The 23rd Annual
Gathering
July 10–16, 2023
The Gathering is a six-day intensive that provides a deep immersion in the process of Touch Drawing. Held within the beauty of the forest and the safety of the circle, you are invited to embody your creative soul. Oriented to people who feel a calling to share Touch Drawing, this experience provides the fertile ground out of which your own way of facilitating the process can grow.
I am sorry to announce we will not hold the 2022 Touch Drawing Gathering, but have reserved July 10-16, 2023. To be notified when it opens for registration. Sign the mailing list.
The Gathering has a sacred and joyous quality. Words fail to adequately describe it. Drawing sessions are deep and expansive. I hold space with the heartbeat of a large ceremonial drum, crystal bowls and vocal toning. Reflective writing, gentle movement, vocal practices and group sharing are woven through each day. These creative processes compliment the deep drawing sessions and help you explore the images that emerge. Afternoon quiet times and a day of silence allow for integration and renewal. In the course of the week, our focus moves through an organic progression: from personal, to interpersonal, to transpersonal. Together we generate an atmosphere that enlivens and inspires.
The Gathering is for people who are interested in bringing Touch Drawing into their work in their own unique ways. I am happy to talk with you about your particular interests during mealtimes, and encourage attendees with common interests to connect. If you are a therapist, educator, counselor, artist, social worker, intuitive, health practitioner, body worker, spiritual director, healer, life coach, expressive arts facilitator, community volunteer or student, you will be empowered to integrate this dynamic creative process into your life and work. Read about facilitating Touch Drawing.
To get a sense of this unique event, immerse yourself in last year’s Gathering Photo Gallery or scroll down to see images from many years. To get a feeling for the flow of the week, see What We Do and the Daily Schedule. Reflections from participants convey some of the ineffable qualities of the Gathering. Watch the video Reflections on Touch Drawing, which was filmed at the Gathering. Many common questions are addressed in the FAQ.
We meet at The Chinook Center, amidst 100 acres of forest on Whidbey Island, Washington. This is a place of deep spirit, nature and beauty. Our sacred studio is the awe-inspiring Thomas Berry Hall. My husband Ross Chapin was the architect for this and other buildings. We have a long relationship with this place and it holds the Gathering in blessing.
We walk and draw in the large Chartres-style outdoor labyrinth. Sacred sites such as the Woodland Sanctuary and ‘Earth Nest’ are available for quiet times. There are miles of trails through the forest. On our day of silence, chose to pack your lunch and art materials, and go to a beach facing the majestic Olympic Mountains. Or settle into the peace of our retreat center for the day.
On Thursday evening, we hold a sacred space through movement, drumming, and vocalizing to integrate and embody the transformative vision of our time together.
Our meals are prepared by an inspired chef who uses produce from the garden and local farmers. Every bite is truly a delight, and her service is loving and abundant. Much of her cooking is gluten and dairy free, with vegetarian options always available.
Please note that the Friday schedule has been extended from previous years. We will have an afternoon session, bringing more ease and depth to our final day. If you must depart at 3:00, you can. But stay through the evening if you can! We will clean up the Hall together and then go to beautiful Maxwelton Beach for a picnic dinner prepared by our beloved chef. We will linger on the beach through sunset overlooking the Olympic Mountains. We first did this last year and it was magical! If you need to take the 8pm shuttle to the airport or motels, we will take you to there.
Please join us if you feel the call! Blessings, Deborah Koff-Chapin
Testimonials • What We Do • FAQ’s
Before registering, please read all the details:
Travel • Timing • Rooms • Fees
Registration Form
NOT YET OPEN FOR REGISTRATION!
Feel free to email or call 360-221-5745 with questions.
All the details you need to know:
Registration Form
Save $100 if you register by April 1
Feel free to email or call 360-221-5745 with questions.
• Immerse in the sacredness of the creative process.
• Meet & be inspired by kindred souls
• Reflect on your images through poetic writing.
• Open your voice through vibrational sound practices.
• Attune to subtle energies through awareness & movement practices.
• Develop trust in your intuition by creating drawings for a partner.
• Settle into silence in an old growth forest & driftwood beach.
• Bring your images to greater fruition by mounting & coloring.
• Integrate Touch Drawing & Expressive Arts into your life & work.
• Celebrate & Integrate through the ‘Long Dance’.
