Instagram Crush – Phillippa Stanton

Hello my lovely readers!

I know it’s been a little while since I’ve shared some yummy art or photography to enjoy but I’m here to make up for it with a delicious sampling of work from the incredibly talented Instagram icon and Synesthetic Artist – Phillippa Stanton.Wondering what a Synesthetic Artist is? Here’s how it is described on her website:

“Being Synesthetic means that Philippa can see sound, taste and smell in shape, colour and texture, allowing her to create unique portraits of people’s voices, food and drink.”

So cool right? I can see this gift reflected in her photography for sure.

Her photography and short videos make my heart pitter patter and I often let out an audible sigh. Her gorgeous shots embody stunning color, interiors of her fairytale cottage (in Brighton, England of course), delightful styling and her adorable siamese kitty. Her images make you want to step inside her world and stay…forever.

You must watch the precious videos she creates. They are magical moments of stillness and beauty.

Like this one…

Ok…I’ll stop gushing. Just enjoy these and go visit her feed on Instagram.

{All images via Phillipa Stanton}

Aren’t they just beautiful? So poetic in the way she arranges each item, each petal and always a steaming cup of tea! She truly shows us how beauty exists all around us. In our belongings, our family table, out our window – we only need to take the time to see it.

Now, go take a minute for yourself. Breath in the beauty in your life. You deserve it.

I hope you enjoyed.

With love and gratitude,

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Horse Art & beautiful interiors

Happy Friday my friends!

For the past couple of days, the sun has been out for us here in Portland and we couldn’t be more pleased! Sunshine, daffodils and pink blossoming trees! Sigh…Spring is almost here!

Along with the flowers, I’ve also been completely delighted by the artwork coming out of the first session of my online Mixed Media workshop – Spirit Horse!  Such beautiful expressive work right?! Some of my students are painting horses for the first time! It’s so exciting to see that! Other’s are very experienced equine artists who are allowing themselves to loosen up and joyously paint their hearts out in this new and freeing way!

 Artists from top left, Mayrse Perdriat, Jane Alice Strand, Patti Sandham, Denise Milledge, Deb Weiers

Check it out! Registration is now open for the second session of this class! Click below to join us!

This class has brought me so much joy, since I for one, had never allowed myself the pleasure of painting horses – why? –  because I simply believed I couldn’t do it! I pushed through that limiting belief and painted bold, beautiful horses that made my heart happy!

Here are a few of my pieces! I took the liberty of putting them into beautiful rooms digitally so you could get a feel for them! How gorgeous is this first room by Danielle Oakley? She’s one talented lady!

These three colorful girls I titled -“The Three Graces”  – Such a fun and playful piece that I loved creating!

{Interior Design by Danielle Oakley}  

This one is called “Beloved” and is glimmering with gold leaf. It’s inspired by the work of Erica Nordean – an amazing equine artist! This one was also a delight to create. Working large was expansive for me and really helped me express the horse!

{Image via here} 

And here is my Painted Horse Collage you may recognize from the Sprit Horse promo! He looks quite handsome in this room I think!

{Image via here}

Thanks for taking a peek at my horse art. I hope you have a gorgeous weekend! Happy creating!

xo,

Inspiration Vintage Magazine

Hello all! How’s your Monday going? We are getting crazy wind and rain here! So, I’ve been puttering around the house, cleaning, reading and avoiding my artwork. I decided I needed a little space from it all.

I must give a huge “THANK YOU” to you sweet readers that left such encouraging and understanding comments. Your words truly touched me and were extremely comforting!

A beautiful and exciting distraction came along last week:  the latest issue of Inspiration Vintage magazine, which I had the honor of contributing to! This issue is bursting with stunning pictures, delicious recipes and loads of vintage beauty! Check it out here.

My article is about my love of vintage ephemera, antique books and French perfume labels! I had a blast photographing some of my pretty old things.  Of course, not all of the images made the cut but I thought I would share them with you…

   

Thank you again for all your support! I promise more art is to come. I hope you all have a wonderful, inspiring week.

xo,

Ivy

I’m dreaming of…

Hi there. How’s life treating you? We are back into the swing of school around here and I’m trying to get organized and make the most of each day. Not easy. I often find myself being pulled in so many directions that I get overwhelmed. So, I retreat into my own little daydreams. Highly productive. Not.

