An immersive weekend of intuitive art, movement, nature, and reflection to reconnect with your body, creativity, and inner voice.
Step into a weekend designed to nourish your spirit and ignite your creative fire. Surrounded by forest and stillness, you'll get the freedom to play with paint, write poetry, sculpt with clay, and move freely. Guided not by rules, but by your voice within. Gentle prompts open doorways to the unconscious, while forest immersion and conversations kindle deep connection with like minded souls. Each moment is curated to help you soften, listen, and return to yourself. Everything you need is provided, materials, home cooked meals, and the kind of soulful company that makes you feel truly seen. You’ll leave not only with art, buth with heart. With clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of who you are and of belonging.
Creative Sanctuary
“More than a retreat.
It’s a transformative experience that shifts how you see your life and your art.” — A.
Soul Retreat Weekend
June 12–14
A small, immersive weekend to slow down, reconnect, and return to your creative process with presence, clarity, and ease.
This is a space to slow down and reconnect
Many women arrive here feeling a quiet sense of disconnection.
From creativity.
From themselves.
From the simple act of making something without overthinking it.
Sometimes there is uncertainty about where to begin again. Sometimes there is doubt. Sometimes life has simply been full for too long.
This weekend is a space to step out of that pattern.
You do not need to arrive with a plan.
You do not need to arrive as an artist.
You only need openness.
The setting
The retreat takes place in a quiet, private environment surrounded by nature.
I live in a community called The Woods, set within approximately 20,000 acres of forest.
Just a few minutes from the house, there are hiking trails that wind through trees, open spaces, and gentle elevation. Deer often move slowly through the yard. Everything feels close to nature, even from the studio space itself.
There is a sense of stillness here that you feel immediately.
You are five minutes from walking trails.
Thirty-five minutes from Hagerstown, through a scenic drive that already begins to shift your pace before you arrive.
There are places to sit indoors and outdoors. Under trees. On the lawn. In quiet corners with natural light.
You are free to work wherever you feel most at ease.
What the weekend involves
This is a guided creative experience that moves between painting, simple body awareness, reflection, and time in nature.
We work intuitively with paint and mixed media. We also use gentle movement and observation practices to reconnect attention with the body and the present moment.
There is time to reflect. Time to work. Time to pause without needing to fill it.
Everything is structured gently, so you are supported, but never rushed.
What makes this experience different
This is not a workshop focused on technique or outcome.
There is no pressure to produce finished work.
Instead, the focus is on attention, process, and awareness.
You are invited to notice what happens when you slow down. When you stop trying to get it right. When you begin to respond rather than control.
As the weekend unfolds, many people begin to recognize patterns in their creative process — and in how they relate to themselves while making.
The work becomes less about the painting in front of you, and more about how you are present with it.
What this experience supports
This retreat supports a return to creative presence.
It helps you move out of overthinking and back into action.
It opens space for intuition, experimentation, and a more responsive way of working.
It also creates room for insight, not by analyzing, but by experiencing.
Who this is for
This retreat is for you if you feel drawn to a slower, more attentive way of working.
If you want to reconnect with your creativity in a way that feels natural again.
If you are at a point where you are ready to begin, or begin again.
Both beginners and experienced artists are welcome.
No prior experience is required.
What you can expect to leave with
You leave with a quieter mind.
A more grounded creative process.
A renewed sense of connection to your own way of working.
And simple experiences you can return to when you are back in your everyday life.
The rhythm of the weekend
The days move between guided sessions and open studio time.
There is space to work. Space to rest. Space to walk. Space to sit quietly without needing to perform or explain anything.
Meals are home-cooked, healthy, and shared together.
There is a natural balance between connection and solitude.
Join the retreat
If this speaks to you, you are welcome to join.
Soul Retreat: $475 (early bird $425 ends May 20)
June 12 (4pm) – 14 (4pm), 2026
(only 4 spots left 01/19/2026)
This is an opportunity to step out of routine and give yourself time to reconnect, with your creativity, your body, and your inner direction.
You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin. You just need a place to start
The 3 Creative Retreat Possibilities
Annual Soul Retreat
Mini Retreat
Custom Retreats
There are many options to choose from.
Abstract painting or intuitive, coaching, or a combination.
It will always be a relaxing experience.
Contact me to explore possibilities.
Themes for the weekend include:
Understanding the Power of Creativity
Creativity is a boundless force residing within each of us, waiting to be unleashed. Many people find themselves stuck in the rigidity of routine and self-doubt, unable to tap into this wellspring of inspiration. At our retreat, we firmly believe that everyone is an artist, and we are dedicated to guiding you in discovering your unique creative voice..
