ivy newport

Studioworks

Journal

a letter from ivy

Dear creative friends,

Welcome to 2024! As we step into this new year, it's a time to set bold creative intentions and reinvigorate our art. This issue focuses on the transformative power of creativity and the theme of rebirth. How can we use this fresh start to redefine our artistic expressions, infusing our work with renewed passion and perspective?

Together, let's explore how color, emotion, and personal narratives can intertwine in our art, reflecting our hopes and dreams for the year ahead. This is our moment to dream, experiment, and create with an open heart.

Join me in embracing this year as a canvas of possibilities, where our creative intentions take flight. Here's to a year filled with growth, discovery, and boundless creativity!

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.

Let's Begin
Monthly Theme
Creatively Crafting Our Days: Habits that Promote Artistic Excellence

A new year brings manifold possibilities, including the opportunity to unearth where creative energies have become sluggish and in what ways we could benefit from renewal. It’s an excellent time to examine the patterns of our lives and mindfully determine those we want to preserve and those we want to shed.

Lao Tzu said, “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” When you ponder these cautionary words and relate them to the pursuit of artistic excellence, it becomes clear that gaining ground on this path is hinged upon intentionality. 

To be an artist is to do the work of creating, and to do so effectively requires developing a regular practice. The more deliberate you are about crafting this set of behaviors, the more rapidly and skilfully you will see your imagination’s offspring come to life. Join me in exploring ways to design our days creatively through implementing habits of both mind and body that promote artistic excellence.


"The thankful receiver bears a plentiful harvest."
- William Blake

Model Behavior

A launching point for generating desirable creative behaviors can be found by looking to others who have succeeded in art and learning from them. A particularly informative group to consider is those who found fame without formal training. The gems they reveal are many, but a crucial one is the reminder that excellence is linked to character, as Lao Tzu intimated.

Self-taught artists like Henri Rousseau, Frida Kahlo, and Vincent Van Gogh all shared the critical trait of resilience, which was essential to their success. They did not allow ridicule, injuries, or failures to disable their passion to create. They also each, in their own way, favored personal expression regardless of what was considered proper, remaining true to themselves and their art regardless of reception. In other words, character traits that promote excellence include persevering in your art regardless of what life throws at you and cultivating your unique voice despite the din of the world.

The Starry Night

Vincent van Gogh, 1889

The Repast of the Lion

Henri Rousseau, 1907

A few more imitable qualities of the self-taught are letting your life inform your art, working with what you’ve got, and not allowing age or other impediments to stall your process. A remarkable example of these qualities can be found in the work of Bill Traylor, who began making art primarily after age 85.

Despite minimal means, he drew deeply from his experiences as a formerly enslaved person and a survivor of the Civil War and the Jim Crow South, creating a large body of evocative work that provides a unique and powerful artistic window into his world. His accomplishments underscore how the indomitable will to create and the potency of personal perspectives can resonate with others regardless of age or how little you have to work with.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
- C.S. Lewis

Putting Ideals Into Practice

It’s one thing to discuss the character traits we want to embody. It’s another thing to dig deep and actualize those behaviors in our own artistic practice. Transmuting ideals into actionable habits requires practical tools such as the following:

The Takeaway

Taking charge of our lives and creatively crafting our world is rooted in our daily behaviors. Habits of mind are just as important as the ones we physically enact. Artistic excellence is linked to a character that stems from living an artful life. 

We achieve this by imbuing our moments with beauty and meaning via the unique perspective we hold and our individual manner of sharing it. Sometimes, all that’s needed to be reborn and achieve what we long for as artists is a little shift in our habits that helps us experience the world and our creative process anew.

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something."
- Neil Gaiman
Creatively Crafting Our Days: Habits that Promote Artistic Excellence
By : Ivy Newport
Intentional Growth: Setting Goals for the New Year

Creating goals for the New Year can feel like a formidable task. It’s tempting to reach absurdly high and, in so doing, land amidst the rash of people who triumphantly set and then surreptitiously discard resolutions each year. We don’t set up targets simply to miss them, so it’s best to set intentions that are both inspiring and achievable.

