Dive in deep at a live weekend retreat to get to know each other in circle, explore visionary art & connect to your creative spirit. Continue on a 12-week journey to transform yourself & understanding of art, creating a Soul Portrait of lasting power & purpose.

Begin in Retreat
8.18-20

Optional Additional
12 weeks

with live sessions & recorded content to bring your soul to life.

Transformative Soul Portrait Retreat Class

Create an image of yourself & soul in a process of deep reflection, dreamwork & guided visualization at a weekend retreat. Then deepen into 12 weeks of art medicine to create a personal symbol, animal spirit totem, mandala & dream vision to anchor your soul & experience in art that embodies & reminds you of soul. More than art, this is a journey into deep creativity, a window into soul in which you are mirrored & seen, guided home to your Self. No art experience is necessary (or beneficial). You will receive everything you need.

Portraits invite & invoke soul

The first time I realized that art is invocative of soul I was painting a portrait of someone who had died. As I painted, they came closer.
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Soul Portraits: Recreating Yourself

Come jump start your creativity, remove blocks & explore new & ancient ways to create, while we play together to embody soul & integrate the parts of ourselves or Self in the process. More than a Soul Portrait, this is a form of art medicine & soul retrieval that leaves you with a painting to anchor your transformation & connection to your own soul's calling in a more intimate, lasting & profound way. The end result is a portrait (whether figurative or abstract) that not only helps captures the energy & essence of YOU but transforms you in the process. Come play with creativity. Soul Portrait is an archetypal practice lost in modernity.
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What's included?

3 Day Weekend Retreat &
12 weeks of Classes with:
-Live 1 hour Group Sessions 
-Q & A with Demos & Info
-Recorded Class Content 
-1 on 1 Personal Guidance
-Partner Practice & Prompts
-Group Practice & Circle
-Art Ritual & Blessing  

Inclusive, Deep & Diverse

SP is about painting but more, it is about tapping into intuition, ancestry, history, community & soul guidance 

Holistic: Mind, Body & Spirit

SP plays with multiple intelligences & marginalized ways of knowing to return & remember past ritual art

Experiential & embodied

SP is gnostic, focusing on lived experience & deep growth, rooted in your life

Archived & Flexible Material 

All material is archived, including live material you missed or want to review.

Art: Technique & History

Applied art is accompanied by art history to help teach the power & purpose of art.

"Magical Value of Art"

More than any one element, this is about remembering the magical power of art.

Do you want to . . ?

Connect to deeper purpose, passion, power, creativity, energy, peace, intimacy, community . . . really it goes on & on. The truth is that to connect with soul in art in this way opens a door (window?) between you & your intuition that is beautiful & powerful, allowing you to receive guidance, inspiration, empowerment, courage, compassion, love, insight & more. Beyond technique, this is about art in its glory.
Feel loving Self-Empowerment
Connect with
inner guidance
Journal to heal & remember 
Gain skills, tools & techniques 
View examples for inspiration
Make deep change & art

Self-Portrait your way . . .

While we will explore different techniques & approaches as you are guided on this journey, you will also tour different archetypal forms of expression from the Judeo-Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Native American & other cultural perspectives on ritual spiritual art. This will include a specific look at icons & mandalas which are often combined in all religious (meaning "binding" sprit in matter) iconography. This path will give us a tour of the major archetypal forms of sacred art & then set you free (with access to Heather) for advice & guidance. It is time to be you, but sometimes it helps to view some art first. 

Icons

Learn the basic form

Mandalas

Explore variations

Visionary Art

Embody your visions

Dreaming

Tell inner stories

Teachings

Sacred geometry +

Remember the sacred power of art

At its heart, this is about reclaiming the forgotten purpose of art itself. 

Art as healing

Art is a form of archetypal healing found throughout history across cultures.

Art as History

Art connects us to the deep past of our shared history & the knowledge of our past.

Art as belief

Art embodies beliefs to show us a way of being in alignment with your soul & soul's calling.

Soul Portrait: Overview of the Journey

Art with a purpose
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What people are saying . . . amazing!

This is a deep dive . . . & that is true. It is everything that I think you need to really create a Soul Portrait, inside & out as both a path & destination, process & product. The coursework is deep psycho-active or soul activating creativity that combines everything from art history on ritual art from a multicultural perspective to techniques to how to create an icon or face. While the content is broad, it is also, deep asking that you experience soul contact in ways that are described as life changing & affirming but not always (or often) easy. This is a hybrid retreat class that is designed to create soul inside & out. Come play!

Is this path for you?

No art "skills" or psychological knowledge are required. In fact, there are no prerequisites other than a willingness to explore the depths of yourself, life & soul. This class is about deep transformation, requiring a sincere commitment, authenticity & courage. It is ideal for anyone who seeks their life purpose or soul's calling in a way that is playful & fun. In creating your soul portrait, you are deepening your relationship yourself, soul, others & world. Are you ready to step up & step in to really see & be seen? If so, you will come away with a tangible reminder of who you are & what you are called to do, a vision that can reflect your inner nature & calling to step into your life & visible presence in the world. Under the paint, you are preparing yourself to commit to soul.

