IVY NEWPORT

Studioworks

Journal
a letter from ivy

Dear creative friends,

Welcome to Issue #36 of the Studioworks Journal! As always, I’m delighted you are here with me and I’m excited to share this with you. Now that we have moved through all four elements, Fire, Air, Water & Earth we are at this month’s topic which is all about Manifesting! How, as artists, can we harness the power of the elements to manifest our creative life in a balanced and harmonious way? How can we see our inherent connection to each and then utilize their aspect to bring forth our inner voice, style and authentic expression?

Well, let’s dive deeper into this topic and see what knowledge we can gather. Then let’s find practical and helpful ways to apply this to our everyday creative lives! I think this is the perfect topic to close the year with don’t you?

xo,

So you may be wondering, where do I start? To that, I say, wherever feels right to you. Each month we will have a theme, a creative affirmation, a power word, a color palette, sketchbook exercises, art projects, articles, recommended reading, and access to wonderful inspiration and resources. I want you to think of this as a delicious new magazine, you know the ones you occasionally splurge on, with soft, velvety pages, beautiful images, and inspiring content!

Each issue will invite you to explore your creative practice in whichever way works for you. Experience each issue at your own pace. Take what resonates with you and put the rest aside for another time.

Grab a cup of something lovely and dive in.

MONTHLY THEME

Manifesting with the Elements

Honoring the elements has brought me so much joy and a deeper awareness of my creative process. I hope you feel the same way. So now, in this journal we bring them all together to explore how each of these aspects help us to actually manifest the creative life we desire. As a quick review, let’s look at the gifts that each element brings.

Air – Our thoughts, ideas and imagination
Earth – Our bodies, tools and physical creative environment
Water – Our emotional self, intuition and dreams
Fire – Our passion, desire and creative drive to take action

By attending to each of these we create a balanced self from which we can then manifest. Many of us may think that manifesting is about the end goal, the part where we actually MAKE something or GET something but manifesting originates from your intentions. Line up with your highest intentions and manifestation begins. Align with your elemental energy and you will begin to flow.

Here are a few tips to do just that…

“Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen! ”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Aligning your Elemental energy

AIR

CHECK YOUR INNER DIALOGUE
It’s important that we pay attention to our inner dialogue when we are cultivating a creative life. We all know that inner critic can drive our experience if we allow it, so we need to be self-aware of what it is saying. Recognize the fear or self-judgment that we often feel and then set a loving intention to move past this fear. Maybe you recite an affirmation out loud or write down a positive quote. Put it somewhere where you will see it while you create.

DOCUMENT YOUR IDEAS
Write down all those wonderful ideas and concepts that Air brings us. Then explore the ones that resonate the most with you. Which call to you? What ones are realistic and line up with your skill, capability and lifestyle? It’s important to be honest with yourself. Dream big but stay grounded.

MANIFESTING INTENTION
I honor my ideas and pay close attention to how I am talking to myself. I will not allow negative thoughts to prevent myself from creating. I embrace my incredible imagination and co-create with Air.

 

EARTH

ARRANGE YOUR CREATIVE SPACE
It might seem typical for an Artist to exist in a messy, chaotic space and yes, this can happen in the midst of creation but ideally you want to keep your creative space clean and organized when you have to begin a new project. Clutter, mess and chaos is low vibration energy and can cause us stress, anxiety or distraction. Honor your creative space even if it’s only a desk in a corner of a room. This is a sacred space. Treat it that way.

CARE FOR YOUR BODY
When you set the intention to create, always check in with your body. How do you feel? Are you well rested? Hydrated? Have you moved your body today? If our body is out of balance it will inevitably affect our creative experience. Earth wants you to pay attention to your sacred vessel. Without it, you can’t manifest anything in the material world. So love on it. At the very least, get those feet on the dirt and do some grounding in nature.

MANIFESTING INTENTION
I honor my physical body and creative space. I will tend to each one with love and reverence. When I feel out of alignment I can go to the Earth for support. I co-create with Nature for I am a part of it all.

WATER

CHECK-IN WITH YOUR EMOTIONAL BODY
Just like your physical body needs love and nurturing, so does your emotional self. How are you feeling emotionally? It’s important to address and recognize how we emotionally enter into our creative manifesting. Are you feeling angry or sad about something? Journaling can do wonders to let these emotions out or try a gentle yoga session or meditation.

