Take a sketchbook class with me

Plus drawings and paintings from last spring

Scroll to the end for my sketchbook class sign-up link

We’re slowly finding our way through winter in the PNW. I can see the promises of spring in my sketchbook from March of last year. Before you know it, the crocuses will start popping up, followed by tulips and irises.

A very loose painting of some March iris flowers in front of my apartment building from last year. A neighbor ended up buying it to give to his partner named Iris :)

Here are some things I do to make myself feel better while February drags on:

1. Visit a bathing spa. There are a lot of claims out there regarding cold plunging and the health benefits, including the release of adrenaline and dopamine to sooth a high functioning nervous system. I happen to have one of these… and I know it doesn't sound relaxing, but for me a cold plunge really helps my anxiety. The key is to get really hot first in a steam room or sauna first and then plunge – I try to stay in for at least a minute – followed by air drying. If you want fancy, check out Knot Springs (IMO people are pretty social and chatty here, which is not my ideal spa vibe). Another, more affordable option is Everett House in SE (clothing optional FYI).

2. Read (and watch) historical fiction. For some people, fantasy is a great escape (I need to mention here that I recently read A Wizard of Earthsea by famed local author Ursual K Le Guin and I can’t wait to read the rest). However I am usually carrying around a book about a person living a moderately typical life somewhere between the 1200s to early 1900s. Some days I get whiplash from all of the pain I see via the internet and for me, reading about life in the past is comforting — I’m reminded that for centuries, there has always existed a balance of love and violence between people. Authors like Ken Follett bring to life the mixture of human emotion through contexts I’ve only known from dry history textbooks (start with his book Pillars of the Earth).

3. Make some art (preferably with other people). Lately I have been hauling art supplies from workshops to friends places to coffee shops, etc. This is what I believe: if you do it often, pushing paint around and making little, creative decisions on a piece of paper manifests as courage and confidence in your actual life. I won’t list here all of the ways art is beneficial (if you’re reading this you probably make art yourself so you get it). So here’s a gentle reminder, if it’s been a while, to make something.

A view from Peninsula Park.

You can now sign up for my Sketchbook Journey class via Ulna studios!

We meet for five Sundays starting April 6. This is a great way to meet other creative folks and play with gouache in a sketchbook. I also demo collage and share creative prompts to help inspire art making. The class is open to any and all skill levels. Please reach out if you have any questions either in the comments here or via email: allie@allieyacina.com

Ideas made with leftover paint - inspired by my friends’ Washington coast house.

As assortment of sketchbook pages from last March

Thanks for reading! Take care <3

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Events:

• Sketchbook class! Otherwise, I am hoping to bring back Art in the Park when the weather improves so keep an eye out.

Currently Reading:

• Just finished The Signature of All Things by Liz Gilbert and it was soooo beautiful (and duh it’s historical fiction). I love her writing but I know her style is not for everyone. It’s about a women born to wealth who studies botanical sciences in 1800s Philadelphia. It’s got a lot of disappointment and heartbreak so be prepared for that if you pick it up.

Currently listening to:

• Once again the Handsome podcast

Finally, here is a photo dump of life recently:

In order: Cole and I in snowy Laurelhurst; A Valentines workshop I hosted at the company I work for; Some blind contour portraits Cole and I did; A kinetic dandelion from the Winter Lights fest; and my friend Ilonka and I having an art date on a rainy Sunday