Another option . . . if you want

I am also offering to send a canvas with a sketch of you or your face if you feel you want to start with it. Remember that this is not about what the art looks like, but if you feel like this is how you want to begin, please contact me.
Additionally, I can gather the supplies & send them to you. If you are interested, please indicate so, when you fill out the questionnaire in the first lesson. There will be an additional cost for supplies plus shipping. 

Art as a process & product, a path & destination as one

Deep dive into the layers of art to create a finished image of your essence, including:
  • Visionary & Ritual Art History, Theory & Practice
  • Guided Meditation & Transformational Soul Contact
  • Wound Healing & Integration as a Painted Process
  • Art Elements, Composition, Technique & Skills 
  • Sacred Art Appreciation, Creation & Sharing

Course Structure embodies SOUL

This is a 12-week course, yet it can take you as long as you feel called to take. Each lesson will contain prompts, demonstrations, and activities with a video, and live zoom sessions. The portrait can take any form--it is a reflection of you. I will demonstrate options for purchasing supplies and using them and discuss the creative process as we go. Each week your content drops down & you are notified by email, along with a LIVE zoom talk with discussion as well as questions & answers. Additionally, there is a weekly Art Studio. 

Zooms

Live Sharing 

Group zooms connect us.

Prompts

Active Guidance

Prompts will help you begin.

Demonstrations

Technical Tips

Video demonstrations help.

Presentations

Ask YOUR Question

We will share questions.

Heather Taylor-Zimmerman, PhD

Seeking Soul

A soul portrait is an artistic rendering of your soul--whatever form or medium that it takes. Reflecting the unique vision and experience of being in communion and communication with your soul, this is not about the product but a process that the product embodies. We are walking upon painted steppingstones in creating the art that creates you. In this art you are reflecting upon yourself in a conscious act of deep seeing to really look into the depths of your being and witness your fullness from your weakness to greatness--and to love or embrace it. What you are called upon to include in your portrait is symbolic of this process & a window into your soul.

Soul Birth

Reimagining yourself

 To create art is to create yourself. This is an act of seeing and being seen. Soul portraits reach beyond your outer image to the image that resides inside--the image of your heart and soul. Like any creative undertaking, a soul portrait is as much about reflecting through sight and insight as it is about painting, carving, or creating. You are seeing and seeing through the eyes of the soul to sense inner purpose, passion, and potential buried in your unconscious like seeds waiting to blossom. Including soul dialogues that are documented in a journal and on the back of the art, you are learning to see and hear the call of your soul. 

Friday Evening Opening Circle

Moving through the past to identify wounds, heal, release trauma, overcome obstacles & set intention. Dream prompt & seeding with night ritual closing.

Saturday Morning

Dream journaling, sketching & sharing. Color power & symbolic imagery introduction. Blessing & intention with canvas & initiating color play.

Saturday Afternoon

Guided visualization & entering the liminal space. Creating reverie & an introduction to visionary art: how to enter & draw the imaginal space as an icon.

Sunday Afternoon

Deep sharing, demos & Q & A, followed by space creation, an introduction to ritual art & dedication. Weaving the thread ritual & continuing circle . . .

Week 1

Active Imagination & Automatic Writing: Talking to soul through art as a medium of communion.

Week 2

Cultural Heritage & Ancestors: How is our art informed by ancestral roots & remembering?

Week 3

Animal or Spirit Guide: Nature as a collaborator in our alchemical Great Work of Art. Medicine Walk.

Week 4

Symbol & Symmetry: There are many ways to achieve balance & you get to find yours.

Week 5

Iconography & Sacred Art: Remembering ritual purpose & meaning in the painted process.

Week 6

Underlying Purpose & Symbolism: Exploring the underlying process of sacred art in iconography.

Week 7

 Sacred Geometry & Archetypal Patterns: Creating order out of chaos with the basic elements of nature.

Week 8

Some basics for both literal & abstract art in response to your art projects & specific requests.

Week 9

Putting the Composition Together to embody your vision in visionary art to guide you in your life.

Week 10

Adding in color & Texture to bring your image to life as you explore soul in & through art.

Week 11

Adding Detail & Glazes to "finish" your art with layers of meaning embodied in details as a lesson.

Week 12

Sharing, Affirmations & Ritual as we celebrate our journey together as both soul process & portrait.

To create is to give birth to yourself.

Soul portraits transform you through the back & forth process of seeing and creating in which you realize they are the same thing in different forms. You lose & find yourself in this process. When you really look at yourself, you see through the outer surface into the inner depths. 

"Feet what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?" Frida Kahlo

Opening your container

 Gathering yourself and supplies

Reflect on Yourself: Create a Container

As you set out on this journey you begin to prepare, like a pilgrimage. Gathering supplies, readying a space to create, and going within. This is a time to reflect on who you are and where you have been to begin to imagine where you are going.