HEAR THE WHISPERS OF YOUR INTUITION
Your intuition is always right and it is always in support of your soul’s desires. So listen in. Take a minute to take some deep breaths and commune with your inner self. Are you being intuitively drawn to a certain medium or project? Are you getting pulled in a certain direction? Water wants you to pay attention to these messages.

MANIFESTING INTENTION
I honor my emotions and recognize that I am a sensitive and tender being. I listen to my inner guidance and trust in my intuition. I co-create with my watery and powerful soul.

 

FIRE

TAKE ACTION
Once you have attended to the other elements, Fire wants you to ACT! This is the moment to draw upon the incredible power of your desire to create, your innate creative passion! Go make something happen! Fire doesn’t need it to be perfect or over-complicated, just BEGIN! The rest will follow.

FUEL YOUR CREATIVE PASSION
Nurture your inner artistic flame by paying attention to what makes you excited and curious. Fire is hungry and so is your creative passion. Fuel it by aligning with other artistic and creative friends (both online and in real life). Keep it alive by keeping a journal filled with things that inspire and spark you. Feed it by always being open to learning and experimentation! Take risks and keep moving forward.

MANIFESTING INTENTION
I take action even when I am anxious or scared. I burn through my blocks and honor my creative passion. I co-create with the intensity and power of Fire. 

“All that we are is a result of all that we’ve thought”
– Buddha
Manifesting with the Elements

by : Ivy Newport

I love this poem by Danna Faulds, it speaks to the inherent power and potential in all of us. If only we can take the steps towards that open door. Then we truly step towards our own manifestation.

The Open Door

A door opens.
Maybe I’ve been standing here shuffling my weight from foot to foot for decades,
or maybe I only knocked once.
In truth, it doesn’t matter.
A door opens and I walk through without a backward glance.
This is it, then, one moment of truth in a lifetime of truth; a choice made,
a path taken, the gravitational pull of Spirit too compelling to ignore any longer.
I am received by something far too vast to see.
It has roots in antiquity but speaks clearly in the present tense.
“Be,” the vastness says. “Be without adverbs, descriptors, or qualities.
Be so alive that awareness bares itself uncloaked and unadorned.
Then go forth to give what you alone can give, awake to love and suffering, unburdened by the weight of expectations.
Go forth to see and be seen, blossoming,
always blossoming into your magnificence.”
The Open Door

by : Danna Faulds

Manifesting with the Moon

“May the energy of the full moon amplify your wishes and desires to manifest into your life.”
– Sarah Prout

To further our manifestation power it is incredibly helpful to work with the power of the Moon. Since the beginning of human history, people have been guided by our dear Moon. People planted, harvested and performed rituals in synchronicity with La Luna! They still do today! With all our modern technology nothing can compare to the power of Nature.

Working with the Moon is a sweet invitation to know yourself on a deeper level. Take note of how you feel on these dates, notice how your creative energy might ebb and flow with the Moon.

So let’s take a brief look at some of the key lunar phases for the month of December 2021…

CREATIVE MOON GUIDE FOR DECEMBER 2021

DEC 3RD – SUPER NEW MOON IN SAGITTARIUS

New Moons are a time for us to set intentions. It is the beginning of a new cycle. Energy slows down at this time and it is the perfect time to rest, reflect and refuel. In the darkness of the new moon we can plant the seeds of what we want to manifest. A perfect time for meditation, journaling and connecting with Nature.

Sign Influence – Sagittarius loves adventure, got any trips planned? Sometimes getting some distance from our everyday surroundings (even for a day) can give us a fresh perspective. Sagittarius also loves depth and meaning so spend some time deep diving on your favorite subjects.

      DEC 11TH – FIRST QUARTER MOON IN PISCES

      This is a wonderful time to attract positive experiences and people into your creative life. Watch for self-limiting beliefs or inner critics’ harsh words creeping in. Commit to some simple daily rituals in the studio to stay focused on the intentions you set with the New Moon.

      Sign Influence – Pisces is a watery sign aligned with our intuition, emotion and subconscious. So pay close attention to your dreams, maybe even write them down. Check in with your emotions and let yourself heal and surrender to things that need to be washed away. Treat yourself to a lovely bath.

