A Little Big Song. Oil on panel 4x4" Mini painting. Original SOLD before the paint even dried.
Thumb for scale.

Somewhere, someone knows every word to the song you want to sing.

So often I text my mom as I'm working on new projects. 
"I sometimes see every sound, flutter , rustling in the leaves you heard all around you growing up on Whidbey. The coyotes yippping at night, the raven calls, owls, crows, whales, bunnies……  on and on. And then all the drawings of animals you did your whole life- 
You were born to do this.
That is so tiny and at the same time, huge. " -My Mother

Sometimes I have a lot to say about what I paint. 
But sometimes I just listen.

 “All I Need” pt IV. oil on canvas 11x14”. Original available and currently hanging at @colegallery
LTD EDITION PRINTS NOW AVAILABLE!
Don’t be fooled by this “All I Need” series. These are not paintings, these are love songs.
“I chased my dreams until I caught them. I chased my thoughts until I stopped thinking. And I chased my heart until I found you.” - @realiainsthomas 

One of the most important things you can do is let someone know they are not alone in this world.

Once you understand and truly believe you are enough and your story is worthy, you fight to have more stories.
Sharing our stories reminds us that we're all human as heck. And there are so many different ways to be human: sing your songs, do your dances, make your paintings- write your love letter to the world.
I think one of the universal truths of this human condition is we all want to feel worthy of love and belonging.

✨And however you’re feeling right now,
You gotta know,
Is an appropriate response to this world.
You are enough.✌🏻

The title came from a song, as so often is the case in my work. (Awolnation)
Reminder: if you see something in one of my stories, unless it’s a commission you can definitely DM to snag it before it gets posted! 💜

Part of my Flight School Series: The Ones to Keep, oil on panel 10x10".

​“Here is the simple truth about people: Love the ones you want to keep.”
— pleasefindthis


 It was during the creation of this new series that I fully realized how important it was to create characters and scenes that make us feel more alive. I never want to force a direction, so sometimes I’ll go in extremely dark places with my work, but I much prefer being closer to life and using the painting process to celebrate  just being here to experience it all.⁣
✨​

Original Post August 14, 2021
​All I Need pt I. Oil on canvas 24x24”. Sold before it was even for sale!
[It's been brought to my attention that my content, everything I've ever put on instagram, I don't own.  If social media collapses, so does everything I've written about my work. I'll be going through my posts working to transfer my work, thoughtful captions, etc to my own blog, The Easel Weasel,.This is a visual autopsy of sorts until we get caught up to present day! Some of these I will repost to the gram as I think it’s insane to look back on my journey these past 2 years.]
You may not agree, you may not care, but
if you are looking at this new series of paintings, you should know that of all the sights I love in this world — and there are plenty — very near the top of the list is this one: birds without cages.
I did not have an intent to paint this. In fact, I had planned to paint a deer yesterday. But these two showed up in the studio and brought a few more with them. I’ve learned over time, not to fight these visitors and force my own agenda. So, here we are. This is my white flag. This is surrendering to the creative process.
This is “All I need” part I of the series and the only one that did not get scanned as a print, sadly.
“The most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.

Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” -MaryOliver
Don’t fight it, lean into the fire
and rage.

“All I Need, III” Oil on cradled pane 18x24”. ‼️Original SOLD.
🐯NEW LTD ED PRINT RELEASE! Available directly from my site (→bio)

​Don’t be fooled by this “All I Need” series: These are not paintings, these are love songs.


Stephen King says “all novels are really letters aimed at one person.” I don’t view my work much differently. 


Similarly, the artist who does my tattoos, Jeff Cornell (Hidden Hand Tattoo, Seattle) once told me something I’ll never forget, which speaks to this series in particular. Mind you, he’s not only the grand daddy of the Seattle tattoo scene, but he’s a brilliant musician. 


✨“Doesn’t matter what type of music it is, I think every song is a love song.”

And initially I was a little distracted by the fact he was drilling my elbow (OW!) but the more I thought about it? I couldn’t agree more. This collection is telling my stories, singing my songs and 
The “All I Need” collection is about having the courage to show up and let yourself be seen. 
Connection is why we are here.
This is me,
Telling my stories
Singing my songs
Writing my letters
✨for you.


And most importantly

Letting you know, no matter where you are
You are not alone.
✨
And what could be more important than that?
For me, not a heck’in thing.
✌🏻
The title came from a song, as so often is the case in my work - Awolnation


Reminder: if you see something in one of my stories, unless it’s a commission you can definitely DM to snag it before it gets posted! 💜
​Sign up to my newsletter (bottom of page) to receive a discount code tomorrow evening to use for my site-wide sale Feb 20-Mar 6!