Closing your container

Moving into your vision

Return to Your Life: Integrate Your Insight

At the end of your journey, you return from your creative pilgrimage with a deeper sense of who you are. The portrait you hang will remind you of your transformation and this last week takes you through a process of reflection and integration.

Reflecting on Soul

Creating an image of your power and purpose
 Soul Reflection

​Seeing Through Soul: Envision Yourself
Soul portraiture is about seeing yourself through the eyes of your soul & seeing yourself in a new way. It is about reflective sight & insight: deep seeing. The first week you begin to look within & really open your eyes to see who you are. Invite dreams & visions to open your eyes.
Soul Seed

Sketching an Image: Envisioning Self
Soul portraits are created in layers. To begin you are imagining into the blank canvas as you imagine into yourself & your soul. To document this process, you will be journaling & mapping your experience. Then you will integrate this information into a soul sketch that will serve as the foundation of your portrait composition.
Soul Calling

Serve Inner Need: Activate the image
​With the material from visioning & journaling sketched, you begin to constellate and activate your soul's image. This involves a back-&-forth dialogue with your soul that speaks through the sketches & portrait, bringing you a vision from the unconscious. As you gather the elements, you are creating a blueprint for yourself & future. 
Soul Portrait

Embody Your Soul: Create Your Composition
This week is an immersion into the process of creation in which you view and respond to your portrait. Following the thread of the soul's imagery, you will cultivate a practice of deep listening & seeing. In your back & forth you are cultivating a greater & more intimate line of communication & communion with your soul.

Manifesting a Vision

Creating an image of your power and purpose
Soul Revelation

Soul-centered Design: Symbolic Creation
As you sketch in your composition you are revealing the underlying vision of the soul, emerging from the unconscious. In this process, symbolic images are revealed and integrated in your design. You will see a connection or experience a revelation as you realize things about yourself & your soul that you had not fully or consciously know. 
Soul Colors

Paint Your Vision: Adding Color
 When ready you will begin to add color. This could be in any form as you choose your color palette. Colors speak their own language of symbolism & emotion. They add layers of depth & meaning, offering a way to blend & explore the relationship between colors & compositional elements. Color allows you to move closer to the energy and emotion behind the image, to touch & understand. 
Soul Texture

Animate Your Portrait: Living Image
Add layers of paint & texture to bring your portrait to life. It is a healing image that reflects back to you the soul contact of your portrait process, calling on you to remember past revelations & see through into even deeper mystery. This image is an icon of your Self & soul. It is a healing affirmation & steppingstone to your future.
​
Soul Healing

Accepting Your Self: Healing Wholeness
Art is a creative process that many, like the psychologist Carl Jung, have called a healing & a teaching. What does your art teach you & how can it heal you? Meditate on what your art offers you beyond the superficial image. Look beyond the surface of the canvas to see beyond. What do you think, feel, or intuit? Let the answer emerge.

Creating a container

You are held in 3 circles: by yourself, with a partner, and in group.

You

Create alone

Reflect on yourself and your life

Partners

Share with a partner

Mirror and support your partner

Group

Gather in a group

Hold each other in a group

Supply List

THIS IS A PORTRAIT OF YOUR SOUL. SO YOU BEGIN MY REFLECTING ON THE IMAGE OF YOUR SOUL TO PICK YOUR SUPPLIES. 

Connecting Above and Below

A connection with the earth

This is an art and heart-based process. Art supplies have always been harvested from the earth, connecting us to the earth of our body & the body of the earth. Art gives form to spirit, embodying it in matter so that the soul's psychological energy & vision can be seen and interacted with. Art serves as a memory anchor, helping us to remember the fragmented parts of our memory as a whole. 

Connecting a Body and Body of Art

A rainbow bridge of color

Our body & body of art bridge heaven & earth in the rainbow colors of our paint pallet. They are levels of vibration & states of consciousness, reflecting the electromagnetic spectrum in creative chakra centers as well as many other archetypal forms. Recognizing their psychological power, colors are used in prompts & activities as a form of exploration and creation, a powerful creative energy.

Painting with Color

Living with color

"The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." Marcus Aurelius 
Soul portraits take the color of outer perception and translate them into an inner vision painted upon your canvas. 

Painting with Light

Living with light

"The substance of painting is light." Andre Duran
​
In learning to paint in color we are learning to create with the light that is all color synthesized together as we become whole.

This is an ongoing life self portrait

"Art is never finished only abandoned." Leonardo da Vinci
This is a life-long process of soul and Self-reflection. Whether you continue to paint, draw or sculpt, you will see yourself and the world differently. This is a new & yet ancient way of being & seeing, grounded in the archetypal creative nature of the soul. You are connecting to your inner child & soul who is playful, joyful & natural, while finding your way into your true Self & nature.