As artists, this process can be extra tricky. It’s important to challenge ourselves, but equally necessary not to crush our creativity under the weight of heavy expectations. The key here is to dream big, deploy our best arsenal of practical action steps, and simultaneously honor the imaginative spirit by allowing it room to breathe. Let’s explore some strategies for doing just that.

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."
- Tony Robbins

Take Small Bites

It’s important to chew your food well if you want your body to absorb the nutrients optimally. Likewise, it’s essential to set manageable goals that you can feasibly incorporate into your days without derailing the rest of your life. One strategy for achieving this is to break your intentions into short-, intermediate-, and long-term categories.

For example, in the short term, you might commit to doing art daily, even for a few minutes. Intermediately, you might have a set number of studies/sketches you want to be completed by a specified date. In the long term, you might want to have a finished piece framed/printed/sent off or otherwise designated as complete.

The time scale you choose should be personal, whatever works for you, but a rough outline might be to set 1, 3, and 6-month goals. Within that framework, consider what tasks you will need to incorporate daily or weekly to reach your destination. The critical thing here is to commit to your intentions wholeheartedly, outline the practical steps that make them achievable, and hold yourself accountable.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals."
- Henry David Thoreau

Accountability

That last point is significant enough to merit further emphasis. Most of us embark on new journeys with gusto, feeling ready to take on the world, but inevitably, that initial enthusiasm gives way to moments where motivation begins to flag. At this critical juncture, you may need to call upon a trusted friend, partner, or relative who is loving yet honest. They can be there to cheer you on or give you a kick in the pants as the situation demands. 

You’ll want to get this person on board at the outset and give them permission to be firm with you. It’s essential that whoever it is is trusted by you implicitly and preferably also has a perspective on art (or life in general) that you feel resonant with. Having someone to bounce ideas off, get feedback from, and who is there to keep us on task can be invaluable for sticking to our goals.


Create Rituals

There is something potent about mindfully crafting a process you regularly employ to get centered, focused, and ready to churn out artistic gold. What this looks like, how long it takes, or what it entails aren't really important. The necessary ingredient is that it prepares you to get to work.

For some, this might mean putting on a favorite song that makes them shake, rattle, and roll their way to the easel. For others, it might mean lighting a candle, turning on an essential oil diffuser, taking a few minutes to meditate or visualize, and then deliberately picking up a paintbrush. Others still might need first to take a walk outside, breathe deeply, observe the world in action, and only then feel prepared to sit before a canvas.

Regardless of what sets the right tone for you or whether you like to mix and match your regimen based on days and moods, the key thing is to mindfully generate a creative space that gets you inspired and ready for action.

"Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life."
- Les Brown

Making it Happen

As with most things in life, intentions are only as meaningful as our commitment to them. So, tune in, take note, and set forth honestly. What do you want to achieve? Why do you want to achieve it? How important is it to you? Answering these questions will guide you on your way and improve your chances of success.

Remember that your life is an accumulation of moments, and those crafted with care will yield the most gratifying results. Also, stay light on your feet, dance rather than plod, and find ways to keep things fun. A new year is an exceptional opportunity to seize personal growth, and the easiest way to accomplish this is with finely honed intentions playfully executed.

"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get."
- Michael Phelps
Intentional Growth: Setting Goals for the New Year
By : Ivy Newport
WORD OF THE MONTH
Rebirth
The process of being reincarnated or born again.
The action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline

As we step into the new year, the concept of rebirth resonates deeply with me. It's not just about the calendar changing; it's a symbolic renewal of my creative spirit. Rebirth could relate to several aspects of our artistic journey. Which resonate most deeply with you?

Renewal of Our Creativity: The new year is a blank canvas, a fresh start. It's an opportunity for us to rejuvenate our creativity, to approach our art with new ideas, perspectives, and inspirations that we haven't explored before.

Transformation of Style or Medium: The idea of rebirth inspires us to transform our artistic style or experiment with different mediums. It could be a time to break away from old patterns and further evolve your voice as an artist. What mediums or techniques are calling to you.

Revival of Past Projects: In this new cycle, we could look at past projects with a fresh set of eyes. Projects that were once unfinished or put aside can now be revived and reimagined. It's like breathing new life into something that we once set aside.