          DECEMBER 18TH – FULL MOON IN GEMINI

          This is a time for celebrating and gratitude. Acknowledge and honor what you have manifested. Reflect on how your intentions aligned with your manifestations. Give thanks for all the creative lessons you have learned. Even if you only took baby steps towards your goals, feel proud of your progress. During the Full Moon your inner artist may feel more restless or sensitive than usual.

          Sign Influence: Gemini is all about communication. Reflect on how you have been using your words. Are you staying true to your core? Are you speaking clearly and with honesty? Gemini’s energy is pretty fast so you may find yourself going between many different activities and conversations. Try to slow down and have more intention in your interactions with others.

          Once the Moon begins to lose her light, (2-3 days later) try a releasing ritual to let go of anything that no longer serves you in your creative life.

          As the Moon continues to wane, incorporate more rest and reflection. Clean and clear your studio or creative space to allow for more clarity and peace. Prepare for the coming new lunar cycle (the next New Moon).

              MOON RESOURCES

              Love this book as a guide for working with the Moon:

              Favorite Moon App:

               

              “Be both soft and wild. Just like the Moon.”
              – Victoria Erickson
              Manifesting Artist PROMPT:
              • Create a small display or altar that represents the elements in your creative space. A feather can represent Air, a candle – Fire, a rock or crystal or plant for Earth and a seashell or vessel of water for Water. This display can remind you to stay in alignment with the natural forces within our creative selves.

              WORD OF THE MONTH

              Manifest

              To Manifest – (verb) : something theoretical made real.

              Reveal its presence or make an appearance.

              This definition reminds us that manifesting begins in the mind. To manifest something is to literally bring something out of our minds – our thoughts, beliefs, ideas, fears, dreams and to make it REAL. To bring it into the material world. Often this concept is oversimplified or focuses on money or material objects. I.e. – Make a vision board. Wish really hard that you are gonna get everything you dream of and POOF – it manifests!! Wow! Don’t we wish it was that simple?

              In reality, we know this isn’t how life works. Make that vision board for sure!! BUT then get REALLY honest with yourself about your own beliefs, your habits, your actions etc. If these things don’t align with what you are trying to manifest it simply won’t happen.

              To cultivate the creative life you want – envision what you want to manifest, get super REAL, commit to what it takes to bring this dream into reality and then get at it and don’t stop til you manifest what you want. That’s real world creative manifesting. There are no shortcuts, magic sauce or formula. No one is a better manifester than anyone else. We all have the ability to manifest; we just have to be willing to see it all the way through.

              I’ll share a business story with you from my early days in the online creative world.

              My Mom and I had always dreamed of going to Scotland together (we are both huge fans of the Outlander books). One day, I was sitting in a cafe and I thought… what if I create my OWN Scottish Outlander Retreat? I sat there and wrote out everything I wanted to do and see on this retreat. I got super specific and did a lot of research. I wrote at the top of the page – “This WILL happen!”

              The next day, I called our travel agent and made an appointment to meet with her and discuss how to organize a trip like this. (I had NO clue!) She gave me lots of information and resources and we designed a rough itinerary and price plan for this trip.

              My inner critic was going nuts – telling me I had no idea what I was doing and that NO ONE would sign up for this! Clearly, I was insane and was going to make a complete fool of myself.

              I ignored it and we went on to design a sales page for the trip. I figured I had nothing to lose. If no one signed up…ok then, whatever. I would move on. BUT what if I could get just 7 people to come?? Then we could move forward.

              Well, I ended up taking 22 amazing women on a creative Outlander retreat all over Scotland! Plus, I got to bring my mom too! It took a ton of work and it wasn’t perfect but I learned a ton! That is Manifesting. I’m not magical. I didn’t cast any spells. I aligned my skills (Earth), my ideas (Air), my dreams (Water) and my actions (Fire) to make it happen! Anyone can do this!

              “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
              – Henry David Thoreau
              Word of the Month - Manifest

              by : Ivy Newport

              Guided by the Elements

              by Kiala Givehand

              Last month we spent time in the element of fire working with our fears and releasing them to transmute them into energy connected to our highest good. This month, I want to offer a series of alchemical prompts to help you bring all five elements together (Fire, Air, Earth, Water, and Spirit).

