When I first met Maria, she wore an old judo jacket and tabi socks, which immediately stole my heart. She came to the studio to take a few pictures for the upcoming alcohol ink art workshop we planned in December 2023. That workshop was not meant to be, but we stayed in touch ever since. She has some healing energy, a very kind and truthful one, so I knew that one day, the workshop would happen.
That day was last Sunday. I was setting up the table with snacks and tea when the door opened, and Maria brought all her baskets and bags in. She joined me, and the studio was ready to welcome the workshop participants quickly.
I was amazed by Maria's calm and professional attitude. The workshop started with a warm conversation, during which Maria would question participants about their lifestyles. She wanted to create portraits of every person in the room, and later, we discovered why.
After the self-introduction part, we had a brief introduction to the technique and colour theory basics. Maria demonstrated how to use the available tools and apply inks and alcohol. Before starting personal projects, she suggested a fun warmup exercise: the participants would choose 2 to 3 colours from the palette and have a sheet of paper each. They would try the described technique for two minutes and then pass the sheet to the neighbour. After 8 minutes, the round was completed, and our guests were ready to dive in!
For the remaining time, about half an hour, we drank tea, talked, and enjoyed the inspiration flow of the colours. Everyone could create as many pictures as they wished using various paper sizes. At some point, everyone fell silent, and it was so captivating and cosy to see everyone immersed in the world of creativity.
By the end of the workshop, we had nine pieces of art, not counting the four collective trial samples that remained at the studio.
And now, to answer the curious reader, I must unveil why Maria wanted to get to know the participants. While everyone was concentrating on dropping, spreading, and drying the ink, she was also busy. When everyone was about to leave, Maria said she had a little gift for everyone. She then handed each participant a little square sheet of paper painted how Maria felt about that person. It was a truly touching and personal gesture that made everyone feel special.
We thank all the participants and are already looking forward to the following workshops with Maria at YODA. If you're as excited as we are, let us know in the comments. We can't wait to create more beautiful art together!
With love,
Katya from YODA
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