Pink blossoms, Spring fever and creativity overload…

Hello lovely readers!

I’ve got Spring Fever! I’m planning and creating like a mad woman and I don’t want to stop. Lol. Even a bad cold isn’t stopping me! I have been in bed for three days but I’m sketching away.

Dreaming of my upcoming retreat to Scotland – (that is Edinburgh Castle). Can’t wait and yes…you can see my sweet kitty companion, Leo has been keeping me company while I rest.

And one more – a moody gal inspired by some vintage fashion photography.

Lucky for me, I have a pretty great view from my cozy bed – the pink blooms of a cherry tree are just starting to pop! One of my favorite things about Spring. They inspired a bit of a Pin-fest and this board emerged…

Oh and speaking of PINK and gorgeous images, my dear friend Georgianna Lane just published her stunning book! You must get it. If you love Paris and flowers then you will adore this…

To go along with all this flurry of Spring energy, I’m having a BIG SALE on our online classes too! Why not!? It’s the perfect time to encourage growth and creativity, right? I would love to have you in class.

Hope you enjoying the first signs of Spring where you are!

Much love and gratitude,

 

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Life lately…

Hello lovely people! How are you? Things are going very well in the Newport home. We just got back from celebrating Grace’s 8th birthday in Disneyland! The Claire Bear stayed home with the grandparents, so it was really special (and a hell of a lot easier) to just be able to spend time with Grace.

She loved Disney…of course. Her favorite ride – Space Mountain! Below is the very embarrassing but hilarious shot that is taken while on board this insane roller coaster. Although, I look like I am about to be killed, I am actually having fun…sort of. Grace on the other hand, looks just thrilled and a lot less terrified! We laughed about this one for days…

On the Art front, I finally completed my most recent abstract commission. It sat like this for a LONG time…

Then one day, I just couldn’t fight it anymore…so I tackled the underpainting.

And then finished it within a couple of days. My client loves it! Thank God! I’m so honored that it will be hanging in her front living room above the mantel.

I did the underpainting in acrylic and then went over the entire thing with these water-mixable oils that I am totally in love with! I was originally trained in oils and I’ve missed them ever since art school but once acrylics became so popular I just migrated over to them. Less toxicity and easy clean up but I’ve always missed the buttery richness and blend-able quality of oil paint. Discovering these has been exciting and I want to continue exploring them.

So…the BIG news is that I leave for my very first Art Retreat on Thursday morning with my friend Katie! I can hardly wait! It is the Nuture Your Creative Seed Retreat hosted by the lovely, Serena Berry on the enchanting Bainbridge Island, WA.

The teachers will be Jeanne Oliver and Stephanie Lee!! SO EXCITED! Jeanne has been an inspiration to me for years and was truly the one that led me back to art, so it will be such an honor to meet her and learn from her in person. I adore Stephanie’s book and her whole thought process behind her creations, not to mention all the inventive techniques she has to share, so I know she will be an amazing mentor too! I feel so grateful to be able to experience this! Like deep in my bones grateful. 4 days of art, connection, creativity and even a dash of yoga. I couldn’t ask for more! Thank you, Katie for being brave enough to join me on this adventure!

I look forward to sharing my creations and experiences with you when I return!

Have a fabulous rest of the week!

Much love,

Ivy

 

 

 

A Magical Garden

Hi friends! How’s life? I hope all is well. We are preparing for our trip to Disneyland to celebrate Grace’s 8th Birthday! She is beyond excited! Claire on the other hand, has decided that sleep is rather over rated and has nightly parties in her crib – laughing, talking and calling out to me. I’m exhausted, to say the least! I’ll be glad when this little night owl phase passes.

Anyway…A couple of weeks back we visited a magical place right here in Lake Oswego – The Elk Rock Gardens. It was a gorgeous Spring morning, so Grace and I headed over there to stroll the many paths that crisscross this enchanting place. I, of course, took a plethora of pictures, so I thought I would finally share them with you…

What an amazing morning we had exploring this wonderful place! As Spring comes into full bloom, I encourage you to check out local gardens in your area! It’s so easy to forget about these precious places and just get caught up in our day to day tasks. So much inspiration can be found in nature!