              Feel free to use these as card pulls if you’re working with tarot or oracle cards, or simply use them for your daily journaling. I’ve provided a card spread with just the positions of the cards. Listen in to your intuitive knowing to see which prompts to pull from the list and place with the card pulls.

              Note – Shuffle your deck, ask the questions while shuffling and pull the card. Reflect and jot down your thoughts and intuitive insights once you see the card. Then look at the prompts for the next card. Pick the question that feels the most fitting for the info you gathered from the card before it. Ask that question while shuffling, reveal the card, journal and then repeat this process until you have all five cards in front of you. Do not put the cards back into the deck between shuffles.

              Fire Prompts:

              1. How can my passion be fuel for my healing process?
              2. What creative endeavors can help with my healing?
              3. Which fear is keeping me stuck and unable to heal?

              Air Prompts:

              1. What can help me have the best mindset for healing?
              2. Where can I direct my intellectual pursuits to give me the greatest chance at healing?
              3. What mental conflict am I struggling with that keeps me from healing?

              Earth Prompts:

              1. Who can be a support to me on this healing journey?
              2. What energy will be most supportive to me on this healing journey?
              3. Where can I direct my attention to find the best resources for my healing journey?

              Water Prompts:

              1. Where can I surrender more to allow for healing to take place?
              2. What energy can help me go with the flow of my healing most effectively?
              3. What can I allow to enter into my life in order to heal more fully?

              Once you have pulled all the cards or worked through the prompts in your journal, take some time to create in response to what you see in front of you. If you are working with cards, you might look at the colors that stand out the most and begin with that color. If there are symbols you see repeated you might pull those symbols out and bring them into your creative rendering. If you have one card of the five that really speaks to you, you might see how to bring the energy of that card into the focal position of your creative piece.

              Finally, I invite you to return to the fire ceremony we did last month and use it to release the fears that revealed themselves to you and call in the healing that is necessary to transform that energy for your highest good. As you do the ritual for fire, add these words for each of the elements:

              1. Air

              I call in clarity of thought, speech, and action.

              2. Earth

              I stand firmly on the foundation that supports me as I heal old wounds and move towards healing.

              3. water

              I surrender to my own inner strength as my guide to heal what no longer serves me.

              And end the ritual by saying — THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU…and so it is.

              I hope you all enjoy working more deeply with the elements in this way. It’s been a beautiful way for us to move through our creative time together. I’m honored to share my personal practices with you and hope you’ll share yours too. Remember, the goal of healing is not to eradicate fear, but to identify it, notice it, and embrace it as a teacher.

              Be guided by love and light dear ones.
              xo
              Kiala

              To learn more about Kiala and see all the beautiful resources and creative classes she has available, visit her website below…

              Abundance Meditation

              WITH RACHEL HILLARY

              Manifesting often brings up the idea of abundance. Abundance can mean many different things. What does it look like for you? How do you want to manifest it in your life? Well, a great place to start is with meditation. Hone in on your specific and unique expression of abundance and how you can begin to invite more of it into your experiences. Take some time to explore this with this wonderful meditation by one of my favorite creators – Rachel Hillary.

              A Little About Rachel’s Experience –

              Recorded during the waxing moon on the day of Jupiter, surrounded by Citrine and warmth, and edited on the following day of Venus, infusing the harmonious qualities of luxury and decadence. This is a guided meditation designed to assist you in blissing out and relaxing into feelings of abundance. Whether you desire wealth, romance, health, good feelings, it’s all here for you. Tap into the most magical parts of yourself, into the creator you. Shift your vibe, and shift your reality.

              Xo,
              Rachel

              “The universe is not outside of you. look inside yourself; everything that you want, you already are.”
              – Rumi
              Abundance Meditation

              by : Rachel Hillary

              You can download more meditations and connect with Rachel here…

              Monthly Affirmation
              Each month we will have a positive affirmation. I recommend you print out this affirmation and put it in your sketchbook or somewhere in your studio. Recite the affirmation out loud each time you show up to create. Saying words aloud is powerful and can begin to re-write some of our own limiting beliefs or calm our fears. Try it now…
              Manifesting with your Sign

              WITH Denise Stargazer

              I’m so delighted to have my dear friend and fellow mystic, Denise Stargazer, share her manifestation wisdom with us this month! In addition to being an amazing artist, Denise is an initiated shamanic energy healer and clear channeled intuitive. This month she is going to help us manifest more effectively by aligning with our astrological sign.

