You are invited to step out of your day-to-day life and to be part of an artist retreat led by Michael Dowling. This retreat asks you to recognize that the role of the artist is meaningful enough to nurture. For two weeks, permit your life to revolve around your artist self.

On retreat, the days are full, balancing individual studio time, group conversations, and discretionary time for additional work, relaxation or socializing. Several dinners are cooked and shared by the group and additional evenings are kept open for dining out in smaller groups.

During studio time, the artists may work alone or near one another, as they prefer. Across the two weeks, several individual conversations will be held as the instructor visits the artist in the field. The surrounding countryside provides a magical setting within which the artist may work with the subject (landscape, portrait, still life, concept) and in the style (expressionist, abstract, realist, fanciful) and form (painting, mixed media, drawing, sculpture) that most engages them.

Guided group conversations are held on two afternoons and several evenings after dinner, where Dowling weaves the community of artists together with elements of story, poetry and the experiences of the day. These conversations may examine issues dealt with by artists such as: experiencing art, learning to talk about each other's art, our role as artists in our society, accessing and recognizing our vision, special needs we have as artists, and talking about our work with others. Leading these artist retreats has become a natural extension of Michael Dowling's work as a visionary artist and educator, where he has inspired and guided communities and artists of all ages for over thirty years.