current offerings
radiance: returning to the light
A Weekly Creative (Writing & Art-making) Retreat Series to Renew and Restore
with Lisa Kagan and Margaret Hartsook
Location: Studio of the Imagination located at Margaret’s home in SE Portland (the Creston neighborhood)
Dates & Times: Mondays 6:30pm-9pm on January 29, February 5, 12, 19, 26, March 4 (no group March 11, 18, 25), April 1, 8, 15, 29 (no group April 22)*This group is divided into two parts (Part 1: January 29th-March 4th, and Part 2: April 1st-29th). During the break in March, we will be offering our annual Touchstone Retreats full weekend retreat March 15th-17th at Alton Collins Retreat Center.
Program Fee: $500Art Materials Fee: $35Total Fee: $535
“I have some wild violet in me, some willingness to insist on renegade beauty, some desire to be soft and yet persist, some certainty that the garden is big enough for us all.”~ Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer (Excerpt from the poem “Viola Papilionacea”)
As we move from the darkest time of the year towards the return of the light, this in-person weekly “mini retreat” series offers you the chance to step away from the demands of daily life to connect more deeply with your own inner light. Drawing inspiration from nature’s passage through winter’s dormancy into spring’s cycle of blossoming, together we will cultivate our personal gardens of possibility through engaging in the creative process. Combining creative writing and visual art, we will explore a variety of mixed media techniques and materials such as painting, drawing, and collage. This year’s RADIANCE mini retreat series will feature a number of special projects including the creation of soul house lanterns, narrative images incorporating personal silhouettes, and mixed media mobiles. This weekly retreat series offers you a chance to nurture your creative spark, cultivate new ways of enriching yourself and your life in this next chapter, and nourish yourself in the supportive, uplifting company of other women. This program offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and tea, will be provided.
This program offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and tea, will be provided. Registration & Payment:For more information or if you would like to register for this program, please contact Lisa at: Lisa @FamilyHeirloomArts.com or at 503.347.1391. This program has two payment options.
Option 1: Payment for the full amount of $535.00 can be made at the time of sign-up.
Option 2: Payment can be made in two installments. The first payment of $267.50 is due at the time of sign-up. The second payment of $267.50 is due by March 15th. Click here to learn more about Touchstone Retreats Click here to find out more about Lisa & Margaret
Due to the limited number of participants, we can accommodate early registration is recommended. Befriending Time by Lisa Kagan Return to Self by Margaret Hartsook
As we move from the darkest time of the year towards the return of the light, this in-person weekly “mini retreat” series offers you the chance to step away from the demands of daily life to connect more deeply with your own inner light. Drawing inspiration from nature’s passage through winter’s dormancy into spring’s cycle of blossoming, together we will cultivate our personal gardens of possibility through engaging in the creative process. Combining creative writing and visual art, we will explore a variety of mixed media techniques and materials such as painting, drawing, and collage. This year’s RADIANCE mini retreat series will feature a number of special projects including the creation of soul house lanterns, narrative images incorporating personal silhouettes, and mixed media mobiles. This weekly retreat series offers you a chance to nurture your creative spark, cultivate new ways of enriching yourself and your life in this next chapter, and nourish yourself in the supportive, uplifting company of other women. This program offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and tea, will be provided.
This program offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary. All art materials, as well as snacks and tea, will be provided. Registration & Payment:For more information or if you would like to register for this program, please contact Lisa at: Lisa @FamilyHeirloomArts.com or at 503.347.1391. This program has two payment options.
Option 1: Payment for the full amount of $535.00 can be made at the time of sign-up.