                In the book Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting, by the late and great Dr. Wayne Dyer, he encourages his readers to, “Allow (ourselves) to become aware of the nonphysical reality that (we) are a part of.” He describes our lives as linked to Source, and therefore, we are capable of miracles. “The subconscious is the womb of creation. It …always gives form and meaning to its programming. From this, the subconscious mind possesses the power to manifest physical reality from thought.”

                Whoa.

                By now you are not new to the idea of manifestation. That which you seek, seeks you. It’s really that simple. I love Dr. Dyer’s work as he helps create a strong link between our relationship with the mystic, our souls, and our subconscious and conscious minds. In fact, he reminds us to create the reality we desire, because we are co-creators in this extraordinary universe.

                And just as Dr. Dyer supports our ability to manifest our wishes, author Steven Forrest shares the power of creating desires from a totally different vantage point. In this book The Inner Sky, Forrest reminds us that we are, indeed, connected to the stars. That the time and place you were born indicates a mystical magic of self that no one else shares. You are you, my dear. So much YOU, that the possibility of your existence derived from 1 in 1.5 trillion possibilities. Quite remarkable, yes? The stardust from whence you came not only understands you as a powerful co-creator within the universe…the nature of YOU is linked to millions upon millions of years of creation. Of universal frequency that resonates so powerfully, it literally is listening to what you desire. And is then making that frequency REAL. I’ll say that again in another way…your frequency is being matched by the universe of possibility to create (aka Manifest!) your reality. This means your true nature is most definitely linked to your sign. Your zodiac characteristics. Whether you’re fire, earth, air or water…you can manifest more effectively by understanding your characteristic Sun sign nature.

                In the next video, I am going to take you on a journey within your true Sun sign nature. And share with you some significant ways that your Sign can help you Manifest your Desires. Each zodiac sign has powerful attributes that make you, well, YOU. And why not use those attributes to your advantage as you conjure up abundance, love, creativity and so forth?

                The world and your manifesting potential is at your fingertips my friends. Now, more than ever, we are being called to our truth and our passions. One small ripple can become a thousand larger ripples if our intentions are clear. And we are living fully in the moment. Enjoy!

                  Denise Stargazer is one of our treasured teachers here in Studioworks and she has some wonderful class offerings if you are looking to expand your spiritual training and practice. GO CHECK IT OUT HERE!

                    Learn more about Denise by visiting her website and follow her on social media…

                    “Our intention is everything. nothing happens on this planet without it. not one single thing has ever been accomplished without intention.”
                    – Jim Carrey

                    AN ARTIST’S VOICE

                    with Dawn Vander Stoep

                    I haven’t done an “Artist’s Voice” interview and article in a while so the other day when I was hanging out with my friend and artist, Dawn Vander Stoep and we were chatting about manifesting I thought – hey let’s record this! So we did! Enjoy this casual creative chat with Dawn about her process and practice of creative manifesting…

                    To learn more about Dawn and follow her beautiful creative journey, you can visit her on Instagram and Facebook

                    Color Palette of the Month

                    This month, I couldn’t help but be inspired by two of our Master Artists from The Glasgow Girls Collective – Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh and her sister Francis Macdonald. I was especially moved by their pieces – that incorporate purples, magenta, blues and silvers. These colors have such a beautiful resonance with the frequency of manifestation. These colors, to me, connect with divine celestial energy and calm the soul. As always, align with colors that inspire you.

                    “What you believe with your heart will manifest in your life.”
                    – Debasish Mridha M.D.
                    Color Palette

                    by : Ivy Newport

                    Manifesting Artist PROMPT:
                    • Create a vision board of all your which to manifest in 2022. Put it in your creative space to remind yourself of these things. Stay mindful that your thoughts, beliefs and actions stay in alignment with what you wish to manifest.
                    Master Artist Guide

                    Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh

                    OVERVIEW

                    Born Margaret Macdonald, at Tipton, Staffordshire, her father was a colliery manager and engineer. Margaret and her younger sister Frances both attended the Orme Girls’ School,
                    By 1890 the family had settled in Glasgow and Margaret and her sister, Frances Macdonald, enrolled as day students at the Glasgow School of Art studying courses in design. There, she worked with a variety of media, including metalwork, embroidery, and textiles.

