This approach encourages people to connect to their inner source through an exploration of feelings and creative expression in a safe and nurturing group atmosphere:

This year’s workshops for both men and women, offer the means to connect to the ‘deep still waters’ - the immense creative resources and intuitive wisdom that lies within. 

At the core of this work is my belief and experience that renewal, transformation, and a clearer sense of direction can emerge through regular quiet periods devoted to reflection and creative expression. Such times centre us, building up the strength, inspiration and joy that help us to keep a balance in our daily lives.  All the workshops take place at Blanchville House, a beautiful location in the heart of the Kilkenny countryside. The quiet surroundings, the home cooking and Monica Phelan’s generous hospitality create a wonderful, supportive atmosphere for the workshops.

We use simple meditations, body/energy awareness exercises, and music to help us to go inwards and connect to our feelings, to invisible inner dimensions. Spontaneous creative expression allows us to bring our feelings out through our bodies into the visible world, into action. We seek to connect to the energy of play, a natural creative movement that is a harmonising, restorative and revitalising force. As we become absorbed in playing and open to the creative flow, so we link to an intuitive intelligence that draws us away from limitation and into increasing openness. This naturally frees up our life energy and gradually allows deeper levels of awareness and intuition to be expressed, at first non-verbally through colour, images, forms and then later through periods of writing and sharing.

We use art materials and spontaneous painting to bring forth our own forms and images, the emphasis being on playful process and not on product. In all workshops you will be painting freely & spontaneously on large sheets of paper using a palette of 18 beautiful colours, working with intuitive drawing, sometimes with clay modelling.

You will learn to trust the power and intelligence of the creative flow, to interpret the symbols, colours and forms in your art works - integrating your intuitive wisdom to enrich your daily life. Spontaneous creative expression helps you to relax, feel more balanced and self confident. This approach is joyful & empowering, encouraging you to transform limitations, and open your heart to a new awareness of yourself and others. No previous art training or artistic ability is required to follow the courses. There is a maximum of 10 people in each group. .  > back to top

OPEN WORKSHOPS

1^st – 7^th JULY : SUMMER RESIDENTIAL :

An opportunity to retreat from daily life, relax, explore your creativity and reconnect to inspiration and pleasure.  The workshop begins at 4 pm. on Saturday 1^stJuly and ends on Satuday 7^th July. A detailed programme is available on request. Fee includes cost of workshop, all meals, plus 6 nights accommodation in single rooms in main house or in shared cottage. Fee: € 760 Deposit € 380  Book by 20^th May

27th—30th SEPTEMBER :  ‘ The Painting Process’ Fee:  € 345 Deposit € 170 Book by 20^th July

22nd –25th NOVEMBER : ‘ Creativity and Inner Harmony’  Fee: € 345 Deposit € 170 

                                                                                                   Book by 20^th September

ONGOING WORKSHOPS

   PASSIONATE PAINTERS’     (full)  16^th-19^th February & 19^th-22^nd April 2012

16 Day Training  (full)  23^rd – 26^th February  & 26^th – 29^th April      

LIVING ART 16 DAY ONGOING WORKSHOP

20th - 23rd September, 15th -18th November

21st - 24th February & 18th - 21st April 2013

(closing date for booking is 1^st July)

‘Creativity is a very paradoxical state of consciousness and being. It is action through inaction , it is what Lao Tzu calls wei-wu-wei . It is allowing something to happen through you. It is not doing, it is an allowing. It is becoming a passage so the whole can flow though you . It is becoming a hollow bamboo, just a hollow bamboo.’                                      Rajneesh

This new series of ongoing workshops is designed for people who wish to continue on this inspiring and colourful path of self-nourishment and self-discovery. There will be teaching on creativity & self-healing, time for meditation practice, creative writing, dream analysis and group sharing. During the periods of individual creative expression we will work mainly with spontaneous painting which gives us the means go deep into our inner world of feeling and express our own images and visions. Our focus is on process, and on the transformative power of the creative flow.

Painting as practice brings endless discoveries in all aspects of life, emotional, mental and spiritual, depending on what we need. This approach to creative practice nourishes and sustains our being , allowing our own quality energy to expand and surround us. It draws us into experiencing the stillness of the present moment which is always there beyond thought and the changes in daily life.

I would encourage you as part of this series to write a report illustrated with photographs of your experience during this workshop.  I will talk about this in the first group.

Cost: The total cost of the series is € 1380 which is € 345 per 4 Day workshop. All the art materials, photocopies and refreshments in the morning and afternoon breaks are included in the price. It would be very helpful for me to know as soon as possible if you are interested in taking part in the ongoing workshops.

CONTACT

Marie Perret, Blanchville House, Dunbell, Maddoxstown, Co. Kilkenny

Tel : 056 –7724007

In France:  (Dordogne)

           24290 Le Vallon, Sergeac          Tel  0033 - 5 53 50 80 38

e mail :  vallonperret@wanadoo.fr