January

2026

The Monthly Muse / No.1

Welcome to The Monthly Muse, a series all about mood-boards. Each month I’ll be pulling together inspiring images to create a visual composition as a creative exercise, just for fun.

I’ll explore the various aspects of design by combining colors, textures, shapes and compositions to create a visual story.

Featuring color swatches and the MM playlist with a curation of good tunes that will be updated with each entry. Thanks for being here! X

A collage of various artwork, photographs, and objects including abstract paintings, a grilled cheese with a soft-boiled egg on top, a person practicing yoga, a drawing of a woman with headphones, stacked wooden chairs, a woman sitting on a chair, a moka pot, and halved cherries.
Collage of various artworks, photographs, and handwritten notes, including abstract art, a black-and-white portrait, a woman sitting in a chair, kitchen and food items, and color swatches.
A collection of printed photos, drawings, and artwork scattered on a table surface. Some images include a black-and-white photograph of a woman's face, a stylized drawing of clock gears, and a sketch of a figure with a heart. The collage features various textures and artistic styles.
Open magazine spread displaying various artwork, designs, and a quote, laid on a woven beige rug.
A scrapbook page with photographs and handwritten notes. The photos include a man drawing on the ground, a horse silhouette, and a person in a blue jacket. The handwritten note on a tan paper says, "LO JOM IM".

This board features a color palette of mid-century muted tones of red, green and blue. Rich dark tones of chocolate brown, charcoal and an overall balance of beige.

A grid of six color swatches with their hex codes: burnt orange (#d04c30), tan (#c1a36b), olive green (#7c6923), dark brown (#563106), slate gray (#404e5d), and charcoal black (#332c26).

Now Playing

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Now Playing ·

A playlist, for you. Songs added monthly. <3

A simple illustration of a three-dimensional cube outline done in light blue lines on a black background.

@juliarose_studio

Mood-board Sources:

  1. Arshile Gorky. “Bull in the Sun Rug” 1942.

  2. Fig Photograph, Unknown.

  3. Pablo Picasso. “Buste Blanc Sur Noir” 1949.

  4. Say Lou Lou / Drew Escriva, Rosie Dalton, RSSH. 2018.

  5. Alvar Aalto. Artek Stool 60.

  6. Kate Boxer. “Charles Goodnight” 2023.

  7. Lucio Fontana. “Lo Sono un Santo” 1958.

  8. Moka Pot Photograph, Unknown.

  9. Pablo Picasso, Photograph. 1972.

  10. Francesca Woodman. “Self Portrait”

  11. Paul Klee. “A Spirit Serves a Small Breakfast” 1920.

  12. Donald Judd Furniture Retrospective. Paperback. 1955.

  13. Joan Miro. “La Commedia dell’Arte: Plate VIII” 1979.

  14. Photograph by Kirsty Munro. 2024.

  15. Sawtooth Star Quilt by Betsy Baker Mead. 1875-1885.

    *Disclaimer: I do not own any of the images used in the mood-board. Please note that all images and copyrights belong to their original owners.

    *Intended for inspirational purposes only. :-)