I learned this word recently, and the Cambridge dictionary defines a “mizzle” as:

• noun “rain made of many very small drops”

Yet every spellchecker insists that I’m typing it incorrectly, suggesting I change it to “muzzle”. I’m laughing to myself as I envision what A Muzzle at Getty Villa painting would look like.

Here’s a showcase of some work-in-progress photos I strung together:

Waterlilies are my favorite flower, so I felt motivated to experiment with acrylic medium to create depth to the petals. I mixed together:

• 40% Bluebird Thick Modeling Paste

• 40% GOLDEN Heavy Gel Gloss

• 20% Liquitex Thickening Gel

As the Liquitex started to kick in, the white medium in its unsuspecting fluffiness became harder to mix than cracker dough. At any moment, my watch was going to push a warning that my heart rate was too high for idle standing. Alas, I bested the mix in a long-abandoned Tupperware container.

I noticed a graininess to this artistic “dough” which I was hoping to avoid by making the petals look wet with a purely glossy medium. I practiced on a spare canvas with some palette knives for fun—I recognize I’ll need to experiment further with the ratios and control my strokes with a steadier hand (oh my).

In the end, I still decided to add in the medium as accents to the petal tips to add some dimension. I’m quite fond of how it looks under different lighting.

I loved making this piece and decided to use parts of it in the Musehaunt banner and logo. I hope you like it!

This piece is currently on display at the Columbia Art Center in Columbia, MD as part of a show running through June 14th. “A Mizzle” is ready to hang (finished edges, satin UV archival varnish, D-rings installed) and is available for purchase from the center for $700.

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My name is Maja, Founder of Musehaunt, and I’m proud to welcome you to my germinating haven of art, writing, and adventure. I hope this space will come to feel like a cold pillow, a hot cup of tea, and fuzzy socks at the end of a long day.

What is “Musehaunt?”

A name I coined with my dear friend, Juno, “Musehaunt” blends two things that inspire me creatively: the muses of my life (who are with me and who have passed on) as well as my old haunts, the stomping grounds of nostalgia across the world I collectively call “home”.

Why this, why now?

Art was a faithful companion during my childhood as I learned how to paint from my grandmother. After participating in my high school’s art show, I added “creating a space to share my art progress” to my bucket list. Today, after 18 years, that dream has begun to bloom.

As for writing, I found myself inspired by the video games I played with my step-dad when I was 4-years-old. I have an early memory of creating my own campaigns inside the Heroes of Might and Magic III Map Editor. From there, I continued to write characters in fictional worlds that I’ve always wanted to publish.

Building our Community

Musehaunt is my vessel of discovery, manifesting what in life propels my artistry and executes my vision. I invite you to follow along and share your feedback on my work-in-progress and final pieces. We’ve got a groovy year ahead!

Goals for 2026:

1. Participate in an art show (first in 18 years!).

2. Begin my tarot series of 78 paintings:

   1. 22 pieces from the Major Arcana.

   2. 56 pieces from the Minor Arcana (14 each of Pentacles, Wands, Swords, and Cups).

   3. Long-term: I envision splitting these up into 5 art shows: Pentacles, Wands, Swords, Cups, Major Arcana.

   4. Stretch goal: Exhibit all 78 pieces in a single show.

3. First draft of my work of fiction, a horror novel inspired by Slavic folklore.

Musehaunt is free today. If you enjoyed this post and find my writing valuable, please consider pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged until payments are enabled (I’ll post in advance before I do).

Pledge Your Support

Rules

1. I do not authorize the use of my art, writing, or related creative work for the purposes of training AI or any models.

2. Wheaton’s Law applies. :)

Stay tuned for another update this weekend.

Welcome to Musehaunt!

maja.