Option 2: Payment can be made in two installments. The first payment of $267.50 is due at the time of sign-up. The second payment of $267.50 is due by March 15th. Click here to learn more about Touchstone Retreats Click here to find out more about Lisa & Margaret
Due to the limited number of participants, we can accommodate early registration is recommended. Befriending Time by Lisa Kagan Return to Self by Margaret Hartsook
emergence: coming into bloom
A Weekend Retreat
with Lisa Kagan and Margaret Hartsook
Location: Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center
“Surrounded by giant fir and cedar, lush fern and abundant moss covered vine maple, the Alton L. Collins Conference & Retreat Center near Eagle Creek, Oregon provides an environment and facilities conducive to study and reflection, relaxation and recreation…Trails take you through the woods and along the streams that meander around the grounds.”
A professional chef specializes in using fresh, local produce to create meals that are truly culinary works of art. The retreat includes six delicious meals.
Dates: Friday, March 15th - Sunday, March 17th 2024
Time: Our retreat opens with dinner at 6pm on Friday evening and ends on Sunday at 2:00pm
Costs:Single Room Accommodation & meals: $400Shared Room Accommodation & meals: $320Retreat Program Fee: $450Materials Fee: $45
Total Cost:$895 per person (with single room accommodations)$815 per person (with share room accommodations)
Payment of at least 30% of the total is due with registration. Payment in full is required by March 1, 2024.
Total Cost:$895 per person (with single room accommodations)$815 per person (with share room accommodations)
Payment of at least 30% of the total is due with registration. Payment in full is required by March 1, 2024.
“I am making a home inside myself
where grace blooms in grand and glorious
abundance, a shelter of kindness
that grows all the truest things.
I whisper hallelujah to the friendly sky.
Watch now as I burst into blossom.”
~ Julia Feherenbacher, excerpt from "The Most Important Thing"
Drawing inspiration from the natural world and its infinite wisdom of design, we will explore how the signs of early spring move through us, offering gifts and insights as we emerge from the depths of winter. This year, during our annual spring Emergence retreat, we will have the chance to awaken our creative spark through the writing and art process as we tend to ourselves in a circle of care and compassion. Throughout our weekend together we will identify what we are ready to let go of and what we want to plant deep in the fertile soil of our hearts, rooting in our inner strength and tapping into our power to grow and manifest in this time of new beginnings. Through writing and art making, utilizing painting, drawing, collage, fiber arts, and printmaking with natural materials from the magnificent Oregon forest, you’ll have the chance to honor your own process of emergence this spring. This soulful and inspiring weekend in the beauty of the natural world also offers you a chance to deeply nourish yourself with delicious meals, a beautiful retreat setting, and the supportive, uplifting company of other women. This retreat offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. No writing or art experience is necessary.
Registration:Participants can register directly with Alton Collins Retreat Center for this program. Please click here to register. Contact Lisa at Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or (503) 347-1391 if you have questions or would like to learn more about this retreat. Due to the limited number of participants we can accommodate, early registration is recommended.
Click here to learn more about Touchstone Retreats Click here to find out more about Lisa & Margaret
Touchstone Retreats Health & Safety Policy• As of now, at the retreat, wearing face coverings while indoors is optional. If this requirement changes, participants will be notified ahead of time.• We ask that all retreat participants do a self-evaluation before coming to the retreat and that they remain at home if they have any symptoms of illness.We will continue to monitor guidance from the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) regarding best practices for indoor gatherings and we will update our policies accordingly.
Touchstone Retreats Cancellation Policy for weekend retreats at Alton Collins Retreat Center (This policy is based on Alton Collin’s cancellation policy):If you need to cancel more than three months before the retreat you will receive a refund minus 10% of the total fee. If you need to cancel within three months of the event, you will receive a refund minus 30% of the total fee. If you cancel between one month and two weeks of the event, you will receive a refund minus 30% of the total fee plus a $50 cancellation fee per person. No refund is possible with less than a fourteen-day cancellation notice. Family emergency situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you have a COVID related situation arise and you need to cancel, please contact Lisa Kagan at Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or (503) 347-1391. Bloom: Mixed Media by Lisa Kagan Tulips: Mixed Media by Margaret Hartsook
Registration:Participants can register directly with Alton Collins Retreat Center for this program. Please click here to register. Contact Lisa at Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or (503) 347-1391 if you have questions or would like to learn more about this retreat. Due to the limited number of participants we can accommodate, early registration is recommended.
