channel your inner picasso!

channel your inner picasso from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.
music- swing guitars by django reinhardt

fashion friday- arrow necklace

Lately I am obsessed with the triangle and arrow trend out there so I decided to put my twist on it by making a easy necklace using simple materials!

1. I started with thick cardboard that I saved from a package and I cut it into an arrow shape. 2. Next I painted the surface with acrylic paint. 3. I added a shape to the middle with black paint- I was going for a southwest inspired vibe.

4. I added 2- 3 layers of Modge Podge to get nice shine and to seal everything. 5. Last I poked a hole in the top and added a jump ring and put it on a chain.

venturing outside my comfort zone

As an artist (and a creative person in general) I feel that its really important to always push yourself to grow, develop and change things up. Its never good to get too comfortable when it comes to making art because you miss out on growth that comes with venturing outside your comfort zone- this is when really great things happen in the creative process!

The one big thing that makes me squirm is working small! Give me brush and a 6 foot surface and I'm in my comfort zone but tell me to work small and I feel like I've been confined, restricted and I suddenly lose all inspiration. So in my quest to always be growing and getting better I have been challenging myself to work small- really small!

I recently purchased a whole bunch of teeny, TINY stretched canvases and went to town painting on them. I picked a subject matter that I am familiar with but challenged myself to work within the small surface with expressive techniques. I forced myself (yes forced) to use the same techniques that I use when working big- using my fingers, lots of defined brushstrokes and messy layers.

The result, after working through numerous little "shell study" paintings was that I actually started to really enjoy myself and found that I didn't have to feel restricted by the size of the surface. Suddenly the discomfort sort of just fell away and I found myself really enjoying the process of working on a smaller scale.

I challenge you to push yourself outside of your creative comfort zone- whether its scale or subject matter, materials or techniques- try something new or even something that makes you uncomfortable- if you give it a little time I guarantee you'll grow, you may end up enjoying yourself and actually find something new to add to your creative routine!

coming soon- you me & the sea art retreat!

if you missed my big news about moving to Oregon and opening my new studio space up for classes and retreats you can find it here!

a peek inside my sketchbook- flower fields and finger paint

In my Art of Abstraction class I've been demonstrating how to use your fingers and hands (instead of tools) to create paintings full of energy and expression. Using finger painting is a great way to really channel your creative energy and get immersed in color. I've been having so much fun teaching this technique that I have been using it in my own work and my recent trip to the flower fields was the perfect subject matter for finger painting.

Here is a peek...

finger paint from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

flower field prints now available in my shop!

fashion friday-high top converse

its that time of year again- the flower fields

see post here

The Flower Fields- Carlsbad, CA