IVY NEWPORT

Studioworks

Journal
a letter from ivy

Dear creative friends,

Welcome to Issue #7 of the StudioWorks Journal! I truly hope you enjoyed connecting more deeply with you creative intuition last month. I loved playing with symbols and exploring my dream world too! So much inspiration and understanding to be discovered. This month, we move into the space of observation and celebration. We will take a good look at our creative growth. How are we shifting, evolving, unfurling? How are we stretching and reaching toward the light? How has our creative practice grown? How can we grow our roots deep into the fertile soil of our creative nature? We will reflect on our journey thus far and cherish our progress. This is a vital step in nourishing our inner artists. Let’s begin.

xo,

How the Studioworks Journal unfolds…

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.

JULY THEME

Celebrating Our Growth

Let’s face it, we live in a society that is often stuck in the past and almost constantly obsessing about the future. It is rare for us to live in the present for very long – too many distractions, too much busyness, too much “on to the next” mindset. Yet, I believe it is vital for us to take pause and be still long enough to reflect on where we have come from, how far we have traveled and what we have accomplished. Our creative journey is a sacred one and whether it is a new path for you or one you have walked for years, it is essential to witness our growth.

We often create something, enjoy it momentarily and then quickly move on to the next thing. Rarely, do we rest and refuel in between our creations. Yes, I’m guilty of this too! Rarely, do we examine the creative cycle we have just moved through. What did we learn? How did we challenge ourselves? How did we GROW or not?

We live in a time when we often produce work quickly, almost compulsively, in an effort to “keep up”, to have something to post on social media, to stay ahead of the crowd. This is an abuse of our creative energy. It is a misuse of our inner fire. You were not created to perform like a puppet, strings pulled by the outside world, dancing to a never ending jig before a faceless crowd. You were created to come here and shine and reach high and GROW – AND fall down and get up again and fall down and get up again.

Your creative path must be for YOU and you alone. If you do it for others, if you do it to please someone else, the stones will crumble beneath your feet, weeds will grow up around you. You will become stagnant and empty. Your heart, heavy. Your growth, crippled. Your light, dimmed.

BUT if you cultivate your creative path from your soul, if you nourish your inner artist, you will see her bloom and unfurl and set down deep roots. Roots that are sustained with passion and drenched in love. This is true growth. This needs to be honored and celebrated.

Picking up the pencil and putting it to paper is growth. Pushing through fear is growth. Both starting and finishing that painting is growth. Stopping to engage in our shadow self to further understand our wounds is growth. Writing down your emotions is growth. Speaking our truth is growth. Choosing to love ourselves more is growth.

I think we like to measure growth by skill alone. This is a mistake. Creative growth is not only about expertise or mastering a technique. Growth is a forward movement towards life. Towards living! It can be subtle. It can be silent. It can be a quiet shift in thinking or feeling or being.

So, this month when we discuss creative growth, I don’t want you to only wonder, “Have I improved in my drawing/painting skills?” I want you to observe your growth holistically. How has your creative practice changed your life in positive ways? Are you calmer? Are you slowing down? Are you being more present? Are you more aware of your body and emotions? These are all progress. These are all growth.

In fact, these inner shifts are perhaps the most important things to first improve upon. Creativity doesn’t cohabitate and flourish well inside a toxic mind or an unfeeling body. This is why I cannot but help tie our artistic journey to our everyday life. Art is life and Life is Art.

Once we still ourselves and embrace this concept you will see your creativity, your inner artist spill out over into everything in your life. It is not containable. An artist lives as an artist or not at all. I don’t mean the stereotype of “the artist” – the over dramatic, flamboyant, starving eccentric. What I mean by that, is that you are not separate from your art. Your inner artist is YOU. Your inspiration, creativity and passion are YOU.

As an artistic being, you cannot resist seeing art in everything from the forest floor to the unfurling bud, to the spider weaving its shimmering web. Your creativity is your spirit and your spirit invites you to expand – in all directions. In all ways. This is why you were created. To grow. To flourish. To awaken to the incredible being you are and always have been. Do not make your growth about benchmarks or competition or comparison. Your growth is holy. Your growth is sacred. Your creative growth should be held, honored, witnessed. Celebrated.

