I was delighted to host five creatives – repeaters and new faces – for the latest Art & Nature Retreat.
We calmed our minds by drawing woodgrain. The slow calm repetition of lines with the small challenge of working around knots helps to wash away the frantic city energy that participants usually carry with them.
Before going to lunch at Gonbei, we prepared turmeric alcohol dye to use in the afternoon session where we enjoyed the good weather by working outdoors on the studio deck.
With our colorful yellow and other botanical colors, we explored the way water and alcohol interact to form shapes on the page. Each artist took this in a different direction and the restults were extraordinary.
This was the final retreat for 2025. I am looking forward to running these again in 2026.