The Riot of Flowers Fox/Finch series: Two of these (first two in top row) arrived at their forever home this week and the loveliest fox-loving collector posted them together:
“it’s not just a fox thing, it’s an ‘Aliza’ thing!” 

It’s incredible to have such wonderful collectors of my work.
-Original caption-
“And my soul saw you and it kind of went: oh there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”- @realiainsthomas


—About the Fox&Finch Riot of Flowers series---

Our wounds can be the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us.
This series of foxes and finches is not about two people.
It’s about one broken girl finding herself in this  
 sometimes dark and lonely world.
🦊🐥
I think there’s a thousand monkeys with paintbrushes in my heart and each one of them loves you too much to find words tell you.
So they just keep painting foxes and finches
about you.

Paint what you can’t help but paint✌🏻
These are all about you
if you know, you know.
Limited edition prints of Dandelions I & Daisies available from alizaandhermonsters.com
No. 3 and 4 are the only originals left! DM or Message for inquiries about original work.
​

Oil on panel, 4x6" miniature paintings. All sold. 
​Bunnies 1-5 June 2021, Bunny 6 special commission request February 2022.
Bunny 7 February 2022.

"I am very aware of the fact that I'm not right. I know hiding under tables and in bathrooms isn’t normal. I know that I’ve carved out a life that lets me hide when I need to because I wouldn’t survive any other way.”― Jenny Lawson
It was my biggest hope that by being vulnerable in talking about hard feelings it would show others that it is perfectly okay to do so.
To see that aim has been reached atleast on a small scale is really everything. 🐰
…to be honest, I never know exactly what to say to people in these moments. But the more messages I get, the more Im realizing… it's not so much my response that's important so much as it is that I listen and see you, taking your turn at expressing yourself as you need to.

Rabbits represent my childhood in so many ways - I'll speak more on this when I go into the Hare-O-Naut series. 

[Rabbit-tober Day 28, 2020. Work of the Day: "Float"]
It's been brought to my attention that my content, everything I've ever put on instagram, I don't own. 
​If social media collapses, so does everything I've written about my work.
So I'll be going through my posts and working to transfer my work, my thoughtful captions, etc to my own blog.
This is sort of a visual autopsy of sorts until we get caught up to present day!
Original Post archived from Inktober 2020 where I drew 31 rabbits for the month, I posted each one just for 24 hours
Original caption:

To leave, after all, is not the same as being left.
Sometimes to keep yourself together, you must allow yourself to leave.
Even if breaking your heart
is what it takes to breathe. - EH
​----

So what’s up with all the rabbits? Hang with me here:

I come from a magical island full of bunnies. It has been said that perhaps many years ago a few escaped from the island county fair, and well, you know how rabbits are.

We had a rabbit as a pet when I was really little, it had free reign of the house and was even litter box trained.
My great grandma was an artist, a maker. She gave my sister and I wooden rabbits that had wheels for feet and a string to pull them around. It was our version of a little red wagon, I guess.
Maybe you’re familiar with this, but I wasn’t raised with barbie dolls. I had a stuffed animal bunny named Hoppy VanderHare (I’m not making this up, it’s a collectible now!) that would come along wherever we went.
I don’t have many fond memories growing up, but rabbits were always a small way out of the chaos and represent the childhood I couldn’t wait to get away from.

As soon as I could, I left.
And I’ve been leaving ever since. Every relationship, every winter, every opportunity to really let people in.

The whole leaving thing?
It’s in me.

I’m working on it.

[Original Post: January 25, 2020] 
​[It's been brought to my attention that my content, everything I've ever put on instagram, I don't own. 
If social media collapses, so does everything I've written about my work. I'll be going through my posts working to transfer my work, thoughtful captions, etc to my own blog, The Easel Weasel, link in bio!
This is a visual autopsy of sorts until we get caught up to present day! Some of these I will repost to the gram as I think it’s insane to look back on my journey these past 2 years.]
Everything I ever let go of has claw marks. Acrylic on canvas, 3x4ft. SOLD and hanging in Hidden Hand Tattoo, Seattle WA.

The best things in life.
aren’t things.

--- When the piece sold I posted September 9, 2021:
​nd the snarly boi is SOLD - I couldn’t ask for it to go to a more perfect home with  instagram.com/horijefe Jeff Cornell in his shop, Hidden Hand Tattoo
Jeff owns the tat dojo and he had a front row seat to this giant tiger operation when it started almost 5 years ago. It’s funny thinking back on all the conversations we had where I was floundering over all sorts of things related to color.
It’s cool to have someone follow my art journey from the very start.
It’s even cooler to give a tiger back to the guy that put one on my thigh!