TOP 5 TIPS TO WITNESSING YOUR GROWTH
  1. Date all your work, including sketches or doodles. By doing this you are creating a chronological journey of your work. It is always wonderful to look back and see how you have grown.
  2.  Reflect & Write it down – After you complete a piece of work, take a minute to journal about the experience. How did it go? What aspects tripped you up? How did you overcome or solve problems. How challenged were you? Recording this information not only witnesses your experience it can be a great way to document your process – emotional and physical.
  3. Compare and Contrast – Look at an older piece of your art and put it right next to a newer piece you’ve completed. Observe the growth and compare your processes. Maybe even take a pic of the two side by side and print it out to put in your art journal. Celebrate the growth you see!
  4. Create a growth jar – Grab an old glass jar and put a stack of small papers next to it. When you complete a project or finish a sketch or anything that feels like an accomplishment (these can be smaller things too!) Write it down and put it in the jar. At the end of the year, you can go back through and celebrate all you have achieved in your creative journey! Something fun to do with the family too!
  5. Hang your work up! Pin up your favorite sketches, hang up your beloved paintings, no matter you experience! Find sweet spots to fill your home with your own artwork. This is an amazing act of self love and celebration. Honor your creations by letting them shine! As you grow, you can replace or trade out pieces.
Celebrating Our Growth

by : Ivy Newport

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or back into safety.”
– Abraham Maslow

WORD OF THE MONTH

Growth

 

the process of developing physically, mentally, or spiritually.

Synonyms – expansion, evolution, progression, flowering, cultivation, rise, stretching, waxing, sprouting, swelling, unfolding, improvement, advancement

This word was first seen in the 16th century, in the context of describing a “stage in growing”. It can also be connected and compared to an Old Norse word – groa “to grow.”

For our creative journey, it is important for us to take a moment and reflect upon our own growth and development.

“If you are healing and breaking all at once, do not fear, this is growth.”
– Q. Gibson
Word of the Month : Growth

by : Ivy Newport

WRITING PROMPT

How does my Garden grow?

As mentioned previously, observing and celebrating our creative growth is vital so let’s do a little reflection in our sketchbooks or journals and explore how we have grown so far on our journey. Even if you are just beginning on your artistic path, you will be able to recognize changes and new things unfurling in your way of thinking, seeing and doing.

Take at least 10 minutes of meditation before you begin to write. Set an intention that you are going to be open to this writing session and that you welcome all loving wisdom.

Let’s begin with asking some questions and have faith that have the answers. Take deep breaths after you ask, then wait for the urge to write the answer. Don’t question your answers.

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing grows there.”

– Unknown
In your journal or sketchbook list these questions…

  • How has my way of seeing the world changed since I began embracing my creativity?
  • In what ways has my creativity changed my relationship to the outer world? (Friendships, marriages, connection) Be descriptive.
  • How have I seen myself grow in my creativity? This could be emotional growth (confidence, sensitivity, intuition etc.) physical growth (skill, coordination) or mental growth (imagination, thoughts, dreams, inner dialogue). List any changes you have experienced no matter how subtle.
  • How have I supported my creative growth? (Practice, Meditation, taking classes etc.)

You will see one of our guest artists, Natalie Eslick answer these questions in An Artist’s Voice section! Read on my friends…

Writing Prompt

by : Ivy Newport

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

This month, we will dive deep into lush earth tones. Think forest floor, think tree canopy, think nature trail. Celadon, Olive, Hunter Green, Moss, Raw sienna, yellow ochre, paprika, terracotta, sable, fawn. Beautiful, rich earth tones that pay homage to our growth, our roots, our expanding branches that reach towards the light.

*Colors I used – Arteza acrylic paints – From left to right – Naples Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Mars Orange, Scarlet Red + Mars Orange, Olive Green, Prussian Green, Deep Green, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber.

Growing Seed Prompt – Plant Your Dreams:
  • Write down all the goals, dreams and actions you wish to take for your artistic path on a loose piece of paper. Make the list as long or as short as you like. Take time to really reflect on these words. You can make a copy and put it in your sketchbook if you like. Now take the loose paper and fold it into a small square. Bury it under a tree in your garden or somewhere close to your home. Say a quiet prayer, if that feels in alignment. When you pass that tree each day remember the dreams you gave to the earth. Have faith that they are achievable. Now, do the work.

AN ARTIST’S VOICE

Interview with Natalie Eslick

I’ve asked my dear friend and fellow artist, Natalie Eslick to share some thoughts about intuition and her creative practice…

How has my way of seeing the world changed since I began embracing my creativity?

I came back to art at a very difficult time in my life. I had just finished my masters degree in human rights, specialising in violence against women, for which I received high distinction because I worked my arse off on it, and am extremely passionate about the field.