                     

                    She began collaborating with her sister Frances, and in the 1890s the pair opened the Macdonald Sisters Studio at 128 Hope Street, Glasgow. Their innovative work was inspired by Celtic imagery, literature, symbolism, and folklore. She later collaborated with her husband, the architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whom she married on 22 August 1900. Her most well-known works are the gesso panels made for interiors designed with Charles, such as tearooms and private residences.

                    Charles Rennie Mackintosh is frequently claimed to be Scotland’s most famous architect. Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh was somewhat marginalised in comparison. Yet she was celebrated in her time by many of her peers, including her husband who once wrote in a letter to her, “Remember, you are half if not three-quarters in all my architectural work …”;and reportedly “Margaret has genius, I have only talent.”

                    Active and recognised during her career, between 1895 and 1924 she contributed to more than 40 European and American exhibitions. Poor health cut short Margaret’s career and, as far as is known, she produced no work after 1921. She died in 1933, five years after her husband.

                    Winter – 1898

                    The May Queen – 1900

                    Inspiration and style

                    Mackintosh did not keep sketchbooks, which reflects her reliance on imagination rather than on nature] A few sources provided significant inspiration for her works, including the Bible, the Odyssey, poems by Morris and Rossetti, and the works of Maurice Maeterlinck. Her works, along with those works of her often collaborating sister, defied her contemporaries’ conceptions of art.

                    The beginning of her artistic career reflects broad strokes of experimentation. Largely drawing from her imagination, she reinterpreted traditional themes, allegories, and symbols in inventive ways. For instance, immediately following the 1896 opening of her Glasgow studio with her sister, she transformed broad ideas such as “Time” and “Summer” into highly stylized human forms. Many of her works incorporate muted natural tones, elongated nude human forms, and a subtle interplay between geometric and natural motifs. Above all, her designs demonstrated a type of originality that distinguishes her from other artists of her time.

                    White rose and Red Rose – 1902

                    Popular work

                    Mackintosh’s most popular works include the gesso panels The May Queen, which was made to partner Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s panel The Wassail for Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street Tearooms, and Oh ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood, which formed part of the decorative scheme for the Room de Luxe in the Willow Tearooms. All three of these are now on display in the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow. The 2017-18 restoration of The Willow Tearooms building has seen a recreation of “Oh ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood” installed in the original location within the Room de Luxe.

                    Oh ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood

                    (Detail 1) – 1903

                    Oh ye, all ye that walk in Willowwood

                    (Detail 2) – 1903

                    Her grandest work is the Seven Princesses, three wall-sized gesso panels showing a scene from a play by the same name, by Maurice Maeterlinck. This work was extremely popular in Vienna and its surrounding art scene. When the Waerndorfer villa was sold in 1916, it disappeared from public view for a long time. In 1990, it was rediscovered in a crate in the basement of the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna and is now on permanent display in the MAK.

                    In 2008 her 1902 work The White Rose and the Red Rose was auctioned for 1.7 million UK pounds or $3.3 million.

                    Seven Princesses – 1907

                    Seven Princesses Detail – 1907

                    Frances Macdonald McNair

                    OVERVIEW

                    The sister of artist-designer Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, she was born in Kidsgrove, Stoke-on-Trent, and moved to Glasgow with her family in 1890. Both sisters enrolled in painting classes at the Glasgow School of Art in 1891, where they met the young architects Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Herbert MacNair. Frances went on to marry MacNair in 1899, and Margaret married Mackintosh in 1900. After they met, they exhibited together in a ‘School of Art Club’ exhibition and due to their similar stylistic approach came to be referred to as “The Four”.

                    Frances produced a wide variety of other artistic work, including embroidery, metalwork panels and water colour paintings. Like her sister, she was influenced by the work of William Blake and Aubrey Beardsley and this is reflected in her use of elongated figures and linear elements. The sisters exhibited in London, Liverpool and Venice.

