Expanding Vision Through Workshops and Retreat
Alyssa Monks workshop in the Red Barn Studio at Willow Pond, 2024
Why Artists Need Retreat
“How large the eyes become here!” wrote German poet Rainer Marie Rilke upon his arrival at Worpswede, in 1900.
Worpswede is an artists’ colony that was founded in the German town of that name just a year earlier.
At the turn of the 19th century, art workshops and retreats began to emerge as if in response to the growing urban centers, the rumble of industry, and the increasing pace of life. In 2025 the hustle and bustle demands have only magnified and the creative response is more necessary than ever.
If you’ve never experienced an art retreat, this can be a fantastic way to boost your creativity and reset your creative practice. Artists need time to withdraw from distractions to attend to the needs of the creative voice within. That time apart provides the platform for individual ideas that lead to new artistic visions. Some artists seek open-ended time and periods of solitude while retreating, for others it can feel daunting to know what to work on and how to make good use of the time. This is where a structured art retreat becomes an integral part of the practice.
Our Willow Pond workshops cover multiple disciplines and encourage experimentation, spontaneity, and intuitive exploration while also fostering critical thought around conceptual themes. Offerings include Plein Air or studio painting in different mediums, workshops in fiber arts, sculpture, and paper-making all led by visiting artist instructors with daily demonstrations and a series of simple and accessible studio exercises.
In dynamic mixed-media painting workshops, students get to explore new possibilities in painting by blending two and three-dimensional elements. Or use found and repurposed materials to create form and texture while walking the grounds and taking in the fresh air surrounded by nature.
The bright, natural light of the Red Barn Studio provides an inspiring environment where students can explore and expand their artistic practice in a group setting offering feedback and camaraderie. The rolling hills, lush greenery, and sweeping vineyard views of the grounds provide peace and escape from the busyness and noise of day to day. Slowing down to take time to do art can sometimes be a challenge but a workshop retreat for learning, for focus, and for growing is a good way to force us to slow down and embrace the process.