I had undertaken the degree while working full time and also volunteering almost full time for an NGO dedicated to developing an international human rights mechanism on violence against women. I was working around 100 hours a week often more, I was under so much (mostly self-imposed) pressure as well as dealing with a chronic illness – endometriosis. Can you guess what happened? Yep, crash and burn.

I submitted my last paper and took myself to my favorite place in Australia, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, and on a whim, I packed a sketchbook and a couple of pencils. I was always going to be an artist ‘when I grew up’, right up until I went to university at 17, but I was pushed by well-meaning mentors to follow my academic skills instead of artistic.

Until May 2016 I really hadn’t played with my pencils for more than 20 years, and I am not entirely sure what it was that gave me the impetus to try again. I’m going to say the divine feminine because that feels right and honest to me.

Needless to say, I have hardly put my pencil down since. My outlook on the world up until that point was becoming bleaker and bleaker – studying and working on violence against women and human right violations is important work, but I found out the hard way that it was not the right fit for me – I’m very empathic and my health, physical and mental, rapidly declined the longer I worked in that field. I had to make the decision at the end of 2017 to step away from the volunteer role that was so important to me and what I thought I would do for the rest of my life.

I’m so thankful there are those that continue the fight at the frontline, but unfortunately, it wasn’t right for me. I am finding other ways to support the cause. Instead, I took a winding path back to creativity, and I can’t adequately describe how wonderful it has been. I am revisiting all the things that I so adored in my youth – myth, lore, fantasy, the divine feminine, and I have found joy again. I have connected with some wonderful artists, many of whom are women who have had similar soul experiences to me, and I feel like I have found my tribe.

Sipping from the divine creative well has allowed me to climb out of a very dark hole, and find the most glorious light, filtered through a forest of leaves, filled with faeries and goddesses and twisty, treasured trees, and all the magical creatures of this world and those unseen, and it makes me happy.

In what ways has my creativity changed my relationship to the outer world? (Friendships, marriages, connection) Be descriptive.

I am certainly connected to the outer world in a very different way now – I find I am more present, I see and feel joy more readily. I think this is a byproduct of both creating, but also being constantly inspired by others creations, and seeing the world through other artists eyes on a daily basis. I am a hedge-witch at heart – happiness for me is a tiny cottage in the woods, filled with books and cats and art supplies (let’s be honest, I only need a tiny house, but I need a studio twice that size!) and surrounded by big trees, beds of veggies, herbs and flowers – this is my primary dream goal.

I am an extroverted introvert – I am able to speak publicly for a cause I am passionate about, but I also need lots of alone time and am generally pretty private. I am not great at socializing, I find it stressful and exhausting. I have found art is allowing me to form really lovely, positive friendships with other artists around the world – this has been such a fantastic and unexpected benefit of sharing (such an act of vulnerability) my art on social media. I am so thankful and appreciative of the wider art community as a whole, and my ever-growing wee tribe to boot.

I am also much more connected to my inner world – I listen to my body more (but still often ignore what she is saying!), and there is a new honesty around acknowledging and addressing feelings and thoughts. Creating has reconnected me to a form of escapism that I hadn’t realized was so necessary for my well being.

    How have I seen myself grow in my creativity? This could be emotional growth (confidence, sensitivity, intuition etc.)  physical growth (skill, coordination) or mental growth (imagination, thoughts, dreams, inner dialogue). List any changes you have experienced no matter how subtle.

    Since re-embracing my creativity and dedicating myself to a daily practice my skills in putting pencil to paper have, of course, grown. More than that though, my observational skills have also grown, so much so that I find myself finding wonder and joy in even the most mundane of things, entranced the way light hits an everyday object, the cast shadow of leaves and branches, emerging dandelion flowers, the hover of a damselfly. It is easy to get completely caught up in it all! I’m also enjoying writing again, another aspect of my creativity, and combined with pencil-magic I feel like I am finding a personal truth that I had long ago forgotten.

    I am enjoying a deeper connection to the natural and supernatural world, while I have always been sensitive to the plight of others and our world, I am seeing past the angst around violence and destruction, and intuitively finding ways to honour the incredible beauty our world instead. I have always had a pretty vivid imagination, but at least for the six of seven years prior to finding my way back to art, I hadn’t realised I had so deeply dampened that – there was no room for it in my life apparently. It has taken a while to reconnect with my imagination fully, but I am finding my way there, and as I do, the storytelling in my art is also developing.

    How have I supported my creative growth? (Practice, Meditation, taking classes etc.)

