-ish) celebration. Barbara and Dylan tied the knot on her parent's property, which conveniently doubles as an event venue, with plans to host an larger wedding in California in the fall.

"This past weekend was supposed to be an intimate event, but we ended up having 115 guests in the end because there are a lot of people we care about, and we wanted them all to be there," Barbara told Vogue.

When did Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin get engaged?

www.instagram.com

Barbara Palvin on Instagram: "♥️"

After months of speculation surrounding the couple's engagement, Dylan and Barbara confirmed their engagement in conversation with Sprouse's twin brother, actor Cole Sprouse, for V Magazine in June, sharing that they got engaged last September.

"We didn't necessarily feel the need to be fully transparent with the public about that aspect of our engagement," Dylan said. "What we wanted to do with Stephen [Gan, V editor-in-chief] and the V team is make something that was kind of tongue-in-cheek about the nature of private versus public. We're playing with the idea of perception."

Barbara noted that the lovebirds wanted to announce the news "on our time," adding, "When some people leaked the information that we got engaged, our PR team was like, 'Hey, so you guys should do maybe a post about it or talk to this magazine or talk to that magazine…' That really annoyed me because I knew we were building this story up. So, I'm very happy that we ended up doing it our way."

When did Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse start dating?

Sean Zanni / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment

See Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Dreamy Halloween Costume: "My Forever"

According to People, the couple met back in 2017 after a party when the Suite Life On Deck star slid into the model’s DMs (and as they say, the rest is history). The duo made their relationship Instagram official back in 2018 with Barbara’s sweet birthday tribute for Dylan’s 26th birthday.

Let’s be real here for a second though, we all knew they were endgame the minute Dylan went above and beyond to support Barbara at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show that same year (remember this viral video?). Three days after the fashion show, the Hungarian model told Vogue Australia that she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years, but had now found “the perfect guy” in Dylan (we aren’t crying, you are).

How old are Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse?

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

Barbara Palvin was born on October 8, 1993, making her 31 years old. Dylan Sprouse was born on August 4, 1992, meaning he's 32 years old. So there's only a one-year age gap between them!

Stay up to date with all of Brit + Co's favorite celebrity relationships. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter!

This post has been updated.

2017's The Beguiled gave us one of the best groups of people of all time: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola, and Kirsten Dunst just to name a few. And we're finally getting an Elle and Nicole reunion thanks to Apple TV+! "THRILLED to bring @rufithorpe genius hysterical heart-wrenching heartwarming book to your TV screens alongside a dream group of people!" Elle says on Instagram. Rather than having to test the success of its pilot, the series has already been ordered — even though the book it's based on isn't even out yet! Here's everything you need to know about the series.

  • Dakota and Elle Fanning will produce the upcoming Apple TV+ show Margo's Got Money Troubles.
  • The series follows Margo, who signs up for OnlyFans after learning she's pregnant.
  • The cast includes Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nick Offerman.

Who's in the Margo's Got Money Troubles cast?

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Margo's Got Money Troubles Cast

We couldn't contain our excitement when we learned Margo's Got Money Troubles will star Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, but knowing Michelle Pfeiffer is also joining the cast is too much to bear! This is the first time the actress will collaborate with her husband, TV creator David E. Kelley, so we can't wait to see the magic they'll create (via Deadline).

Nick Offerman from The Last of Us and Parks and Rec will also star.

When is Margo's Got Money Troubles coming out?

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Margo's Got Money Troubles Release Date

We don't have an official release date for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV show yet. I'm thinking if the TV show is in the early stages of planning, we could see it in 2025! Check out all of this year's best New TV Shows to hold you over until then.

What is Margo's Got Money Troubles about?

Amazon

Margo's Got Money Troubles Plot

Margo Millet is the daughter of a Hooter's waitress named Shyanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-wrestler (via Deadline). She's always had to make it on her own, even though she's not sure how. When she enrolls in her local junior college, she's totally unprepared to get swept up into a torrid love affair with her English professor — or to get pregnant.

Now at 20 years old, Margo needs an income and fast. She decides to experiment with OnlyFans and ends up taking some of her estranged father's advice from the world of wrestling to create a character users will fall in love with. You can order the book now!

What is Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's new TV show?

Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels

Margo's Got Money Troubles is coming soon to Apple TV+ thanks to a bunch of different producers. A24 is backing the film, as well as Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company Lewellen Pictures and Nicole Kidman’s Blossom Films, to name a few.

What else has Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in?

Focus Features

Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman starred in 2017's The Beguiled. The movie follows John McBurney, an injured Union soldier, who winds up at a female Southern boarding school after deserting the Civil War. But soon, as the women help him, tensions turn to rivalries and friends turn to enemies.

Are you excited for Elle Fanning and Nicole Kidman's TV reunion? Let us know what other New TV Shows you're watching in the comments.

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This post has been updated.