We have been renting a beautiful home in a fabulous neighborhood but it’s been three years and I’m getting itchy feet! Growing up, I lived in 10 different houses and two countries (the U.S. & Australia). When Chris and I got together, we moved 5 times in 4 years. Finally, we settled in Portland and have lived here for almost 11 years. No wonder I’m getting wanderlust!

Moving is in my blood and I’m totally dreaming of us buying a large piece of land and building a sweet farmhouse. I want a big porch, an old barn for my art studio, chickens (why not?) and a large, white kitchen, where I would bake bread and make delicious meals. Realistic? Probably not, I don’t even bake – but wow, does it sound good to me right now. I’m being drawn to wide open spaces, quiet, solitude, a slower pace. A place to focus and create. Sometimes life just feels so noisy. Know what I mean?

So in my procrastination, I pulled my favorite farmhouse images from my Pinterest board to share my vision with you…

Okay…I think I got that out of my system. Now back to the laundry…ugh.

Have a beautiful afternoon.

xo,

Ivy

* For sources and more dreamy Farmhouse images see my Pinterest board.*

Inspired Spaces: Swedish style

Hello there! Okay I’m back with a sweet interior to share with you! I adore Swedish style and this home has such a beautiful blend of charm and elegance…

I love all those neutrals with subtle accents of pattern, texture and soft color. It’s somewhat formal but approachable at the same time.

I will own a clock like this one day!

Great mix of fabrics used here. Color ties them all together, making the look successful.

A classic Swedish fireplace done in Delft tiles…so lovely!

Such a gorgeous home! Hope you enjoyed the little tour.

Have a wonderful day!

xo,

Images via Skona Hem

Up for the challenge…

Hi everyone. Happy Friday. I come to you today excited about possibility, learning and expanding! Even though I am exhausted from a night up with my poor teething, Claire – I am thrilled at some of the new things I’ve been trying lately!

First of all, I am super excited to let you know that I just signed up for Blog Boss – a new e-course with Holly Becker from decor8! I took her first course – Blogging your way – a couple of years ago and it taught me so much! This next one looks to be amazing and I can’t wait for class to begin. There is still time to enroll – check it out here.

Lately, I am trying to expand my photography knowledge so I’ve been dabbling in portrait photography. I know you have all seen my attempts with my children but recently I’ve been taking pics for friends and it has been quite the learning experience. I have such respect for those professional photographers out there that do portrait work. It is a true art! My latest subject was my neighbor, Taryn Emerson. She is such a fantastic friend and an incredible interior designer too! She asked me to take her portrait for her website (in production) and online social profiles. I agreed. So, last Sunday, I handed over Clarie to my hubby and off I went down the street with my trusty camera, in the hopes of capturing my friend and doing her beauty justice! The overcast sky provided the perfect, softly filtered light. We jumped around from her place to mine, outside, inside, front yard, back yard…but ended up with this as our winning shot!

Some of our other attempts…

Taryn was a great sport and put up with all my amateur-ish mistakes. In between giggles, she was poised and patient.

It is so wonderful to have another creative buddy right in the neighborhood and she is always encouraging. She likes to challenge me too…which is a rare gift in a friend. Since I have been avidly taking pictures, she suggested I shoot her gorgeous designer kitchen for her portfolio too. I balked at the request, insisting I knew nothing about interior photography and how we would probably have to rent lights and wide angle lens. She rolled her eyes and said, “Oh come on, let’s just try it!” So over a bottle of wine that night, we styled the entire kitchen and shot it the next morning…

It was so much fun dusting off my interior design skills to style this lovely space and collaborating with another designer is something I have missed! When we started the shoot it was dark and gray outside and I was doubtful that the light was sufficient but like a sweet gift, the sunshine broke through the clouds, spilling light into the room. We scrambled to move Taryn’s heavy kitchen table so we could let the shadow of the window unfurl onto the warm wood floor.

All in all, we were both pretty pleased with ourselves and I learned a lot! There is nothing better than the feeling of meeting a challenge, especially a creative one. So don’t limit yourself, expand your creative gifts – sure it can be a little scary and you might even mess up but one thing is for sure – you will learn and you will grow – and that is worth it every time!

Have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

***Check out more of Taryn’s beautiful interior design projects here and like her new Facebook page here.***