Art as an invitation to meditation.
Art as an inspiration for a spiritual inquiry.
Meditation for artists.
Exploring our creativity and courage.
Building a nourishing community of friends.
Suitable for beginners and teachers.
Art can be a doorway into stillness.
A gesture, a line, a moment of presence.
This retreat invites you to explore the meeting place of Zen practice and creative expression—where art becomes meditation, and meditation becomes a source of inspiration. Through simple practices, creative exploration, and shared inquiry, we gently uncover the connection between awareness, creativity, and courage.
Whether you are an artist or simply curious, this is a space to experiment, reflect, and create within a supportive and nourishing community.
Open to beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Retreat Schedule
The retreat begins on Friday at 7:00 PM, with the first Dharma Talk at 7:30 PM.
The retreat concludes after lunch on Sunday.
Please observe silence at all times while in the Dharma Hall.
Friday Evening
Introduction to Zen meditation
Overview of the Art and Zen project (Dragan)
Saturday Morning
Art Session 1
Saturday Afternoon
Art Session 2
Saturday Evening
Brief Dharma Talk and open discussion (Dragan)
Sunday Morning
Art Session 3
Required Materials
9” x 12” sketch pad
Preferred 2B pencil
Instructors
Dragan Petrovic is an authorized Zen teacher in the Mountain Moon lineage of the Sanbo-Zen tradition. He was born in Yugoslavia (now Croatia) and arrived in Canada in 1993 as a refugee during the civil war. He has over thirty years of meditation experience. He has completed koan training under his master Sei’un Roshi. He has over fifteen years of teaching experience. His teaching name is Seki’un.
Bill Tomlinson is an artist who has been practising Zen for more than 50 years, beginning in the early 1970’s in Japan under Yamada Kôun Roshi. He is now an authorized Zen teacher, currently leading a sangha in Belleville, Ontario.
Bill has been teaching art to teenagers and adults since his graduation in 1981 from the Ontario College of Art, now OCADU. He sees drawing as an act of love, a way of finding intimacy with the world around us, and as an instructor he emphasizes the sense of touch as equal in importance to vision. His recent drawings and watercolour sketches can be seen on his Instagram page, “williamtomlinsonpainter”.
Heather Rigby M.F.A.
Heather Rigby is a practicing inter-disciplinary artist with a long-standing focus on the Empowerment of the Body through Art. As a teenager she began practicing Yoga, and over the years this expanded into Tai Chi, flourishing into Qi Gong/FeldenKrais and the meditative life. She has studied with Rinzai Zen Master, Nanrei Kobori Sensei (Ryosenan Temple/Dai Towku- Ji Monastery, Kyoto Japan), Vipassana (Mindfulness Training) with Namgyal Rinpoche and Chorpal Drolma and Tibetan Karma Karghu practices with a number of highly accomplished Tibetan-based Lamas. Her interest in the meditative life has taken her to many parts of the world including Japan, Tibet, India, Burma and Brazil. Heather’s current research continues to combine her meditative investigations with her Interdisciplinary art practice.
MORE INFO heatherrigbyartist.com
Important Details
When: June 12-14, 2026
Please plan to arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. The retreat will begin with a property orientation at 5:30pm followed by a light supper and the first evening class and will finish after lunch on the final day.
Rates: non-members: $296 members: $270 (course materials of $20 included)
(To find out how to become a member please visit our membership page)
Rates include: Single accommodation and all meals. They do not include instructor fees. Teachers are sharing their experience within the traditional Buddhist understanding of Dana. To understand more about Dana, please read the following:
What is Dana? Teachers give the teachings of awakening (Dharma) freely so that anyone, no matter their financial means can attend classes. Each time one receives teachings, it is an opportunity to consciously practice generosity. Giving money and other means of support expresses gratitude and support to the teacher and helps to ensure that these teachings continue. Each person receiving Dharma teachings determines the kind and amount of Dāna according to one’s heart and one’s financial means. When deciding how much to offer, one should think about what these teachings mean to you and try to give accordingly. It is recommended that students make an offering of dāna at the beginning of a class or retreat to establish the intention to make the most of this opportunity for one’s own progression and for the benefit of all others.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to hold your space upon registration.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations are subject to a $100 fee, which will support other low-income practitioners through our Practitioner Support Fund.
If cancellation occurs within 14 days of the retreat start date, 50% of the deposit (equivalent to 25% of the total retreat cost) will be forfeited. These funds will be directed to the Uplifted Property Fund to support the Renewal Project.