Here comes the sun
The longest day of the year
Happy Juneteenth! Happy Solstice!!
First off I wanted to say thank you for subscribing! There are over a hundred people subscribed to this casual little newsletter and I want to sincerely thank you for following along.
This newsletter has multiple parts starting with some sketchbook process along with a few things I am offering/promoting. Thanks for reading <3
Process
A forgotten sketchbook
I came across this sketchbook when I was cleaning my studio space and I wanted to share it with you. It’s from over a year ago when I first started thinking about a series of paintings that eventually turned into “Habitat”.
Looking back at these sketches I am especially charmed because now I know what the final paintings look like. You’ll see various notes I took along with quick sketches. I think “Field Roast meat replacement” is so funny and random with no context – I think I was hanging out and sketching with my friends Anna and Logan and we were chatting bout vegetarian food ideas.
Now that I’m on the other side of creating this work (which took a year) I feel good that I committed to finishing a series. I can now appreciate the effort and focus it takes. I have a full-time design job so realistically I know that I will only be able to accomplish this again in a year from now if I decide to start today.
In a previous newsletter I shared that I felt “relieved” at the show opening – I expected to feel more “buzzy” and happy, like how I felt when I first started. Like how I felt when I was making these first initial sketches. The best way I can describe it is like this: I felt like a little kid at the beginning of the process, or maybe the FOOL tarot card – blissed out, enthusiastic, and naively unaware I was heading for a cliff. Now I feel so OLD (haha) or just more “mature” in which my feelings aren’t so buzzy but more grounded and satisfied.
I haven’t heard many artists talk in-depth about their feelings and experiences related to a solo show of work so I wanted to do my best to share honestly how this process felt. For me, the finish line is not the most satisfying part. The unrealized dream and potential of an infant project is the juiciest part – a feeling I want to keep chasing. However with time, the satisfaction of a dream realized is settling in. I could not create those paintings now if I tried because I’m an evolving artist and I don’t feel the same kind of inspiration as I did then.
If you are in the middle of your long-term process, if you have gone over the cliff and are in the pits of despair, I see you. It gets better. Don’t give up!!!!!
How Lucky
Painting for sale
11x14 gouache on panel titled “How Lucky”
I was invited to participate in a pop-up art show called The Dumb Luck show this June. I used a reference photo from a neighborhood walk – I love the contrast of round circles and sharp angles, the complementary palette, and the warped shadows of flowers on car metal.
This piece is priced $350 – if you are interested please reach out! allie@allieyacina.com
Paint the Gorge Art Retreat!
July 27-28 • Mosier OR
My partner Cole and I are hosting an overnight art retreat in the Columbia Gorge!! I’m so excited – I’ve been wanting to host a painting retreat ever since I got back from Spain last year. Come join us! We will be hosting two plein air workshops during the retreat. Dinner and breakfast included. There are a few spots left for folks to camp on site. More info as well as sign-up and payment info can be found at this link!
Sketchbook Journey Class Returns
Sept 29-Oct 7 • Sundays • 10am-12pm
I’m excited to be teaching Sketchbook journey for the fourth (or is it fifth??) time now at Ulna studios!
So far every class has sold out so definitely don’t hesitate if you’ve been wanting to take this class.
The goal of this class is to inspire an art making practice that you can continue once the class is finished. We use techniques like mind mapping, journaling, and general group commiserating to generate inspiration – utilizing the stories and passions we already have inside ourselves balanced with influences from the world around us. You already know we’re going to be using gouache paint!!
Farewell Thoughts
I just got back from spending some time at the Jersey shore with my family. One morning I woke up early and rode my bike to the nature park next to the lighthouse to paint. I’m so glad I made the time to do this – I never regret doing it, even if I don’t love what I painted.
It’s like working out. Getting there isn’t easy but we need to push ourselves sometimes – like parenting our inner child. We know what’s nutritious for us.
Thanks again for being here.
Upcoming Events:
Currently Reading:
I just finished Pheobe’s Diary and I highly recommend!!! The teen angst is so relatable and hilarious. I’ve been a fan of illustrator Pheobe Wahl for a while now – I’m so glad she created this book.
My mom gifted me an Alice Steer Wilson book. She was an insanely talented watercolor artist living and working in Cape May, NJ.
Well coordinated sketchbook painting with those cute sandals!