Ocean Alchemy — Alisa Burke

My take on seaweed.

Before I left for Florida, I signed up to take a course from Alisa Burke.  It is called "Ocean Alchemy".  I thought that would be a perfect fit.  Also, it was only $15 for 30 short videos. A bargain!

Alisa is more of an illustrator than a painter and that fits my style exactly.  She simplifies shapes and marks to their essence, giving people a sense of what they are seeing, not an exact replica.

While in Florida, I didn't really have everything I needed away from my studio so just concentrated on making backgrounds in my sketchbooks.  During this time I learned two things.  One — you can watercolor and paint with acrylics in a cheap student notebook and that took away all my issues with painting in expensive journals or on watercolor paper.  (So freeing!) and two — using matte acrylic paint eliminates the issues with pages sticking together. (I didn't know there even WAS such a paint!)

So now, I have the freedom to truly experiment in my cheap sketchbook, and improve it in my regular sketchbook, and, if inspired, I can improve it further in one of my expensive sketchbooks.  I like seeing the progression and learning from my mistakes.  Of course, there are no mistakes, right?

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