    On an ideal day, I get up at 5am, and head straight to my meditation cushion for a guided practice, which may only be 10 minutes, but sets the tone for my whole day. From there I make myself a hot ginger and lemon drink and sit down to journal for 30 minutes. This is a practice that initially started a couple of years ago with my re-reading Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way” and evolved into a practice where I spend some time working through current anxieties, try and clarify where I want my art practice to go (and lament there is not enough time in the day!), meditate on some big dreams, and then I will pull a card or two from one of my favorite oracle or tarot decks, be open to the universe’s guidance, and write about that. Then Monday to Friday it is off to long hours at my muggle work, and on weekends straight to my easel.

    It is coming up on three years now since I came back to my art practice – in the first two years after I found myself back on this path I purchased a lot of classes – I mean, a lot. I kind of hoarded them, to be honest, and didn’t actually finish many of them at all. Now though, I am so glad I did! I can go back to them and approach them in different ways, see them with some more experience behind me and find ways to incorporate the teaching of other artists into my own style – which I am still trying to find as well. I have an inspirational library of classes at my fingertips, and that is something I can really recommend doing. I am reading for pleasure these days, and listening to audiobooks as I create, which helps fuel my creativity even more. And, shock horror, I am actually trying to get at least 7 hours sleep a night! Woot!

    To learn more about Natalie and follow her beautiful creative journey, you can visit her inside our CREATIVE TRIBE

    MASTER ARTIST GUIDE

    Mary Cassatt

    This beloved female, American Impressionist is revered for her prolific work, often depicting mother and child and other domestic scenes. Hailing from Pennsylvania originally, she had the opportunity to live abroad during her childhood, in both France and Germany. This gave her a unique familiarity to these cultures and languages and served her well, when at the age of 21 she moved to France. Self reliant, ambitious and hardworking, she immersed herself in Eurpoean art culture and befriended and aligned herself with many admired French artists, including – Degas, Pissaro and Renoir. As a result of her own industry and talent, she received recognition from Edgar Degas and became the only American artist to exhibit with the French Impressionists in Paris!

    Although most of her work stayed in the “domestic scenery” of women, child rearing and other depictions of a woman’s daily life, her works were neither trite nor simple. She layered meaning and symbol into her paintings and was quoted as saying “women should be known as SOMEONE not something.”

    She never stopped growing in her artistic path, expanding her techniques beyond painting to pastels and printmaking. As you watch the slideshow, you will see how the Impressionists influenced her oil paintings, Degas inspired some of her pastel work and Japanese art impacted the design of her printmaking pieces! Ironically, this master of painting the mother, never bore her own children or married. She devoted her entire existence to her art and its evolution and growth.

    I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.

    – Mary Cassatt
    pinterest board

    This month truly enjoy the beautiful work of Mary Cassatt! Try to pick a few to study and recreate them in your sketchbook!

    You can find many of her pieces on our Pinterest Board:

    recommended books

    Books on Cassatt worth taking a look

    More info on Cassatt

    Click the links below to learn more about his biography, timeline and view the full catalogue of his work. 

    Learning from the Trees

    It is no coincidence that as I write this, I am beneath the dappled shade of a birch tree in my garden. As I look up into the crown of this most loved tree, I see so much wisdom in its being. I can observe how newer branches are protected by the larger, older boughs. I can see how sheafs of old skin are slowly peeling away to reveal fresh silver flesh beneath. I can see how its roots have spread out wide and deep, disturbing the fenceline and slipping into new territory. I can see how some limbs have died and await a good wind or a storm to snap them free. I see how it sways with the wind, flexible and yielding, open to dance with the sky and not remain rigid or unchanging. I know that at its core, it’s heartwood, lies mysteries and beauty that are encased in its strong, wooden chest, beyond my comprehension.

    A tree can humble you, if you allow it to.  And when we are humble we learn. If we overlay our creative life with the existence of a tree, many lessons can be cultivated and applied. And of course, we know by now, that a “creative” life is LIFE. Life in action. Living. Awake.

    When the root is deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.
    – unknown

    Like my sweet birch tree, are you protecting the new growth inside you? Are you shedding your old skin? Are you planting your roots deep, seeking out nourishment and expansion? Are you willing to break from the parts of yourself that no longer serve you? Will you let a storm blow through you? Will you dance with the wind and flow with life? Will you embrace change as an inevitable part of living? Will you acknowledge the divine beauty at your own core and lean into it without apologies or explanation? Will you reach toward the light?

