studio schedule

I've got a handful of live classes/retreats scheduled in my studio. If you are looking for a reason to escape 

to the Oregon Coast and emerse yourself in creativity, join me!

Living on the Oregon Coast has made me a seeker of adventure and inspiration. From the mountains, to the sea, to
the quaint coastal communities- the area offers some amazing inspiration. In my this one day class we will combine
sketching and exploration. We will sketch our way around my hometown of Seaside, Oregon. I will take you to some
of my favorite places and secret spots all while learning and sketching on the go! I will discuss and demonstrate simple
techniques for sketching and keeping a visual journal. We will absorb the colors, materials, and treasures of the area
and document them in our sketchbooks. Drawing and art journaling is such an important part of my creative life- it
provides the opportunity for practice, growth, inspiration and escape and I can't wait to share my passion with you!

For more details visit HERE

From an artistic perspective, growing up on the Oregon Coast made me a seeker of wonders.  From the old growth 

woods, perched above the ocean, to the thundering surf pounding against the rocky shore, to the fog hanging over sandy 

beaches- the landscape offers up its treasures and dynamic inspiration to the willing soul. “You, Me, and the Sea” is 

a small retreat designed to share the inspiration of the Oregon Coast and the opportunity to immerse yourself in 

sketching, painting and mixed media projects based on the natural wonders of the sea. Together we will spend 

3 day sin a whirlwind of creativity- drawing, painting and projects inspired by the ocean and its offerings. We will 

absorb the colors, materials, and treasures of the landscape and turn them into unique artwork. 

for more details visit HERE

With a background in painting and printmaking I have discovered all kinds of simple and messy graffiti inspired 

techniques that can be used in a variety of surface design projects. From painting to doodling to layering color- there 

are so many ways to create unique fabric with a graffiti vibe. And the best part is that alll that fabric can be used to create 

one of a kind accessories! In this two day class you will have the opportunity to design and create your own fabric and then transform that fabric into a unique no sew handbag. I've been transforming my graffiti paintings into purses for the 

last ten years and I am excited to share my techniques and process with you! 

For more details visit HERE

Interested in bringing your group to my studio for a customized retreat or class?

Contact me for class options, details and pricing at alisaburke@gmail.com

fashion friday- DIY ombre hair

Let me first start by saying that I don't think "DIY" and hair belong in the same sentence but this was so darn easy 

I just couldn't resist sharing.

I've been growing my hair out for the last 4 years and FINALLY it's long enough (well, almost- it could probably be 

a little longer) for ombre highlights. Ombre highlights are when your hair graduates to a lighter color at the ends. 

Its a little dramatic and I've found you either love it or hate it- I love it! I think it has a nice boho/summer vibe. 

Feria makes a product called Wild Ombre and since I'd rather spent money on plants for our garden (than a trip 

to the salon) I decided to give it a try. *Word of warning- coloring your hair at home always has the potential to 

go wrong. Make sure you do a strand test before jumping in! 

My hair is dark brown and typically turns a nice auburn/red if I spent time in the sun. I wanted my ombre more 

red (than blond) and less dramatic than the color on the box so I left the color in for the minimum amount of 

time (25 min) to achieve reddish color. 

I love the way that it turned out- its perfect for my wavy (messy) hair and will be fun for summer!

spring color study

grab a ball point pen

My husband Andy is an EXPERT at drawing with a ball point pen so I asked him to help me put together

a swatch guide, with his favorite techniques for using a blue ball point pen in drawing and sketching.

1. Shade dark to light  2. Cross hatching 3. Scribbling  4. Make use of different types of lines and weight of lines 

5. Dark cross hatching or concentrated pigment 6. Hold pen as flat as possible when shading

6. Hold pen at 45 degree angle to shade 7. Use fine details and shading along with lines 

8. Use cross hatching along with lines  9. Shade in the direction of a shape or object 

Head on over to Andy's blog to see more of his ball point pen drawings!

the evolution of a collaboration (with a toddler)

Our little family is getting quite accustomed to creative collaboration (see here, here, here) but making art with 

a nineteen month old toddler is quite the adventure!

We spread out all of our supplies on the floor. I like to have a variety of things on hand- watercolors, markers, 

colored pencils and crayons and I let Lucy pick whatever she wants to work with. Then we both get to work creating.

I try to stay away from showing her how to do things- instead I encourage her to explore the supplies and let her 

direct the process. Typically I will mimic what she does (scribble, paint, splatter, etc) until we have a nice 

messy background. We get into a nice little groove...

but after about 15 minutes things start to get very interesting!

There is drawing on her toes, her legs, and hands and sometimes her face, the floor, then back to the paper, 

her pants, my toes, my hands and then back to the paper.  We get into another groove- this is my favorite part 

because I love a good mess (and have been known to enjoy drawing and painting on myself too). This continues for 

another 15 minutes.

