a family collaboration

We've been at it again- collaborating as a family on a GIANT painting! This one measures 4 feet by 8 feet, it is made from luan mounted onto a frame. Luan is a 1/4 inch thick wood that is  really lightweight and the perfect material for a painting this size. 

We've been working on this project for a couple weeks. Once it's done, it will be hanging in Maiden Astoria, a local gallery that I shared in my last post. As usual, we brought the video camera out to the garage and let it records hours of our work. It's really chaotic, super messy, sometimes challenging but always lots of fun. We have a few more days before it's completely finished but thought it would be fun to share a peek our process!


a collaboration from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.  Click on the HD logo to play in high definition
music: Stars and the Moon by The Dimes from Marmoset Music

You can view all of our family collaborations HERE

a family collaboration

This time of year can be challenging- it's raining, it gets dark early and this year we've all been battling the colds. All of these factors all add up to CABIN FEVER! And there is nothing better for the soul than a little creativity (at least that is what our family thinks). So we have been spending a lot of time at home and in the studio making art together as a family. If you are a long time follower you will know that we like to capture our process- we set up the video camera in the garage and let it records hours of our painting collaborations. It's really chaotic, super messy, sometimes challenging but always lots of fun and a great way to blow off some steam on those rainy days! We just finished our latest collaboration- this painting is paying homage to Andy's Indonesia heritage. I've put together a peek into our crazy process!

aa-collaborate from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

You can view all of our family collaborations HERE

the art of collaboration

If I am being honest, I am a bit of a "creative lone wolf"- I prefer to make art by myself and I typically don't collaborate or pull others into my process. But collaborating with my husband Andy has really opened my eyes to how wonderful it is to come together with another artist and make something really special. We are so different in a million ways (some of those ways create a lot of challenges in our marriage) but somehow when we make art together our differences are the best part of the process. If you haven't tried collaborating with another artist I want to encourage you to give it a try at least once! It is a wonderful way to push yourself in new and different ways.

face by Andy, pattern and color by Alisa

check out more of our collaborations HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

creating with a kid

I have my annual You, Me and the Sea Retreat in my studio next week and recently I painted a fun ocean themed mural that will serve as a backdrop for group photos. I filmed the entire process with a plan to share some tips and insight into working large (I'll save that for later this week) but my experience painting with Lucy by my side was too entertaining not to share! 

studio mural from Alisa Burke on Vimeo.

Creating with a toddler by your side is NOT for the faint of heart and there are times when it is downright insanity and a big test of my patience. But the practice of allowing Lucy to create, play and go wild while I create is teaching me an incredible lesson in learning to go with the flow (both as a mother and as an artist). Painting while a toddler drips paint all over the floor, then wraps you up in paper towels, then runs around with an umbrella is crazy (and not for everyone) but at the end of the day, IT'S SO MUCH FUN and I want to have fun while I make art!

While it would be easy to exclude Lucy from my art making, I made a decision early on that I wanted to include her as much as possible. Because I made this choice, I've had to change the entire way that I go about making art. Sure, I could leave home everyday for my studio and create by myself (and there are days when I do) but I like to invite her to participate in my projects. Sharing art is a little like sharing my heart with her and while it makes no difference if she ends being an artist, I do want to her to grow up knowing the freedom, confidence and pure joy that come with the creative process.

And as challenging as it is to juggle my own creative process with hers, there is nothing I would change. This time is fleeting and precious and I will gladly take the messes, the short attention span and the insanity that comes when creating with a kid!

You can check out more of our family collaborations HERE

or read more about Life With Lucy HERE

another collaboration

Once in a while my husband Andy and I like to collaborate on a project together (see here and here). And as many of you know, we are creative opposites. He has a serious gift for drawing realism and portraits. I am an expressive and colorful artist who loves pattern and making a mess. Somehow our creative strengths work really well together and when we collaborate on a project all of our differences fall away and we make magic! Here is a peek into our latest work: