The Making of “Dripping Sunshine” during Flora Bowley’s Reunite Retreat

I’m a firm believer that what we learn through intuitive painting teaches us as much about ourselves & life as it does about painting.

When we set an intention, even better!

Preparing for my 3 months overseas is going super well. But at some points during the planning process, fears got triggered, revealing I need to loosen up. I really want to be able to go with the flow during my travels.

The creation of “Dripping Sunshine” during Flora Bowley’s online painting retreat did just that – I’m loosening up.

The result is this 30″ x 30″ testimonial and witness to that very process.

Its infused energy, experimental layers and final imagery now serve as a reminder for us all to shine our light as we naturally unfurl into peace & freedom.

So enjoy the 15-minute “The Making of Dripping Sunshine” video at the bottom of this post with lots of surprising twists and turns – literally!

From February 15-19th, I spent 5 wonderfully intensive days in the studio during Flora Bowley’s online Reunite Retreat. Freezing rain even cancelled my Saturday photo & painting teaching gig, ensuring an uninterrupted block of time.

I’ve been a long time fan of Flora’s work.

My jaw dropped leafing through her book “Brave Intuitive Painting” in the line-up at an art store over 10 years ago. I couldn’t believe it as some chapter titles were the same Spirit had given me to write about years before. I’d blogged about my process but never did write a book. This was definitely hers to fulfill!

In the following years, I did her online Bloom True e-course and attended her workshop in Bali. Fantastic!

I’m thrilled at how her career has helped people transform their art and their lives all over the world. She and her team have been role models on the entrepreneurial side too. She’s the only other business I’m an affiliate for, so if you’re moved to explore her many online courses & offerings, please use this link.

On each day of this Reunite retreat, we had video instructions, demonstrations and witnessing sessions of the group she worked with during the taping of the program.

But nothing teaches better than practice! And we got plenty of that, working on 2 canvases, in my case for at least 10 hours a day.

We also had daily zoom calls to get one-on-one feedback and share in the process, which we could also do in the Facebook group.

Flora has excelled at creating an uplifting supportive community of painters – from first-timers to long-time full-time artists.

Intuitive painting is an excellent way to grow our skills while observing our inner process too. Flora’s approach also focuses on this. 

It’s all about playing in layers as you explore & express your Self!

You may wonder why I decided to invest the time and resources on this retreat when I’m in full fundraising and preparation mode for 3 months in Europe (Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage in France & Transformative Arts Certification in Italy).

Sure, I’m a lifelong learner. But that’s not why.

When fear gets triggered, I tend to go into controlling mode. It’s not pleasant – for me or those around me.

Although I’ve become very good at saying yes to Spirit Calls that send me outside of my comfort zones and all over the world, I don’t always do it with the grace I’d like to.

Yes, I love traveling – the discovery of beauty, languages, people, foods, etc.  But if you know me, you also know I’m a happy hermit that loves my routines.

The idea of big crowds, navigating my way alone through public transport on tight schedules, and jumping from spot to spot can be stressful.

After my Mary Magdalene Pilgrimage, I’ll be going to Giverny to integrate for 4 days in and around Monet’s Gardens. Then it’s off to the Czech Republic to visit beloved friends from my years of teaching there. Next, it’s to Turin, Italy for a week at the Damanhur conscious community before finding my way down to the Ananada ashram, where I’ll then settle for 2 months to study. Yikes.

In the past, traveling brought out the best and worst of me. This time, I want it to be heavily leaning towards the best.

When I put out this intention, news of this retreat appeared on my radar.

So here’s to embracing the mystery and going with the flow, knowing that every step of the process is an important ingredient to the feast.

I went into the Reunite Retreat with the intention to loosen up – in my art and in my life.

My style of intuitive visionary painting developed in my studio for 20 years before I did my Certificate of Art & Design at the University of Saskatchewan, did Flora’s Bloom True e-course, then studied for a year at the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art.

My channeled intuitive artwork has its unique voice expressed in a relaxed and blissful creative flow that is usually slow, methodical, detail-oriented, and done sitting at a table.

Flora’s approach is much freer, looser, and done standing at the wall.

One thing she teaches is scrubbing with tinted whites to simplify and soften the painting.

I love it. I’ve watched it. I’ve tried it and never could do it….

Part of it is that I rarely use white unless it’s for stamping or stencilling on its own or under glazes. And I rarely use heavy body paint.

So this wild application of globs of white heavy body paint with dabs of other colours in a loose fashion …. well, it just wasn’t part of my repertory.

Learning this symbolic technique was my only real goal during the retreat. If I could do that, I’d know I had loosened up!

Scrubbing represents simplifying and calming down the chaos of colours and textures that can be a bit much to handle in the moment.

But it takes practice….

As you’ll see in a few weeks when I introduce my 2nd canvas (unfinished at the time of this writing), I messed it up, totally obliterating the beautiful layers underneath. All part of the process… As I’d learned time and time again in the studio for the past 35 years, non-attachment is key. Who knows what the next layers will bring to the surface.

I didn’t do so well at it in the first layers of this painting either, but at one point, I got it! 

Then, I covered it up with my usual jewel-toned glazes, but that’s OK. I got to try it on and the satisfaction was thrilling! 

I will remember all this during my travels – breathing, moving, observing and taking one inspired action at a time to co-create the life-shifting experience in Europe that Spirit has in store for me.

I hope something here has been a good reminder / mirror for you too.

Although I’ve made it a habit to video my process in recent years, I believe the quality of Flora’s course materials is what inspired me to record my retreat experience so I could share it here with you. And I’m glad I did, thanks to my 2 iPhones on tripods..

Enjoy this 15-minute experience of transformation, knowing that the canvas wasn’t the only thing shifting along the way. Yay!