Your Personal Growth and Development: Rebirth is also a personal journey. This new year is a time for introspection, to align your creative intentions with your own personal growth. How we evolve as an individual is intrinsically linked to how we evolve as an artist.

Overcoming Creative Blocks: Just as rebirth signifies overcoming an end to start anew, see this time as a chance to overcome any creative blocks we may have faced. It's about finding new sources of inspiration and motivation, pushing ourselves to create even when it's challenging.

In essence, as we embark on this new year, rebirth is about embracing change, seeking new beginnings in our art, and finding a renewed sense of passion and purpose in our creative journey. It's a time filled with hope, possibilities, and the excitement of what's yet to be created and learned! Lean into it and enjoy the adventure!

"And suddenly you know: It's time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings."
- Meister Eckhart
Word Of The Month
By : Ivy Newport

Creative Intuition & Writing Prompt

This month, I thought it was fitting to bring back a fun oracle/tarot card spread to kick off the New Year! I’ll be sprinkling these back in after many requests from our community! But fear not, if you are not one drawn to using oracle or tarot cards, no worries, just use the accompanying reflective questions as writing prompts for your journals!

REBIRTH AND CREATIVE INTENTIONS SPREAD

HOW TO USE THE SPREAD

Remember, tarot and oracle cards are tools for introspection and reflection. Trust your intuition as you interpret the cards and consider how their messages apply to your life and creative path.

download creative intuition & writing prompt

download creative prompt
“And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been."
- Rainer Maria
Your Infinite Self Meditation
WITH RACHEL HILLARY

I am sharing this beautiful meditation from one of my favorite meditation masters - Rachel Hillary. This journey will help you connect to this your infinite self and all the beautiful possibilities available to you.

Rachel will share a little about this experience -

This meditation journey is a little different from my other creations in that it is more energy-based than usual. This meditation will pluck a specific chord within you, whatever you most need right now. We connect our third eye energy with our heart energy and begin a journey into expansion and unfolding, allowing ourselves to flow beyond the limits we may usually put upon ourselves. Music by Chris Collins, Indie Music Box.

lots of love,
Rachel

Your Infinite Self Meditation
By : rachel hillary

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…

Color Palette of the Month

In the artistic journey of rebirth and new beginnings, colors play a pivotal role in conveying the deep, introspective transformation that this theme embodies. Inspired by the mystical works of Alphonse Osbert, this color palette is a harmonious blend of ethereal tones and rich, reflective hues. It's designed to evoke a sense of dreamlike tranquility, mirroring the introspective and transformative essence of rebirth.

Each color has been carefully chosen to represent different aspects of the transformative journey, from deep introspection to the awakening of new ideas. It's a palette that invites artists to explore their inner landscapes, to dream, and to emerge renewed, much like the eternal cycle of day and night, of seasons, of life itself.

Color Palette of the Month
By : Ivy Newport
Master Artist Guide
Alphonse Osbert

Alphonse Osbert was a French painter who played a significant role in the Symbolist movement, which emerged in the late 19th century. His life and work are fascinating studies in the evolution of style and thematic focus, particularly resonating with themes of rebirth, introspection, and the mystical.

Early Life and Career

Born in Paris, Osbert began his artistic training at the École des Beaux-Arts, studying under academic painters like Henri Lehmann and Léon Bonnat. His early work was in line with the academic style of the time, focusing on historical and religious themes with a realistic approach.


An Evening in Ancient Times

Alphonse Osbert, 1908

Contemplation

Alphonse Osbert, 1927

Artistic Style and Themes

Osbert's Symbolist phase is characterized by a distinct use of color and light. He adopted a more monochromatic palette, often dominated by blues and greens, to create dreamlike, ethereal scenes. This new approach was not just a stylistic evolution but a reflection of his inner transformation. His canvases became windows to a world of tranquility, introspection, and spiritual longing.

In his mature works, Osbert often depicted solitary figures, usually women, in contemplative or serene settings. These figures are frequently surrounded by nature, rendered in a stylized, idealized manner. The use of light in his paintings is particularly noteworthy; soft, diffused, and often seeming to emanate from the figures themselves, it contributes to the mystical and otherworldly atmosphere.

