lets talk about setting goals

As a goal minded kind of gal, I love planning for the future, day dreaming and finding ways to make things happen. For years I chased big (unattainable) goals that were all about fast results and I failed over and over again! It wasn’t until I began setting small attainable daily goals that I created lots of momentum in my life. I’m not saying to stop dreaming big but sometimes small steps will lead to amazing things!

With the new year upon us, today I wanted to share some of the best advice I can give about setting goals!

last 24hr flash sale! the business bundle!

Ok friends it's my last end of the year FLASH SALE! I've bundled my business classes together for $30 (compare at $130 for all three) a cost savings of $100! If you are interested in learning all about the business side of art and creativity, this is the deal for you! Head on over to the shop HERE for more details or to register.

Offer ends Sunday, December 30th at 5pm PST

Bundle includes: 

THE ART OF BLOGGING 

Back in 2005 I started a blog to document my journey as an artist and today my little blog has grown into something I never could have imagined- I currently have millions of readers all over the world, my blog has enabled me to generate income for my creative business, many of my posts and projects have "gone viral" or been picked up by a variety of sites and magazines but the best part is that I have been able to inspire and connect with amazing people! In this class I will share all of the blogging tips, techniques and secrets that I have discovered over time. We will dive into a variety of topics such as- design, photography, how to come up with unique content, staying organized, blogging schedules, growing readership, using Pinterest and SO MUCH MORE! Blogging is something that I am incredibly passionate about and I am excited to share that passion with you!

THE BUSINESS OF BEING CREATIVE
In my opinion, there is no magic formula for growing a creative business, in fact there is all kinds of free information that you can access online. I am not going promise you the secret to success in this class. Instead I want to share with you what has worked for me. It has been a long (sometimes painful) 20 year journey with just as much failure as success. I've tried just about everything in the creative world- from working and showing at galleries, to framing art, to teaching at retreats, to selling at craft shows, to freelance, to design and more. I was always searching for a big break and it never came but through it all I was loyal to my love and passion for art. Slowly my creative business grew into something that today supports our family. In this class I share as much information as I can- everything from defining who you are, insight on creative professions, branding, marketing, blogging, managing finances, how to deal with failure and rejection, how to grow and handle growth and so much more. Again, I am not an expert, I am simply an artist whose had a lot of experience finding her way and I am excited to share my story, my knowledge, my success and failure. So if you are looking for the inspiration to jump start your creative goals in 2015, this is the class for you!

DREAM BUILDER
Back in 2009, I quit my day job to pursue art full time. I spent over 15 years working towards my dream of being a full time artist. If there is one thing I have learned from my own journey, it's that when you make time and space in your life to pursue your dreams, big things can happen! In this little class I will be sharing my experiences, practical tips and tricks for going after your creative dreams. If you are looking for inspiration to grow as an artist, launch a dream or find motivation to go after something big, this is the class for you!

24 hour flash sale! art journal bundle!

Ok friends the end of the year flash sales continue! For the next 24 hours I’ve got my art journal bundle on sale!

Starting this evening I've bundled four of my favorite art journal classes together for $30 (compare at $105 for all four)! If you are interested in learning a variety of different ways to keep an art journal, this is the deal for you!

Head on over to my shop HERE for more details or to register!

Offer ends tomorrow, Saturday, December 29th at 5pm PST

THE GARDENERS JOURNAL

Grab that art journal and meet me in the garden! In this class we will be using the garden as as the backdrop for exploration and creativity! We will be using a variety of techniques and materials to discover and document inspiration, memories, garden planning, wildlife observations, weather patterns and more! I will share all kinds of techniques- from sketching, collage and painting to create colorful and layered art journal pages.

THE TRAVELER'S JOURNAL

I carry an art journal or sketchbook wherever I go, even when I travel! The result are pages and page full art, free writing and collage inspired by my experiences. In this class I will be sharing some of my favorite concepts and techniques for keeping a journal dedicated to travel and adventure.

ART JOURNAL DELIGHT

I spend  A LOT of time sketching but I probably spend just as much time working in an art journal. For me there is really a fine line between an art journal and a sketchbook. For my sketching process I limit my supplies- But when I work in my art journal, I explore all kinds of mixed media techniques like painting, collage, sewing (with paper), stamping, doodling, drawing and printmaking. My art journal is a small and accessible place for me to practice, explore and brainstorm all kinds of techniques. 

In this class I will be sharing some of my favorite simple art journal techniques that anyone, any age or any level will be able to create. From using everyday things to incorporating photography to doodling to painting pages to printmaking to stamping and more, I have gathered up my favorite ways to fill an art journal.