Exploring the Unconscious Mind through Art
The unconscious mind is a reservoir of untapped potential and hidden emotions. Working with various art forms such as painting, drawing, clay sculpting, and creative writing, will provide a safe space for you to express yourself freely. These artistic mediums act as a gateway to accessing the deeper recesses of your mind, allowing you to process emotions, memories, and thoughts that may have been buried.
Breaking Free from Creative Limitations
Throughout life, we encounter barriers that hinder our creative expression. Whether it be fear of judgment, self-criticism, or past failures, these limitations restrict our artistic growth. This retreat employs guided exercises, group discussions, and one-on-one mentoring sessions to help you confront and overcome these obstacles, fostering a sense of creative liberation.
Cultivating Mindfulness and Self-Awareness
Artistic exploration is not only about creating visually appealing pieces; it is a journey of self-discovery. Through mindfulness practices, meditation, and reflection, this retreat encourages a deeper understanding of your emotions, desires, and beliefs. This heightened self-awareness will empower you to channel your emotions into your art, creating authentic and meaningful pieces.
Nourish your Soul
Martina paints quietly beneath the open sky, surrounded by the stillness of nature where she feels most at home. These intuitive works emerged after a movement-based exercise—two distinct poses, one reflecting her current state, the other a desired way of being.
With brush in hand, she translated feeling into form, guided by the rhythms of breath, body, and honest self-inquiry. Here, art becomes a language for the soul—shaped not by rules, but by presence and deep listening.
Hear What This Is Really About
This interview explains the heart behind what I do, how painting became a path to seeing, feeling, and becoming more fully yourself.
🏡 A Hidden Gem in the Forest
Nestled in a peaceful golf community in Hedgesville, WV (just 90 minutes from Washington, DC), my home studio sits at the edge of 22,000 acres of pristine forest. With trails, fresh air, and quiet beauty, nature becomes your co-facilitator.
Optional lodging is available in local Airbnbs.
I attended the Nourish your Soul retreat this weekend lead by Artist and Coach Elisabeth Vismans. Check out some of the Intuitive Painting projects we did – some group, some solo, and some interactive. We had so much fun and learned A LOT about ourselves, art, our intuition and what we want to do to move forward to live our best lives. 
If you are looking for a retreat that will nourish your body and soul – this is it! Thank you so much Elisabeth – this weekend was just what I needed.
Kimberly McClure
Reviews June 2023 VIP Nourish Your Soul Retreat
The Art of Being in the Moment
Retreat with Elisabeth Vismans, June 9 – 11, 2023
The greatest gift of this weekend retreat is the sense of welcome into a creative space to stir the senses: light, flavor, texture, music, and movement. In Elisabeth’s airy refuge in the woods, something delights the eye everywhere you look with lush plants and her vibrant art on the walls.
Our opening session set the tone of trust, freedom, support, and openness — and the dinner feast that Elisabeth prepared nourished us body and soul. The group shared the joys of warm soothing stew, fresh bread, pie to celebrate, candlelight, and great company. There is a sure sense that exactly the right people are meant to be here for exactly the right reasons.
The first morning’s exercise was a revelation as Elisabeth invited us to inhabit different gender roles using color, movement, and imagination to get centered and use the body to help us be in the moment.
The next work we did on the inner saboteur unearthed deeper truths — challenging me to paint from my intuition and give voice to the old beliefs that hold me back. Working in clay and with paint for the afternoon session exploring poses reflecting how I feel in my life now — and how I want to feel — generated some powerful insights and meaningful work. This exercise got to the very root of the bodily sensation of deep emotions — beyond words — and helped focus my conscious mind on the longing that my unconscious body-mind holds, for my life, for my future, and for my legacy.
On Sunday morning, Elisabeth challenged us to observe a square foot of the forest floor in the woods near her home. This full sensory immersion brought unexpected insights and subtle joys as I grounded myself laying on a carpet of soft leaves and tender plants to pay close attention to a small verdant kingdom within the confines of four twigs. A poem emerged spontaneously from my spiritual “field notes” from this time in nature.
As I leave, I am taking with me a profound sense of creative refreshment, nourishment, and inspiration thanks to Elisabeth’s generosity, vision, and example of creativity and grace.
Anne-Louise Bateman Oliphant
Hedgesville, WV
Questions Answered
Do I need to be good at art?
What’s included in the weekend retreat?
All art materials and supplies (no need to bring anything).
A welcome dinner Friday evening with cocktails and gifts.
Light, fresh lunches on Saturday and Sunday (home cooked European cuisine throughout).
Snacks and refreshments throughout the retreat.
Personalized attention in a small group (max 6 women). Please note: Saturday dinner is not included, but we’ll plan a group outing to a local restaurant.