Chant du soir

Alphonse Osbert, 1906

Rêverie en la Nuit

Alphonse Osbert, 1895

Conclusion

Alphonse Osbert's life and art are testaments to the enduring power of artistic rebirth and transformation. His evolution from the rigid confines of academic art to the liberated realms of Symbolism parallels the perennial human quest for new beginnings and self-discovery. In our own lives, Osbert's evolution inspires us to embrace change, seek deeper truths, and view each new phase as an opportunity for growth and renewal. His legacy, therefore, is not just in the beauty he created but in the timeless message his artistic journey conveys.


The Muse at Sunrise

Alphonse Osbert, 1918

Enjoy a slideshow of Alphonse Osbert’s work...

Here’s a Pinterest board full of His work to inspire you!

Master Artist Guide - Alphonse Osbert
By : Ivy Newport
community corner
What creative goals are you setting for the New Year? Do you have any creative rituals or traditions you engage in as the New Year arrives?

My art goal is to get my artist website live... and to create more regularly! I do dimensional mixed media, and 1 piece can take weeks to complete with all the layers, textures, and embellishments (stones, shells, wood, metal, fabric, mediums, etc.). I also write. So I have writing goals as well. Thank you for inspiring me and so many others, Ivy Newport! May your new year be magnificent and delight you. - Karen Martin Winkelman


My creative goal is to enjoy my art and writing … aka the process without making it all about the goals. New for me!
- Leanne Shawler


My goal is to make more time for art in the coming year and make it part of my daily routine or at least a couple of times per week
- Daniela Aubrey


My goal for my artwork is to continue to embrace my own talents. I will continue letting go of others opinions of my work and trusting my own insticts.
- Tamara Mulkey


My aim this year is to Savor and fully Surrender to my creative self. I have maintained connection, nurtured pathways to stay awake to myself through creativity, and have spent many years preparing for the supernova burst that is edging more and more into my reality with every brush stroke lately.
- Meg Vellejos McCoy


The first thing that I do before heading into the new year is take a look back at last year. We live in a such a demanding world I think a lot of us rarely look at all we’ve accomplished. This is something I’ve made a point do over the last few years and it feels good and inspires me for the following year. My goals for next year are to revamp my website, and focus on creating more classes for my website and YouTube! It’s going to be a busy year but I’m ready to get started, my husband comes home from his year long deployment in only a few weeks so life can get back to normal! I’m ready!!
- Monica Stadalski


My goals include creating and writing every day and taking steps to build my business!
- Martha Lyon Barnett


My goal is to be more mindful about my creative art practice and focus on just one thing at a time. Also to spend more time outdoors being inspired by nature. For the New Year I like to create a mixed media collage with my word of the year, embrace for 2024.
- Mary MacIlvain


My goal is to leave my creative space ready to create the next time, creative space sure can turn into an explosion. I'm keeping goals easy, simple, and manageable, so often we bite off way more than we can chew....
- Darlene Forget


My goal is to revive my creativity. The past few years have been so stressful & I shut my heart and soul so that it wouldn’t hurt anymore. I want to burn the fear of hurt in a New Year’s Eve fire. Write the “mythological story “ that I have lived up until now & send it to the ashes. Then, when I get back to my art, I want to take a new view & try on painting the “energy” of the forest that I live in. A tall order! But, I’m unable to ignore the fact that I have entered a final stage of life, at 61, and I am still in hiding. I want to meet “me” & my authentic creations. Thank you for all that you do Ivy.
- Lois Reed


I definitely bit off more than I could chew last year. I would like to do all the classes I signed up for. I work full-time so I know that that's an impossible task. So I suppose my creative goal is to be kind with myself and set my goal lower so I can actually achieve it. And not feel bad that I didn't do all the classes I signed up for.
- Leigh Banuelos


At year end I review my art goals from previous year(s). Remembering to pat myself on the back at what I did and how far I went on the journey. Then I set my new goals, picking up what I missed or totally going a new direction(s). Making sure there is some comfortable but definitely a stretch as well. Then I happily forget them until June/July when I reassess. Working through Studioworks is definitely one of the goals.
- Nelvia McGrath

"Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius."
- Pietro Aretino
The Symbology of Rebirth

Since our Master Artist was one of the Symbolist, I thought it only fitting to discuss some of the symbols we see in artwork that resonates with the theme of rebirth and new beginnings.