Before I found my way back to oil paint in 2018,
I spent 1 year with 2 colors of acrylics:
Black and white.

I had no idea how to simplify an image and make the marks I needed to and had no idea what to do with color.
But I still did it. Listening to the voice that says you can’t do something, you’re not good enough? Well, if you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them.
I never thought these would ever leave my studio. Shoot, I never thought *any* of my work would leave my studio or the homes of very close friends and family.

From 2020-2021, the 5 giant tigers have been shown in 3 venues in Seattle. I can’t wait to see this one hang in the new remodeled shop.

I’m not sure I’ll continue to feature these as my style has drastically evolved, but I will never ever stop painting them. Over time, I’ve learned how to translate better the monsters that wander around in my head and heart. I want a symphony of value, color harmony and texture- that to me is the full language of a painter.
All of the colors of my paintings are orchestrated and heightened to help you understand what I want to say. And I’m here to tell my story as honestly as I can.

[ORIGINAL REPOST FROM: January 24, 2020 ]
📸credit: instagram.com/somerrunner
tattoo: instagram.com/horijefe​

[It's been brought to my attention that my content, everything I've ever put on instagram, I don't own. 
If social media collapses, so does everything I've written about my work. I'll be going through my posts working to transfer my work, thoughtful captions, etc to my own blog, The Easel Weasel, link in bio!
This is a visual autopsy of sorts until we get caught up to present day! Some of these I will repost to the gram as I think it’s insane to look back on my journey these past 2 years.

“All I wanted was to live a life where I could be me, and be okay with that. I had no need for material possessions, money or even close friends with me on my journey. I never understood people very well anyway, and they never seemed to understand me very well either. All I wanted was my art and the chance to be the creator of my own world, my own reality.”🖤-C.E.

Hi, everyone in and around my world🐅 let’s catch up.

What a year this month has been. As some of you know, I don’t consider myself an “artist”, I never thought any of my work was worth showing, but I still did it. To be more exact, I don’t “do” art, I feel it. Talking about the hard feelings and showing them to everyone is probably the scariest thing I will do.
This week I started to challenge the fear of being seen. I launched this public Instagram account for my art. the responses from people I have never and likely will never meet is overwhelming.

As if that wasn’t enough, 4 days later I received an invitation from a talented local artist (who would later become the greatest mentor) to show my work with the Emerald City Artist Collective.
I’d be lying if I said this week [January 24, 2020]  is going down as the most raw and vulnerable time of my life.
I’m not ashamed to say, I am just happy to be here.

This is me in my small world, with my big paintings (3ftx4ft)💫. PS: I’m so sorry if you thought this was going to be all octopus and elephant sketches. You don’t know this yet, but i like tigers.
I identify with tigers 🐯
I can’t wait to show them to you.

It's been brought to my attention that my content, everything I've ever put on instagram, I don't own. 
If social media collapses, so does everything I've written about my work.
So I'll be going through my posts and working to transfer my work, my thoughtful captions, etc to my own blog.
This is sort of a visual autopsy of sorts until we get caught up to present day!
Here's a look back to my very first post. I started that account without telling anyone I knew. I wanted it to be a true litmus test to see whether there was any genuine interest in what I had to say.
Your friends and family are not your niche.
They will love your work because YOU made it. Not necessarily because they think it's valuable. 
I didn't want to play any games. I don't follow anyone on this account, I didn't want any 'follow 4 follow' type of variables to play into the success or failure of this endeavor.
I could not have been more proud, shocked and just amazed at everything that has happened as a result of just taking that first small step in sharing my work online.

Oil on canvas 18x24”. Circa January 2021. SOLD
[original caption]
​
Let’s talk about documenting vs expressing, which is what I’m becoming increasingly more interested in as I develop my vocabulary in painting.

Painting is personal and I think it exists on a spectrum from completely abstract to hyperrealistic. Where we position ourselves on that spectrum is where individuality comes in, and where expressing our own personality comes through.

There’s no right or wrong here. For me, personally I’ve been walking a tightrope between describing the things that I see on the one hand, and expressing how I feel about
them on the other - and trying to get all of that into the painting at the same time.

If I wanted to approach
painting in a more documentary way, if I
wanted to be more literal about where things are,
I would just have to paint in a slightly different way.

But this painting isn't about that. It’s not documentary, it's not about saying this was here and this was here at this particular point in time.
It's much more personal.

