Creator Five: Ivy Rodgers’ Look Back and a Re(new)ed Forward Motion

Art exhibits often look at an artist’s work over time, many times with a connecting thread between works. For south-central Pennsylvania’s Ivy Rodgers, her upcoming exhibit at York’s The Grotto, re(new), features works created in the immediately previous six months.

Rodgers lets us look at her creative side via our Creator Five questions.

1) “I’m mainly a painter, but I use a lot of materials that stretch that definition. I love utilizing found materials like vintage photos and postcards and end up creating a lot of mixed-media pieces,” Ivy notes. “I’ve dabbled in sculpture and ceramics as well, but I currently don’t have a workspace for all that.”

“A lot of people see just the finished piece and don’t realize how many layers are happening beneath the surface. The layers affect the overall look and depth of the final image, and I think a lot of people don’t recognize the amount of work that goes into it.”

2) Continuing, the artist discusses when and how creativity typically strikes.

“Hm… It really depends on my mood and energy level for the day. I like working at midday and later in the evenings. I enjoy relaxing and being able to work on something with zero expectations for myself or the work and let it happen naturally.”

“My best friend & husband Sean, my parents Yvonne and Phill, hip hop artists, poets, writers, artists from history, and everyday people” inspire her.

But what about books and music, both of which obviously get an immediate, intense reaction?

“Oh gosh, this is a slippery slope for me. (I could talk about books for a long time.) I really love literary fiction, which includes classic writers like Charles Dickens, John Steinbeck, Octavia E. Butler, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky. But my main go-to recommendation is either Haruki Murakami or Junji Ito — both amazing contemporary Japanese authors.

“I have pretty vast music tastes. I grew up listening to The Bee Gees, The Partridge Family, and Supertramp with my Mom. As I got older, my Dad and I really connected over music, and he exposed me to Radiohead, Eels, Coldplay, Beck, and just a bunch of fun, weird stuff. As an adult, I found hip-hop. Sean and I really bonded over listening to “good kid, m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar when we met in 2012, so hip hop has my heart forever.”

“good kid, m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar

3) A creative mind depends upon being in a well-tended mind and body — comfort — even for the small things. That explains an annoyance, “My feet being cold. I love going barefoot, and when it’s winter and chilly, I wear the fuzziest and warmest socks I own.”

And self-care can be spotted in her work area, where she notes a necessary item: moisturizer.

“It’s a lifeline among art supplies, stacks of books, and works-in-progress.”

If a day trip is needed to jump-start creativity, she’d likely head to D.C. or Philly.

“Both cities have awesome food, great museums, and weird shops & experiences. Favorite museums, you ask? Philly — it has to be The Mütter Museum and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. D.C.- the National Gallery, the Hirshhorn, The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the National Portrait Gallery. I still haven’t been to The National Museum of African American History and Culture, so that’s definitely on my list to visit.”

4) Our Creator Five questions always take a side trip into food, helping us take a different route into our personalities.

Ivy’s guilty pleasure snack reflects our region: “Potato chips. Obviously, they’re not healthy, but I have a salty tooth instead of a sweet tooth, hahaha.”

“I’m vegan, so literally any non-dairy ice cream is usually delicious. I used to be a strawberry person, but over time mint chocolate chip stole my heart. I love a big sandwich on freshly baked bread with hummus, veggies, sprouts, and all kinds of good stuff; has to have a nice crunch.

“There aren’t a lot of foods I don’t like. I wish I liked water chestnuts; they’re often in mixed veggies in Chinese food. It’s a texture thing.”

Copyright Ivy Rodgers — *Work by ©Ivy Rodgers*

5) A career in the arts involves self-reflection and can result in thoughts worth sharing. From the artist:

“Something I remind myself of daily: breathe deeply, speak to yourself with kindness and compassion, and just worry about things that are within your control.

“Don’t doubt yourself so much. Go with your gut. If something feels right, roll with it. If something feels wrong, scrap it and move forward anyway.”

For Ivy Rodgers, looking at her creative journey over the last six months allows us to see how she’ll move forward.