    This is tree wisdom, this is nature teaching us how to be. I encourage you to listen to these whispers and witness the miracles around you. Furthermore, let us look not just at a singular tree but rather, a forest. When we observe the forest we behold deeper teachings about community, compassion and connection.

    In one of this month’s recommended readings, -”The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben he shares many universal messages, discovered by his great study of trees. Wohllenben reveals the intricate language and eco-system of the forest and we begin to understand that each tree’s survival is better if the surrounding trees also thrive.

    Just like in our own communities, if we choose to grow and expand in a healthy way, in a loving way, we better the lives of those around us. It is this holistic approach to existence that we could all incorporate better into our creative life. If we choose to create, others pick up the brush. If we choose to be brave, others step forward. Therefore, our own growth is to the benefit of all, for remember, we are connected to everything. Absolutely everything.

    Next time, you are unsure of your connection, if you are feeling alone, if you heart is heavy, sit beneath a tree and listen.

    Learning from the Trees

    by : Ivy Newport

    Tree of Life Meditation

    Enjoy this beautiful, relaxing guided meditation with the Tree of Life as our inspiration.

    The Secret Symbology of Trees

    Many ancient cultures and religions worshipped trees denoting them as keepers of wisdom, spirit and life. Since us artists always enjoy a good story and some lovely symbolism let’s take a look at some of these and use them to inspire our own creations this month.

    The Oak 

    The great Oak is revered and was worshipped by many cultures including the Celtic Druids. The word “Druid” is derived from the Greek word “drus” for oak, as the oak tree was sacred to the druid faith. The name “Druid” was given to men or women who possessed what Celts referred to as “oak knowledge,” or wisdom. The Druids would worship and perform rituals in sacred oak groves under the leaves and boughs of this special tree. Dressed all in white, under a moonlit sky, the Druids carefully collected the mistletoe from the tree with golden sickles. These “blooms” were considered gifts from the divine.

    SYMBOLISM : Power, strength, generosity, protection, wisdom.

    The Birch

    Another tree worshiped by the Celtic people, this resilient tree is known as a “pioneer” species because it typically grows in places other trees may not. To the Celts it represented renewal and purification. It also is closely related to the fertility festival of Beltane is considered a sign that Spring is coming, since it is one of the first to leaf. The Birch was considered to be ruled over by the Goddess Venus and is often referred to as the “Lady of the Forest”.

    SYMBOLISM : New beginnings, re-birth, fertility, feminine power

    The Willow

    Due to this tree’s ability to regenerate from a fallen branch upon moist ground, she is aligned with immortality and rebirth in China and is often seen in Asian artwork. The willow is connected to the moon and water so the tree is considered essentially feminine and full of magic.

    SYMBOLISM : the moon, immortality, rebirth, resonance, harmony

    The Elm

    In Greek mythology, the hero Orpheus, having rescued his beloved wife Eurydice from the Underworld by enchanting everyone there with his harp music, paused to play her a love song, at which spot the first elm grove was said to have sprung up. In Celtic mythology, too, elm trees were associated with the Underworld. They had a special affinity with elves who were said to guard the burial mounds, their dead and the associated passage into the Underworld. It is therefore not surprising to note that elm wood was a common material used to construct coffins.

    SYMBOLISM : the underworld, death, communication, relationships, transition to the afterlife

    The Cherry

    A tale recounted in an old English carol tells of how Joseph and the pregnant Mary were walking in a cherry orchard when Mary asked Joseph to pick her some cherries. However Joseph remarked unkindly that she should get whomever ‘brought thee with child’ to pick the cherries for her. The unborn Christ child then communicated with the cherry trees, asking them to lower their branches so that Mary could pick her own cherries, and Joseph was suitably repentant. What a beautiful image indeed – a sweet cherry tree bowing to Mary.  

    In Japan, cherry blossoms are called Sakura and mark a time of celebration and welcoming a new beginning: Spring.

    SYMBOLISM :the precious beauty of life, celebration, Springtime, beginnings, renewal

    “Be like a tree, let the dead leaves drop.