So there's a lot of marks in here, which are very much about how I was feeling at the time, feelings I can only assign color and shape to that I can’t say any other way. Things I just don’t have words to speak about, but, need to say.

So you’ll notice my “style” changes as I learn how to make the marks to communicate more effectively.

You are not trapped, either. You are free to change. And, you should.
🐙

Monster Monday. Oil on canvas 18x24”. Circa December 2020 . Original SOLD.
It’s incredible to have collectors of my work
It’s even more incredible to read how much it means to them.
This piece joined a special collection and I couldn't have picked a better home for it.

"I must be a mermaid, Rango. I have no fear of depths and a great fear of shallow living." -Anais Nin
When I shook myself loose of the endless digital demands of my attention this morning
I felt overwhelmed.
Absolutely swamped
I felt small in the face of all the stuff that is competing for my attention.
I felt uninspired and my spark for creative work, which is an absolute force - no fragile thing at the best of the times, was all but burned out for the day.

So I’ve taken to social media to complain about social media. When I decided to share my work in 2020, I had no idea the success or the flood of business related activity that would come along with it.

Sometimes I’m over the wave and you see a lot of me. I’ve got a handle things.
But, sometimes I’m under the wave. The wave of obligations, emails, constant noise of social media that can drown my own voice if I’m not careful.
I do not believe we are hard wired to take in this much information.
The flood of news from war torn corners of the world, the constant tinnitus of the latest health scares, the fear that I won’t be able to keep up with everything that sets my heart on fire. The fear that one day I’ll be too paralyzed to even start.
These are the days where I am grateful for flow. All I need to do is get to the easel and the wave that has me… takes me to shore.
The wave is always there.
But I refuse to stop showing up.
And so should you.


Keep fighting the good fight.
…But only the fights that need fighting.
Sometimes it helps to just know you’re not alone and this is a common struggle.
The struggle to wrestle the limited time and attention I have away from the scope creep of everything else is real. Art is my way of navigating the deeper waters.
You are not alone, and you got this.
Go pick up that paintbrush.

 I'm in the process of transferring all my instagram posts to blog form- As promised,
The original caption for this piece:

“We all build internal sea walls to keep at bay the sadnesses of life. We build these walls stone by stone over a lifetime. One problem is to construct a barrier of such height that one has a harbor, a sanctuary away from pain, yet low enough and permeable enough to let in fresh seawater to fend off the inclination toward brackishness. “- Kay Jamison .
.
.
Here’s to being a brackish girl.
Even if just one person can understand what I’m feeling on any one painting or even sometimes an errant but clean repurposed napkin if it’s all I have at the time— that makes me feel just a little bit less alone and makes those monsters I’ve made for myself a little less so. 🦑.
.
After 32 years, I realize not letting myself be seen, not saying what I have to say is perhaps the most isolating thing I could possibly do with my work.
Thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for looking.
Thank you, maybe, just maybe, for feeling this with me.✌🏻.

The Calling. Oil on panel 8x10” study I did today that I totally fell in love with.  SOLD.

It is invigorating to finally decide to dedicate your life to what brings you joy. Being an artist is a vulnerable path. You create something intensely personal and then open your heart to the world. 
Not everyone is so fearless.
It’s actually not about being fearless.

Don't let
anybody tell you you can’t, or to not be afraid. 
 It's okay to be afraid
because you can't be brave or courageous
without fear.
The idea of being courageous is that
even though you're scared, you just do
the right thing anyway.

By pursuing my art despite the risks and fears, I hope to inspire at least one person out there to do the same.
 I am acutely aware the support  from everyone in [the instagram] community has encouraged me to continue sharing my art, and has been integral to my growth along this journey. I cannot believe that as of today, there’s now 10,000 of you following along on IG @aliza.and.her.monsters. 

But dont think it’s because I’m talented.
I didn’t get here because of talent. Talent is a myth.

It was hard work, putting in all the time and effort to study, practice and develop these skills– things that are so much more complex than ‘talent’.

So you tell me you tried to draw but you can’t after making your first sketch. You decided that you had ‘no talent’.
What if you had kept trying?
Art is a skill like playing an instrument or driving a car. Given a lot of hard work and time, you can improve over time. And, like any skill, it requires practice; hours and hours, and days, and weeks, and months, and years of practice. Practice can be absolutely no fun- it is riddled with failure and self-doubt that make you question  whether you can ever improve. Sometimes practice makes you feel like trash.
 It can feel scary because the prospect of failing can be paralyzing.

It's okay to be afraid.
Go pick up that paintbrush.
✌🏻