Then I begin to draw over the top of our messy background. This is about the time when she gets restless and 

climbs into my lap.

(FYI messy color and scribbles made by a toddler is a perfect background for doodles and drawings!)

And then she's had enough and climbs onto my back to watch over my shoulder. I can fit in about 10 minutes of 

drawing with her on my back and then it's time to call it quits.

I spend a little time drawing and painting on my own and then I cut up the paper and use it for all kinds of projects- 

this weekend we created Mothers Day cards with it.

The process is not always easy (hello short attention span), nor the way that I typically make art, it doesn't last 

for very long and there is a HUGE mess to clean up but the time spent together is just about the best kind of creative 

fun that an artsy mama could wish for!

life with lucy- unexpected lessons

I've made it through 19 months of motherhood and I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of this mom thing! 

And while I have completely embraced the expected lessons (soak up every moment, it will change your life, 

it's a love like no other, don't sweat the small stuff, etc) there have been a handful of unexpected lessons that 
have really made an impact on my life since Lucy arrived. With Mothers Day this weekend I thought I 
would dedicate a post to five unexpected things I have learned about being a mom (so far).

Incorporating motherhood into my life as an artist has been the single most profound part of this journey so far. 
I knew our lives would be creative and I knew I could introduce art to Lucy with the obvious- drawing, 
painting and crafting. But what I didn't realize was how inspired I would be by having a child. Every moment 
of every day I find myself tapping into my creativity to express my love to Lucy. 

From making things that bring her joy to using art for teaching moments to finding inspiration in her interests, 
I have discovered a whole new way to be creative. Even on days when I don't have time to draw or paint, I am still 
able to be creative because of her!

It's hard to admit but I am a control freak. I like to know what is going to happen, when it will happen and how it 

will feel when it happens. Much of this comes from my reserved nature and (unfortunately) genetics! I have been like 

this my entire life and over the years I've had to lighten up, accept that I cannot control everything and learn how 

to "go with the flow" in different ways. But having a child hit the reset button for me and my control issues. 

As soon as I saw my dear Lucy's little face, I could feel that nasty desire to control everything creep back in. 

So in the last nineteen months I've had to really do some hard work on being ok with things I cannot control. Now 

that I am a mom, I've had to learn over and over again- that it's OKAY to embrace the unexpected and let go of 

the need to control. I know this is going to be a life long journey for me but in all honesty, I am so 

grateful for the growth that motherhood has brought to this part of my personality.

As much I would love for life (and motherhood) to be easy, I have learned in the last two years that it's ok 

(and necessary) to be uncomfortable. I cannot tell you how many times (since I was pregnant up until now) that I 

have struggled with fear, anxiety, doubt and feeling stupid when it comes to raising a kid. There have been 

moments when I have burst into tears, panicked and felt so darn uncomfortable and TOTALLY not "qualified" 

to be a mom. But thankfully, it's in these moments that I have the opportunity to grow in my faith, become wiser, 

lean on my husband, lighten up, be open to change and ultimately, grow into an even stronger woman. 

One of the best lessons I've learned is to keep moving forward despite struggle. As I have mentioned, (HERE) in 
the early months of Lucy's life, we struggled with her reflux. Feedings took so much time, patience and attention and 
much of the day was spent finding ways to keep her upright and comfortable. 

Amidst this challenge, which felt HUGE at the time, I had creative obligations, a business to run and a move to 
Oregon to plan. Some how, some way (by the grace of God!) I was able to learn how to keep moving forward 
despite the obstacles- I strapped that kid to my chest and kept going! There was no time to stop and feel sorry 
for myself or even time to pause and relax- I HAD to keep moving forward in order to pull everything off. This 
lesson has served me well and has helped me push through all kinds of challenging situations.

For years I was very resistant and fearful about becoming a mom. There were a multitude of reasons combined 
with bad timing but the biggest fear I had was losing myself in the experience. When I found out I was pregnant 
this fear was something I thought about (and prayed about) until I went into labor. I had no idea what to expect 
when Lucy arrived, I had prepared myself for the "worst case scenario" (losing myself) but to my surprise 
something different happened. 

I did lose myself (or maybe I should say found myself), especially in those early days but strangely I loved the feeling. 

Motherhood seemed to be the missing piece of the puzzle in my life. Now, a year and a half later, much of the 

old Alisa is LONG gone. My priorities, my interests, my goals and my perspective have changed in the most beautiful 

of ways. The truth is- I have completely lost myself to being a wife and a mom and I am loving every moment of it!

How about all you moms out there? 

Do you have any unexpected lessons that have come from your own journey as a mother? I'd love to hear!