Alisa Burpee did quite a bit of travelling from her origins in Spokane to attending the University of San Diego before moving back to the Northwest in 2006. She comments, “I missed the seasons and friends I had made here.” She earned a PHD in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and worked with adults with anxiety and trauma in a private practice in Seattle for 10 years.
But Alisa was drawn to other interests that have now become a regular part of her life. She began making macrame in 2019 and then focused her talents on watercolor painting in 2020. She graduated with her 200 hour yoga teaching certificate in spring of 2024 and moved to Whidbey in fall of that year. She has been leading yoga classes at Island Athletic Club in Freeland since then.
She first began showing her artwork at Urban Craft Uprising in Downtown Seattle. When she moved to Whidbey Island, she began showing her work at the Whidbey Art Markets including the Holiday Art Market at Freeland Hall over Thanksgiving weekend.
Alisa feels that Whidbey Island has become the perfect place for her to settle. She notes, “There is a strong and supportive arts community on Whidbey.” She adds, “I wanted a quieter pace, more of a community, and access to nature. I found it all here on Whidbey.”
Her macrame and watercolor greeting cards are currently on display at Koneksi Gallery in Clinton. In addition to the Konekski Gallery, her pet portraits are being shown at the Pup Stop at Greenbank Farm. Her watercolor themes are focused on animals. She comments: “They show lots of love and compassion, and their faces have such creative expressions.”
Alisa’s yoga classes at Island Athletic Club are well attended and appreciated, and she is starting a four-week Yoga Nidra series at Island Athletic Club on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. beginning February 7th. She says, “This is a deep restorative practice for soothing the nervous system. The 60-minute practice, often called ‘yogic sleep,’ is a guided, meditative practice done lying down. Yoga Nidra is especially supportive for people dealing with stress, caregiver burnout, chronic tension or pain, fatigue, big life transitions, or a desire to relate to oneself more gently.”
To learn more about Alisa Burpee’s art, visit her website: www.honuhomegoods.com. To sign up for her Yoga Nidra series, call Island Athletic Club at 360-331-2582.