ART JOURNAL BLISS

Art Journal Delight has been one of my most popular classes to date so I have created another fun class dedicated to art journaling. In this class I will be sharing more of my favorite simple art journal techniques, tricks,  and prompts that anyone, any age or any level will be able to create!

24 hour flash sale! floral bundle!

Ok friends I am continuing with the end of the year flash sales this week with my floral bundle! 

Starting tonight at 5pm I've bundled four of my favorite flower classes together for $30 (compare at $60 for all four)! If you are interested in learning a variety of different ways to create floral art, this is the deal for you! 

Head on over to the shop HERE for more details or to register!

offer ends Friday, December 28th at 5pm PST

BUNDLE INCLUDES:

ACRYLIC BLOOMS

Flowers and acrylic paint make the perfect pair! In this class I will be sharing all kinds of really simple techniques for transforming your favorite flowers into expressive, beautiful and colorful acrylic paintings.

PASTEL BLOOMS 

There is something so colorful and expressive about creating with pastels. In this class we will use my favorite subject: flowers, to explore a variety of wild and expressive ways to use pastels.

INKY BLOOMS

There is something so simple and beautiful about creating with ink. In this class we will use my favorite subject: flowers, to explore a variety of expressive techniques. From using brushes to found objects to items from nature, we will experiment with creating dynamic and bold floral ink brush paintings.

WATERCOLOR BLOOMS

Flowers and watercolors make the perfect pair! In this class I will be sharing all kinds of really simple techniques for transforming your favorite flowers into expressive, beautiful and colorful paintings. 

24 hour flash sale! painting bundle!

I've got some fun end of the year deals happening for the next few days- a 24 hour flash sale each day until the new year.  Friday sale later this month.

Starting tonight at 5pm I've bundled four of favorite online painting classes together for $30 (compare at $130 for all three) a cost savings of $100! If you are interested in learning all about the business side of art and creativity, this is the deal for you! Head on over to the shop HERE for more details or to register.

Offer ends Thursday, December 27th at 5pm PST

BUNDLE INCLUDES:

PAINTERS BLISS: Join me for a colorful and messy class dedicated to breaking free and finding the bliss that comes with the process of acrylic painting! I will be sharing all my favorite supplies, techniques, tips, tricks and prompts when it comes to painting from the heart. From art journal pages, to small surfaces to painting on a variety of unique materials, we will explore different painting surfaces. We will explore color, expression, movement, composition, how to "let go" and discover ways to listen to our intuition when painting. 

LARGER THAN LIFE: There is nothing more liberating than working big, and this class will introduce you to working larger than life with paint and a variety of different surfaces. Forget about being confined by the size of your surface and start embracing what it feels like to get inside your paintings. We will experiment with working on the floor and on the wall, as well as reaching, crawling, and stretching around our large surfaces to get up close and personal with the creative process. You will learn about simple/affordable supplies, composition and a variety of painting and collage techniques to use on a large surfaces.

BEAUTIFUL BACKGROUNDS: There is nothing more important in my work than creating a really dynamic background and over the years I have developed and sharpened my skills when it comes to creating backgrounds. Beautiful Backgrounds is little class where I am sharing my favorite techniques and materials for creating a really great background. From painting with watercolors, acrylics to using collage materials I will share all my secrets for creating a really great background!

ARTFUL HANDS: You haven't lived as an artist until you have used your fingers and hands to make art! In this class we are throwing away our brushes and tools and using our hands. I'll be sharing a variety of my favorite tricks, tips and techniques for using our hands and fingers to create beautiful and expressive art.

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to say thank you guys! So much of what I do depends on my customers, my students and my readers and I so appreciate the support for my crazy creative business. I want to wish everyone out there a joy filled holiday. And from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you for being a part of our life!

Merry Christmas

xo Alisa, Andy and Lucy

happy weekend!

life around these parts

wrapping paper roundup!

As we move into the last days before Christmas, I want to encourage you to forget about the pressure to go spend more money on gift wrap! Instead challenge yourself to find simple, fast and creative ways to make your own! Here is a roundup of inspiration for you!

1. stitched gift wrap  2. gingerbread present toppers  3. puff paint wrapping  4. wrapping with nature  5.marbleized wrapping  6. holiday wrapping with paper bags  7. using beads in your gift wrapping  8. using book pages in our wrapping 9. black and white wrapping paper 10. gift wrap from the hardware store 11. wood grain wrapping paper 12. ways to recycle your wrapping paper 

13. finger painted floral gift wrap 14. doodle ribbon  15. gingerbread wrapping paper 16. gelli print wrapping paper

FREE DOWNLOAD: colorful gift tags

Need last minute tags for your holiday wrapping? I've got a couple pages of colorful gift tags that I created from a variety of my art for you! 

Download HERE

Need more tags? I've got even more free downloads!

Download HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

a peek inside my process- watercolor floral painting