life according to my instagram

Over the last couple of years Instagram has become a fun and important way to document and share peeks into my everyday life. It's just one more way that I can incorporate creativity into my daily schedule! Once in a while I like to share a little peek into my Instagram photos. If you don't already follow me- head on over to my account- my user name is alisakburke- I share all kinds of fun things from our everyday life.

And speaking of Instagram and camera phone photos- my iphone has become a really important tool that I use everyday- all day. I love the wonderful applications for altering and editing photos- I am constantly taking pictures and editing on the go and I couldn't live without some of these simple apps! Here are my top four applications that I use everyday-

Snapseed is my favorite application to use for editing my photos- its SUPER simple and there are all kinds of amazing effects to easily enhance your photos.

I use Whitagram all the time to add a white background to my Instragram photos. Since Instagram photos are in a square format it can be tricky to use your original photos without cropping. Using Whitagram enables you to share your photos in the full format. 

Afterglow is the latest editing application to sweep through Instragram and I must say that it is one of my favorites. Like Snapseed it is really easy to use and has all kinds of fun filters and effects. 

There are all kinds of timer applications out there but I like Camera Timer- its SIMPLE! I use a timer all the time to capture self portraits or family photos. I simply prop my camera against something (water bottle, rock, backpack, stroller) and set the timer and pose for the camera!

exploring we will go

 A while back we made the promise to each other to always make time to seek adventure as a family (you can read about it here). Exploration and going outside is a big part of our daily lives and once in a while I like to share a little peek into our adventures.

YOU CAN VIEW THE SERIES OF OUR FAMILY ADVENTURES HERE

a little whimsy

My latest online class Whimsy and Wonder is in full swing and I am loving this class so much. Since I am completely consumed by all things daydreams and imagination right now, I couldn't resist sharing a few simple ways to infuse a little whimsy into your art. 

p.s. I am also announcing the winners of the 5 free spots for Whimsy and Wonder at the end of the post.

I think daydreaming can be a wonderful way to come up with new ideas and unique inspiration for your art and creative projects. Carve out 10 minutes in your day to detach from your surroundings, let your mind wander to pleasant things, distant places and silly ideas- allow your imagination run wild! Take notes- write things down, sketch or doodle your daydreams. Use those notes as inspiration and a starting place for your art. 

In my opinion, remembering childhood or that sense of child like innocence and wonder is one of the best ways to capture whimsy. Finger paint, scribble, close your eyes while creating or use your non dominant hand to draw. These are all fun ways to let your inhibitions go and create like a kid again!

Your memories make for some of the BEST whimsical subject matter! Take time to gather photos, journal or sketch your memories. Use the places you have been, events, and moments in your personal history as the inspiration for your art. If you don't have a visual reference for your memories, use your imagination to fill in the blanks.

In my opinion color is one of the easiest ways to add a sense of whimsy to your work! Color can transform a simple line drawing into something vibrant and whimsical- TURN UP THE COLOR to create a mood that captures your imagination OR use unexpected colors in unexpected places.

The most important thing to remember when making art that is infused with whimsy is to have fun! Get rid of you inner critic and throw perfection out the window- creating whimsical art is all about being carefree!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS! 

email me at alisaburke@gmail.com

handmade coloring book

Motherhood intersecting with art has probably been one of the most inspiring things to happen in my life. Before Lucy arrived I was so afraid that I would lose my desire to create (you can read about it here) but instead, the opposite happened! I have MORE love and desire for creating than ever before and I have my little muse- Lucy Matisse to thank.

My latest creative endeavor has been been making handmade coloring books for Lucy. After watching her take my sketchbooks and try to color over my drawings I decided to get to work creating some simple little books with lines drawings that she could paint and color.

 I know that creating a handmade coloring book is nothing new but I love the idea of making custom art for my daughter to color instead of buying something. And what started out as a simple idea became a process that was very profound and special for me as an artist/mom. All the drawings were made with lots of love and made me feel even more connected to my little one. Each page, though simple, was made with her 1 year old interests in mind, I used all of the words that she knows, images that she loves and drew them one by one. They are by far some of my most profound work...imagine that!

When I finished drawing, I photocopied the pages and created a few books by biding the pages together with twine. (perhaps when she gets older I'll do a fancier job of biding!) 

I even made a little book full of dots and tiny little doodles- this kid loves to color dots!

The result is a collection of wonderful little custom coloring books for her to color, paint or even rip apart and feed to her sock monkey (it happened). It is a creative project that that I will continue for as long as she lets me!

For those who have asked- I let Lucy create with just about anything (crayons, markers, watercolors, acrylic paint) as long as we are supervising.

lucy coloring book from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

fashion friday-stone statement rings

I am sure my readers know by now that I love creating with stones! I have a huge collection and living next to the beach I am always on the lookout for stones in all shapes and sizes. After finding a whole bunch of really flat and smooth stones, I was inspired to create some unique statement rings! 

Creating a statement ring with a stone is REALLY easy. All you need is a stone (I found that flat and thin makes for a lighter ring) a ring form and epoxy.

You could keep the stone plain or your could draw on the surface. I used white and silver paint pens to draw patterns on the surface of my stones.

I glued the stone to the ring base and in a matter of minutes I had a little collection of fun and unique rings made from nature!

UPDATE! I have my handmade stone rings for sale over in the shop! 

You can view them HERE