    – Rumi
    You Have Become a Forest

    by Nikita Gill

    “One day when you wake up, you will find that you have become a forest.
    You have grown roots and found strength in them that no one thought you had.
    You have become stronger and more beautiful, full of life-giving qualities.
    You have learned to take all the negativity around you and turn it into oxygen for easy breathing.
    A host of wild creatures live inside you and you call them stories.
    A variety of beautiful birds rest inside your mind and you call them memories.
    You have become an incredible self-sustaining thing of epic proportions.
    And you should be so proud of yourself, of how far you have come from the seeds of who you used to be.”
    You have become a forest

    by : Ivy Newport

    Growing Seed Prompt:

    Draw something, the same thing, everyday for a week. It could be your hand, a mug or a flower or tree outside your window. Anything really. Just make a commitment to sit and observe and sketch this object each day. Spend the same amount of time each day. Perhaps 10 minutes. Make a note of the date on each sketch. Notice by the end of the week how your drawings evolved. Did you see growth in your observation skills?

    Sketchbook Explorations

    Before we begin our explorations, I wanted to provide a cohesive theme for us to focus on. This will help unify our explorations and provides us with a simple place to start when approaching a VERY white and VERY blank sketchbook.

    Our sketchbook theme this month is – (if you haven’t guessed it already) Trees. As mentioned, I believe a lot can be gained by connecting with the trees and with nature in general. The more we can connect with the power, wisdom and inspiration of the natural world, the more we see what is truly important, real and beautiful in our lives. Be free in your sketchbooks this month to express trees and the imagery of growth as it feels right to you.

    I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees
    Henry David Thoreau

    Please remember, our explorations in our sketchbook are really just access points to get you into the flow. However, they can also be seeds for new ideas, concepts and themes in your art. Some of them will be more about writing and others more about drawing and painting. You will see below three prompts and exercises explained and photographed from my own sketchbook. You are welcome to expand upon, invent and experiment with your own concepts too. Use our color palette if you want to. You will see I stay in that theme for my explorations. These may feel silly at first but let your inner artist play.

    EXPLORATION 1

    Tree Sketching

    Choose a tree images or several that you are drawn to or choose to draw from life and sketch these trees. Even if you are working from an image, sit outside if you can and do this. Really tune into the tree, let your eyes trace its branches, imagine its roots beneath the earth. Spend this sacred time connecting with nature. Don’t worry about getting down every single branch or leaf…just try and focus on the main shapes. You can leave the tree as a sketch or feel free to add color in a medium you enjoy.

    I curated some tree images for you too.

    EXPLORATION 2

    My Growth Ring

    A tree’s age is measured by its growth ring, only visible when the tree is sliced in half. The heartwood is seen at the center and expands out into concentric circles. These rings belie not only the age of the tree but the story of its life, its wounds included. Our fingerprints bear an uncanny resemblance to these tree hearts. Using circular patterns create your own growth ring. Incorporate words, symbols or images that represent elements of yourself, your journey, your wounds and your growth. This can be very abstract or more literal, the meaning is for you alone.

    EXPLORATION 3

    Sacred Trees

    Draw, collage or transfer a tree to your sketchbook page. Paint the tree in an expressive way… it’s branches and leaves reaching toward the light. Add any elements or symbols that mean something to you. Use any colors you feel drawn to!

    You can look at our inspiration board if you want to get some ideas.

    Sketchbook Explorations

    by : Ivy Newport

    “Seek out a tree and let it teach you stillness

    – Eckhart Tolle
    Growing Seed Prompt:

    Just like a tree in a forest, you grow and others grow around you. You are also nourished and supported by the loving people in your life. Create 5 small tree inspired cards and write on the front – “Thank you for helping me grow.” Give them to 5 special people in your life who have done just that. If it is someone who has passed on, put this card next to their photo or on their resting place. Sometimes, when we cannot find the will to create for ourselves, create for others.

    JULY ART PROJECT

    Love in a time of no water

    This month, I’m excited to bring you a beautiful lesson from a member of our Creative Tribe of teachers – Jeanne-Marie Webb. Many of you have enjoyed her classes but if you haven’t checked them out, I highly recommend you do.

    Please enjoy this wonderful creative lesson from Jeanne-Marie…

    STUDIOWORKS PODCAST

    July: issue seven

    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 seven

    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.

    CLASSES WORTH ENJOYING

    Studioworks classes to check out that align with our themes this month

    RECOMMENDED BOOKS

    Books to inspire your creative growth and connection to nature:

    MUSIC PLAYLIST

    A playlist with the land and trees in mind.  The first half of the list are lyrical songs and the second half is instrumental. I hope it brings you closer to nature and helps you celebrate your own creative growth in this journey.

    INSTAGRAM MUSES

     Beautiful feeds that focus on symbols, dreams, the moon and getting tuned into your intuition.

    PINTEREST BOARDS