Kristen Palana
MASTER ARTIST
Unlock Your Artistic Potential
Mentorship is the fastest way to go from where you are today, to where you want to be!
Learn How Mentorship Works or join this mentors group below.
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Mentoring Emerging Artists
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MEDIUM: Mixed Media | Acrylic | Digital | Drawing | Ink
SPECIALTY: ✔ Building Your Brand ✔ Website Sales ✔ Social Media
In my own art practice, I draw the world not as it is but how I wish it could be. I use symbols, icons, and patterns with cross-cultural significance combined with color psychology to help soothe, heal, and reinvigorate weary idealists. Inspired by the lofty mission statements used by the world’s top organizations, my images are a call to action to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet. Through my mixed media drawings, I layer colors, lines, and textures with ink and acrylic on vellum or canvas, adapting my practice to suit an expat’s location-independent life on the move and in diverse environments.
Joining this mentorship means we’re not only going to dive into your art business, income opportunities, teaching, and tech tools. We’ll also explore how your work can inspire meaningful dialogue, challenge perspectives, and contribute to positive societal change. This is about empowering you to use your creativity as a force for good, encouraging a deeper connection with your community and the wider world.
Kristen’s EXPERTISE
Listed below are this Mentor’s specialty skills. Join this group if you want to grow in these areas.
Specialty: ✔ Building Your Brand ✔ Social Media ✔ Website Sales
Technical:
Colour and Composition
Incorporating digital tools and technologies into an art practice
MARKETING & BRANDING:
Website Design
Social Media
Artist Statement & CV
Marketing & Branding
Building Relationships With Fans
Building A Strong Online Persona
Business:
Selling Online
Products, Prints, & Reproductions
Help Making A Career Change
Life Design Plans
Applying for Grants & Fellowships
Running Your Art Business the Day to Day
JOIN NOW
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If the group you're interested in has a waitlist, you have the option to join another group to get started. When your group opens we can transfer you over.
Your Membership Includes (click here):
- Mentorship Session: Meet via video conference for a monthly 2-hour session with your Mentor and small group. You choose the mentor, we provide the group!
- Mid-Month Session: Meet via video conference for a 1-hour session with your small group and Navigator to connect, share progress, encouragement, and support.
- Weekly Events: Attend LIVE weekly events online, on hot topics like Finding Your Style, Composition & Critiques, plus master DEMOS. Access event recordings!
- MyStudio: Access your private online studio space equipped with business tools and Mentorship Session Recordings.
- Chat Group: Access your private online chat group to connect with your small group and Navigator (group facilitator) anytime.
- Discounts: Enjoy member discounts on LIVE and ON-DEMAND courses, art supplies, and more!
Business & Marketing Focused Emerging Group
Are you ready to move your art career forward, but want to do it with heart, clarity, and the tools that actually work right now? You’re in the right place! In this group, I’ll guide you step-by-step through growing your social media and email list, building an artist website and shop that truly reflects who you are, and creating new income streams—from selling originals and prints, to digital downloads and more. Everything we do is tailored to your unique goals, and you’ll walk away from each session with real, actionable steps. My aim is to help you connect with your true audience, grow your confidence, and expand your creative offerings—without any overwhelm or fluff.
I’ll show you the latest techniques I’m using in my own studio, including how to use AI as your creative sidekick (not replacement), simple Meta ads (no huge budgets required!), and strategies for turning those quieter seasons into surprising opportunities for growth. If you’re feeling ready to build momentum, open up more opportunities, and grow your art business with clarity and creativity—this is your space. Let’s roll up our sleeves and get you moving forward!
Topics covered include:
• How to connect with your true audience and grow a loyal, engaged following, without overwhelm or gimmicks.
• To build a professional artist website and shop that reflects your unique voice and attracts your ideal clients.
• Practical strategies for expanding your income, from originals and prints to digital downloads and new product ideas.
• To use the latest marketing tools (including AI and simple Meta ads) to reach more people and open new doors of opportunity.
• To turn quiet seasons into growth periods—by building habits for seeking opportunities, applying for grants, and nurturing your creative practice.
EMERGING
Mentorship MembershipFocus: Marketing
• Skills: Advertising & paid promotion, Brand building, Social media
Focus: Business
• Skills: Diversifying income streams, Day-to-day business management, Prints & reproductions.
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Next session: September 18, 2025
On the 3rd Thursday of every month
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM MDT Thu
Not your timezone? Click below
ON-DEMAND ONLINE COURSE
Find your collectors & increase your sales
MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST
Kristen Palana is an American/Portuguese multidisciplinary artist based in Rome, Italy. After decades of work as a digital artist, she reconnected with her fine art roots in 2021. Her mixed media drawings, inspired by the ambitious mission statements of the world’s top organizations, serve as a call to action to visualize better outcomes for our lives, communities, and the planet. Her time living in Myanmar and Malawi from 2016 to 2024 also deeply influences her work, celebrating diverse cultures and exploring themes of unity and oneness. Kristen's earlier animations have been showcased at over 75 international film festivals, earning numerous awards for “Best Animated Short Film,” including rom the Cannes Short Film Festival, Italy International Film Festival, and Sunscreen Film Festival.
As an educator, Kristen has taught at universities on four continents. She co-founded the Film and Digital Media BFA at The American University of Rome, where she taught full-time beginning in 2006, earned tenure in 2009, and led the Film and Digital Media Program from 2013 to 2016. From 2016 to 2019, she expanded her teaching to academic institutions and NGOs in Myanmar, including at the groundbreaking American University of Myanmar. Currently, Kristen offers in-person, hybrid, and online courses and training for various organizations, including returning to teach at The American University of Rome.
In addition to her fine art practice, Kristen has worked as a designer, educator, and consultant for international agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The British High Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Food Programme (WFP), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and The Australian High Commission. Kristen crafts training programs catering to diverse audiences and, since 2014, has reached over 80,000 online students from 191 countries. Her learners range from refugees and diplomats to individuals without formal education living on less than $2 USD a day, reflecting her commitment to inclusivity and empowerment.