Have a beautiful rest of the week!

xo,

Ivy

Life lately…

Hello there! Oh my goodness, it’s been a tough couple of weeks! My little Claire bear is just now getting over pneumonia. Poor baby…and well…poor Mama. We were both sick of being cooped up so it was fantastic to take her to daycare yesterday and see how happy she was to run into the classroom and play with her wee friends.

I started the day (childfree) with a trip to the nail salon for a quick, Spring manicure! My hands were trashed from constantly washing them! It’s amazing what a coat of pretty nail polish can do to lift your spirit! ;)

Anyway, as you can imagine, I haven’t had much time to paint or do anything really BUT thank goodness for my iPad because it’s so easy to reach for it and create something minus the setup/cleanup. Here are a couple of digital collages I made this past week…

Absolutely love creating on the app – Procreate! Such fun! Oh, and I just splurged on a new pressure sensitive stylus. I highly recommend it!

A couple of other things to share with you…I just received the most gorgeous necklace from my jewelry designer friend.

It’s a beautiful piece of lapis lazuli and it resembles a dreamy piece of the starlit sky! I adore it! Thank you Amy!

I also finally got a bracelet from Becky at Farm Girl Paints on Etsy! It reminds me to keep my head up and live courageously – not easy for this girl – who tends to back away from scary or intimidating situations…

Oh and I did a little Spring cleaning in my studio! I’m hoping to start creating more frequently now that both kids are healthy!

(I spy a sleepy kitty.) ;)

And….lastly…a little glimpse of Spring blossoms popping in my neighborhood. Such a beautiful time of year!

I hope you are all healthy and happy! Enjoy your weekend!

Much love,

Ivy

Etsy Love: Pastels

Hello lovelies! Hope your week is going well so far. I gathered up some pretty Etsy treats to get your excited for the approach of Spring. I adore Spring and pastel hues always remind me of all the beautiful flowers about to bloom and the soft sunlight peeking through the gray…

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6| 7 | 8 | 9

Go make a cup of tea and enjoy browsing these lovely shops.

xo,

Learn and Bloom…

Hello everyone! How has the week been for you? I’ve been super busy working on my business and trying to get the nursery finished…but it’s all starting to come together. I have taken moments to run out into our yard, when the light is perfect and snap some pics of all the beautiful blooming flowers and trees! I love this time of year. It’s funny to think that before blogging, I never used a camera creatively and now I can’t imagine being without it. Which leads me to want to share with you my thoughts about learning something new…

Firstly, to all those creatives out there that have their own business or dream of beginning one, I cannot recommend enough that you take this online class with Jeanne Oliver. I’m almost finished with it and not only has it inspired me to really tie up loose ends and improve my business but I have met an amazing network of supportive and caring women! Full of ideas, questions and yes, fears…we have all been able to help each other out! That’s a pretty cool thing to happen these days. So check it out…

Secondly, I wanted to share a list of the other online classes I have taken that have brought me so much inspiration and joy! Sometimes I just NEED someone to tell me what to do and then I really take flight!

1. Unravelling with Susannah Conway (photography, reflection & writing)

2. Blogging Your Way with Holly Becker of Decor8 (blogging, marketing, business, photography)

3. Creatively Made with Jeanne Oliver (mixed media art, creative exploration)

4. Beyond Layers with Kim Klassen (photography, photoshop, inspiration)

These are just a few classes avaliable online. They have done wonders for my spirit, my creative energy and the best part of all, is that I get to share that passion with my daughter. I truly believe that learning something new is the cure for the blues. There is nothing like that wonderful feeling when you open your heart and mind and things become possible, achievable. Hope fills your day and you start to grow in ways you didn’t know before. Feeling stuck? Go out there and learn. Expand. Grow. Bloom. I promise, you will feel better.

As I get closer to having this baby, I feel comforted that I now have an incredible source of inspiration, one that will hopefully nourish me through the more challenging parts of being a mother…

Sending you all the best and thank you for supporting me and my endeavors.

xo,