Claire Bear is turning 1!

Hi my lovely readers! Hope your week is going well so far. Today, I come to you with some shots of Claire that I took a couple of days ago. I can’t believe that on the 19th she will be one years old! It seems like she just arrived!

I loved using this vintage yo-yo quilt as my backdrop! It’s like a field of multi-colored flowers. :)

I shot these upstairs in the hallway where we have a skylight directly overhead. It gave me great even, natural light.

 

She is actually wearing her sisters tank top…so she is swimming in it but I love the lace edges and it happened to be within reach so I figured, what the heck?

This one is a bit blurry so forgive me but I had to include it because…well…that grin is just too cute!

I will be sure to capture more photos at her birthday party!

Much love to you all!

xo,

Ivy

Still life: Color Study

Hello. How has your week been so far? I’m not sure if it’s the shifting of seasons or just all the changes happening right now but I’m feeling a bit out of alignment, emotionally that is. Restless, impatient, moody, unsure…ugh I’m a bit of a mess. I’m trying to find resolve in some self-reflection but as many of you know – finding quiet time when you are at home with kids is rather scarce. However, with Chris traveling this week, I hope to spend some evenings painting. That usually does the trick and calms my spirit. We’ll see…

Anyway, wanted to share a still life/color study project I shot a little while ago. I find that most of my photo shoots just happen. One minute I’m cleaning my studio and the next, I’m arranging objects and snapping pictures. It always surprises me but the happenstance nature of it kinda works for me. This tiny rose was the catalyst.

Seeing color connections makes me happy and this vintage tin set the pretty palette.

Try doing this with pretty items around your home. It’s a great way to practice your photo and styling skills plus if your eye loves color like mine does, you will find this simple exercise very rewarding.

Flowers always seem to inspire me. Thank you little rose!

Hope you all are having a lovely week.

xo,

Ivy

P.S. To further facilitate my self-reflection I’m considering getting “The Desire Map” by Danielle LaPorte. Anyone checked this out yet? Looks seriously good. (I’m not the best with maps but one navigated by desire sounds right up my alley.)

Art to Adore: Catrin Welz-Stein

Hi friends!

It’s been a while since I featured an artist that inspires me but I’ve been pinning away and collecting a lot of amazing images from artists all over the world. Go here to see my Art Pinterest board. Today, I bring you the fantastical work of Catrin Welz-Stein. Her digital artwork absolutely blows me away and I adore the fairytale like quality of her compositions. Enjoy a few of my favorites…

Aren’t these magical? For more of her work head to her blog.

Enjoy your Friday!

xo,

Ivy

Still Life: Coral Peonies

Hi there! How has your week been? We are doing very well here,  just getting ready for summer and enjoying lots of warm sunshine. Grace asks everyday, “How many more school days till Summer?” I remember that feeling – you can hardly wait to have lazy mornings in your pj’s, endless afternoons running around the neighborhood with friends, hoping to hear the ice-cream truck approaching. No homework. Picnics in the park. Going to the beach. Wearing your swim suit all day. Childhood summers – I have many fond memories…

Nowadays, filling the house with fresh peonies is a sure sign that summer is around the corner. Friends and family have been bringing me bouquets almost weekly! My two little Peony bushes only gave 6 blooms this year. I hope next year will produce a larger bunch. Let me know if you have any tips on making more pop!

I have been challenging myself to arrange some still life compositions to shoot outside of the product shots I take for the shop. This series featuring three amazing, King Peonies in coral was such a delight to photograph. I had to cut myself off. Enjoy…

In case you are wondering, the backdrop is a vintage map of Rome and the other props are vintage goodies I have laying around my studio. It was fun to pull objects together and find harmony and balance in their arrangement. I did my editing in Photoshop using the Rad Lab plugin and I shot with my Canon XS Rebel with the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II Lens.

Have a lovely Thursday!

xo,

Ivy

Claire and the Peony

Hi friends. How are you all doing? Happy Friday. I hope your week has been lovely. It was my second week home alone with Claire while Chris was at his new job and I can honestly say that it went much smoother. Seems like we are finding out own rhythm and schedule. I do miss being able to pop into his office and say hello but I’m adjusting.

The peonies I got for Mother’s Day are in full bloom and are truly glorious. So I thought why not pair my favorite flower with my favorite baby girl…

Claire bear will be 11 months old in two days. I can hardly believe it. Almost a year has flown by and she is desperately trying to walk.

She is enamored with flowers (like her Mama) and always tries to grab at them when she gets the chance.

She was surprisingly gentle with my dear peony and I am happy to report that no flowers were injured during this photo session.

Thank you, Claire for being such a good little model for Mommy.

Have a beautiful weekend!

xo,

Ivy

Etsy Love : love and peas creations

Hello there! How’s your week going so far? Hope all the Mamas out there had a beautiful Mother’s Day! My dear hubby sent me up to Skamania Lodge for some alone time to recharge. So sweet! I came home on Sunday to warm hugs, handmade cards (by Grace), a bouquet of peonies (my fav) and veggie lasagna for dinner. Needless to say, I felt completely spoiled. I even got to complete a small mixed media painting – which I will share with you soon!

Today, I wanted to share with you a sweet little Etsy shop – loveandpeascreations – owned by artist, Jenny Blair. I just adore her stunning work! She combines mixed media illustrations with wonderful hand sewn elements. (Oh, how I wish I could sew!) The blend of paint, pencil, fabric and thread creates gorgeous texture and color. Have a look for yourself…

I’m in love with this bear. Go here to see the process of this piece on her blog.

I discovered her work through the latest Artful Blogging! What a delightful find! Go here to explore her website and view her full portfolio.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

xo,

Ivy