These symbols are found across various cultures and artistic traditions, each carrying its own unique significance. Here are some of the most prominent symbols associated with this theme:

Phoenix

Perhaps the most famous symbol of rebirth, the phoenix is a mythical bird that is said to rise from its own ashes, representing immortality, renewal, and the cyclical nature of life.

Lotus Flower

In many Eastern cultures, the lotus flower is a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration, and rebirth. It’s particularly noted for the way it rises from the mud and blooms into a beautiful flower.

Ouroboros

An ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It represents the eternal cycle of life and death, renewal, and the infinite nature of creation.

Butterfly

The butterfly, with its remarkable transformation from a caterpillar, symbolizes change, hope, life, and rebirth. It's a powerful metaphor for significant life changes and personal growth.

Spring

The season of spring itself is a universal symbol of rebirth, renewal, and new beginnings, as it's the time when nature awakens and life flourishes anew.

The Rising Sun

Often associated with new beginnings and rebirth, the rising sun symbolizes the start of a new day and the endless opportunities it brings.

Eggs

Eggs, especially during the spring festivals like Easter, are symbols of new life and rebirth. They represent the beginning of life and potential.

Water

In many cultures, water is seen as a symbol of purification, cleansing, and rebirth, often used in rituals to signify a fresh start or new life.

Rain and Dew

Rain, often seen as a life-giving force, can symbolize renewal and the washing away of the past. Dew, with its fresh and cleansing presence, is also associated with new beginnings.

Greenery and Trees

Trees, particularly those that are evergreen or those that bloom seasonally, symbolize eternal life and resurrection. The Tree of Life, in various mythologies, is a symbol of interconnectedness and rebirth.

Circles and Spirals

These shapes, with no beginning or end, are often used to represent the cycle of life, death, and rebirth, as well as the ongoing nature of the soul's journey.

The Ankh

In ancient Egyptian culture, the ankh is a symbol of life and rebirth. It's often depicted in art and hieroglyphs and carried by deities.

“Do not be satisfied with the stories that come before you. Unfold your own myth."
- Rumi
The Symbology of Rebirth
By : Ivy Newport
Sketchbook Explorations
Exploration 1
New Horizons

Sketch a landscape that symbolizes new beginnings. This could be a sunrise over a mountain, a path leading into a forest, or the horizon where the sea meets the sky. You can use our color palette of the month or other hues that resonate with you. Use any medium you enjoy!

Exploration 2
Spiritual Symbols

Referring to our article about Symbology, choose a spiritual symbol that resonates with you and create an artwork centered around it. You could create this in any medium, in colors that deeply touch you. Consider hanging this somewhere in your creative space to remind yourself of the power of transformation and rebirth.

Exploration 3
Master Study

Create a master study or a piece inspired by our monthly artist, Alphonse Osbert. Focus on how dreamy and mystical many of his pieces are, reflect on how his work makes you feel and note this in your journals or sketchbooks.

Monthly Art Lesson
A New Dawn
With Ivy Newport

I’m so delighted to bring you this pastel lesson! I hope you enjoy it. Please try and use the pastels you have already or consider buying a set that suits your budget. You do NOT need the exact pastels as me nor do you need quite so many. I have been building my collection over time. The most important thing is to have a good range of values and color temperatures.

Do your best to match up your colors to my final palette, but you can always improvise too! Also, feel free to use this design and create in ANY medium you love. I think this project would translate beautifully to watercolor, acrylic or oil!

Have fun and go gently with yourself!

studioworks podcast
issue sixty-one

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.

issue sixty-one
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!!

pinterest board

recommended Studioworks classes

Here are just a few of our fantastic classes! I highly recommend checking them out if you haven’t already. Enjoy!