Click here to learn more about Touchstone Retreats Click here to find out more about Lisa & Margaret
Touchstone Retreats Health & Safety Policy• As of now, at the retreat, wearing face coverings while indoors is optional. If this requirement changes, participants will be notified ahead of time.• We ask that all retreat participants do a self-evaluation before coming to the retreat and that they remain at home if they have any symptoms of illness.We will continue to monitor guidance from the national Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) regarding best practices for indoor gatherings and we will update our policies accordingly.
Touchstone Retreats Cancellation Policy for weekend retreats at Alton Collins Retreat Center (This policy is based on Alton Collin’s cancellation policy):If you need to cancel more than three months before the retreat you will receive a refund minus 10% of the total fee. If you need to cancel within three months of the event, you will receive a refund minus 30% of the total fee. If you cancel between one month and two weeks of the event, you will receive a refund minus 30% of the total fee plus a $50 cancellation fee per person. No refund is possible with less than a fourteen-day cancellation notice. Family emergency situations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you have a COVID related situation arise and you need to cancel, please contact Lisa Kagan at Lisa@FamilyHeirloomArts.com or (503) 347-1391. Bloom: Mixed Media by Lisa Kagan Tulips: Mixed Media by Margaret Hartsook
writing from center: A second Monday of the month Writing Devotion
In-person with Dawn Thompson
Dates: November 2023-June 2024
11/13, 12/11 (2023), 1/8, 2/12, 3/11, 4/8, 5/13, 6/10 (8 weeks)Time: 10:00am-12:15pmLocation: Kitty's home, NE PortlandCost: $220
“The magic of writing practice is you start where you are – observing, remembering, listening – and this simple act of being where you are leads, inevitably, to a place you didn’t know you needed to go to, but in following the thread you go a little deeper into understanding.”
~Erin Lee Gafill, “Drinking from a Cold Spring: A Little Book of Hope”
~Erin Lee Gafill, “Drinking from a Cold Spring: A Little Book of Hope”
These days, we all long for connection. Connection with our deeper self and connection with one another. Devoting yourself to a writing practice is a powerful way to foster connection with the larger human story, with your personal stories and with your capacity for creation, vision and inner peace.
The page is a room of your own where you can listen for parts of yourself that are calling, where you have space to contemplate your lived experience and where you can access the compass of your poetic heart.
In this monthly in-person workshop, inspiring prompts are provided as doorways into the writing. These prompts invite your critical mind to step aside in order to allow the great wisdom of your authentic voice and your imagination to rise to the surface.
When you write in community and have the opportunity to listen to other women's stories, you enter the encouraging realm of our shared humanity. You gather essential tools as a writer and receive the medicine of being deeply heard. In community, your writing becomes stronger, more honest, full of vision and heart.
No previous writing experience is necessary. This circle offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. Registration: For more information or if you would like to register for this program, please contact Dawn at: dawnrenethompson@gmail.com or 503.568.6145. Image: mymind/Unsplash
The page is a room of your own where you can listen for parts of yourself that are calling, where you have space to contemplate your lived experience and where you can access the compass of your poetic heart.
In this monthly in-person workshop, inspiring prompts are provided as doorways into the writing. These prompts invite your critical mind to step aside in order to allow the great wisdom of your authentic voice and your imagination to rise to the surface.
When you write in community and have the opportunity to listen to other women's stories, you enter the encouraging realm of our shared humanity. You gather essential tools as a writer and receive the medicine of being deeply heard. In community, your writing becomes stronger, more honest, full of vision and heart.
No previous writing experience is necessary. This circle offers space for creative expression for women and those who identify as female of all ages and backgrounds. Registration: For more information or if you would like to register for this program, please contact Dawn at: dawnrenethompson@gmail.com or 503.568.6145. Image: mymind/Unsplash