                    In 1899 she married MacNair and joined him in Liverpool where he was teaching at the School of Architecture and Applied Art. The couple painted watercolours and designed interiors, exhibiting a Writing Room at the International Exhibition of Modern Art in Turin, and Frances began teaching. They also designed the interiors of their own home at 54 Oxford Street.

                    A Paradox – 1905

                    The Choice – 1909

                    In the early 1900s, they also exhibited in Liverpool, London, Paris, Venice, Vienna and Dresden. The closure of the School in 1905, and the loss of the MacNair family wealth through a business failure, led to a slow decline in their careers, and they returned to Glasgow in 1909. In the years that followed, Frances painted a series of symbolist watercolors addressing the choices facing women, such as marriage and motherhood. Frances and Herbert had a son, Sylvan, born in June 1900 and who later emigrated to Rhodesia.

                    Spring – 1905

                    Frances’ achievements are less well known than those of her sister, due in part to her departure from Glasgow, but also because her husband destroyed many of her works after her death. Both sisters’ works were also frequently overshadowed by the achievements of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Frances died in Glasgow in 1921.Much of her work that remains is held by the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery,[9] and in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

                    The Sleeping Princess – 1910

                    Girl with Blue Butterflies – 1898

                    Enjoy this slideshow of the sisters work

                    Here’s a Pinterest board full of work from the Glagow Four

                    Article on the Macdonald sisters and their influence on Gustav Klimt:

                    Videos to Watch

                    Master Artist Guide

                    by : Ivy Newport

                    Sketchbook Explorations

                    EXPLORATION 1

                    Inspired by the Macdonald Sisters

                    I absolutely love the work of the Macdonald sisters so decided to create a piece inspired by them and the concept of manifesting with the Elements. Due to holiday travel, I was away from my studio so I first sketched this on tracing paper and then painted this on my iPad using the Procreate app! I hope to paint it with my real life paints soon!

                    EXPLORATION 2

                    Manifesting Vision art journal page

                    Create a sketch, collage, journal page or painting dedicated to your vision of Manifesting. Incorporate aspects of the elemental energies too if you like.

                    EXPLORATION 3

                    Elemental Display

                    Create a small or large physical display representing the elements in your studio or creative space. Let this serve as a reminder to always align with your elemental energy so that you can actively manifest the creative life you desire. Items to use in your altar display – candles (fire), shells or water (water), plants, rocks or crystals (earth) feathers (air). You could also incorporate imagery, oracle or tarot cards and anything else that connects you to the elements.

                    “Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words. keep your words positive, because your behaviors become your habits. keep your habits positive, because your habits become your values. keep your values positive, because your values become your destiny.”
                    – Gandhi

                    MONTHLY ART LESSON

                    with Ivy Newport

                    I filmed this lesson many months ago and wanted to finally share it with you. This meditative portrait is a wonderful creative balm where I simplify my materials, using only a few shades of white and grays. By doing this we can fully immerse ourselves in quiet, studious manifesting while we learn more about values and the beautiful forms of the face. I completed this lesson in oils but you are welcome to use the painting medium you enjoy the most.

                    I hope you enjoy this portrait study and I can’t wait to see what you create.

                    STUDIOWORKS

                    Submission Calls

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                    STUDIOWORKS PODCAST

                    issue thirty-six

                    You can also listen to this month’s issue of the Studioworks journal. I find I love listening to books, podcasts and music while I draw, paint or go on a long walk. Enjoy.

                    Studioworks : issue thirty-six

                    by : Ivy Newport

                    inspiration: curated
                    One of my favorite things to do is to curate inspiration. From Pinterest boards to books, resources, playlists and more – I love to share anything that might facilitate learning, expansion, and sparks of curiosity! Being an artist, we naturally crave these things so here are some of this month’s picks from me to you.

                    Books to Discover & Enjoy

                    MUSIC PLAYLIST

                    I had so much fun curating this list. I hope you enjoy!!

                    THINGS TO WATCH

                    PINTEREST BOARD

                    CLASSES TO TRY

                    Here are just a few of our fantastic classes! They feel in alignment with this month’s issue! I highly recommend checking them out if you haven’t already. Enjoy!