Offering HeART and SoulCollage® workshops to inspire your creative spirit | | Bringing Heart, Hands & Community Together | | "Spring Peepers" - Mixed Media by GG | |
Dear Glenda,
Happy May Day and Beltane!
May is here, and She’s softening the earth beneath our feet. Buds are opening wide, birds are singing louder, and there’s that subtle nudge in the air inviting us to stretch, shed, and bloom.
At the Down to Earth Studio I am leaning into this fresh energy with gratitude and groundedness. This month is about reconnecting—with ourselves, each other, and the cycles that hold us steady.
Here's what’s blossoming at the studio in May (scroll down for details on any of these offerings):
1. SoulCollage® on the last 3rd Friday of the spring season.
May will be our last 3rd Friday session until September. Expect creative space, soft music, and a gathering of kindred spirits. Come as you are—no pressure, just presence.
2. Earth Love Treasure Boxes Decoupage Workshop — May 10th
This workshop is an exploration in themes of memory, nature, and storytelling, making each box a reflection of the treasures and experiences it holds. This experience is about honoring the beauty of the natural world and the special objects we collect along the way. Nature brings us hope and inspiration during troubled times as we are reminded of her resilience, beauty, and consistency.
3. Lively Layers and Shimmering Shapes Painting Workshop — May 18th
A creative romp into the dynamic world of layered painting techniques and shape creation. GG will guide you through the process of building depth and texture as you play with acrylic paint, sumi brushwork, webbing spray, and shape masking to create a fabulous work of art!
4. Summer SOULstice SoulCollage® Day-long Retreat - June 20th and 21st.
The session on 6/20 is full, but there are still one opening on 6/21. Celebrate the longest day of the year with the themes of abundance, clarity, and empowerment, creating space for what we are ready to celebrate, release, and call forth in our lives.
May’s Gentle Prompt
Ask yourself: What am I growing, and what needs more light? Jot it in your journal. Speak it aloud to the trees. Share it with someone safe. Let it guide you gently this month.
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Thank You…
For showing up in your own way. For believing in slow spaces and soulful work. The Down to Earth Studio wouldn’t be what it is without each of you!
A lovely reminder from Father Richard Rohr, "When we love the earth, we are able to love ourselves more fully." You can read more here.
xoxo
GG
| | Art and SoulCollage® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio | | |
Summer SOULstice SoulCollage® Gathering
Two options to choose from:
Friday June 20, 2025, 9:00 - 4:30 (This day is FULL)
Saturday June 21, 2025, 9:00 - 4:30 (1 open spot)
Announcing a special Summer Solstice Retreat at GG's Down to Earth Studio - A Day of SOULstice Ritual, SoulCollage®, and Sisterhood. Facilitated by Glenda "GG" Goodrich and Kim Buller.
Step into the longest day of the year with intention, magic, and creative soul-work. Join us for a day-long Summer Solstice SoulCollage® retreat, a sacred gathering where we will honor the fullness of light, both in the world around us and within ourselves. Through ritual, reflection, and creative exploration, we will deepen into our soul's wisdom, embracing the energy of the solstice as a portal for transformation and renewal.
Surrounded by kindred spirits in a nurturing space, we will weave together the ancient power of solstice rituals, guided meditation, and SoulCollage®, an intuitive process of self-discovery through imagery and collage. As the sun reaches its peak in the sky, we will honor the themes of abundance, clarity, and empowerment, creating space for what we are ready to celebrate, release, and call forth in our lives.
This retreat is a sanctuary, a day to step away from the ordinary and into the extraordinary. To listen deeply, create freely, and bask in the warmth of sisterhood and sacred connection. Whether you are new to SoulCollage® or a seasoned practitioner, this day is an opportunity to rekindle your inner fire and honor the fullness of your being.
Workshop fee: $145 (includes a yummy GF DF lunch with a vegetarian option, all creativity supplies, and a special gift!)
Come, say yes to the magic! Step into the light. Space is limited. Let us know you are interested by emailing GG. Registration/payment details will be provided once your spot is confirmed.
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Earth Love Treasure Box Workshop
Saturday, May 10, 2025, 10:30 to 4:00
Art Department Supply Store, Salem OR
Join us for a heartwarming craft workshop where we will create Earth Love Treasure Boxes -- beautiful, personalized keepsake boxes designed to hold the special natural treasures you've collected over the years, like feathers, shells, stones, and bits of wood.
This workshop is open to all ages and encourages a deep connection with nature and creativity. Using decoupage techniques, participants will transform simple book-board boxes into unique works of art using a variety of papers, ephemera, and textured materials, such as vintage maps, botanical prints, natural fibers, and handmade papers to create layered, meaningful designs.
Throughout the workshop, we will explore themes of memory, nature, and storytelling, making each box a reflection of the treasures and experiences it holds. Whether you're creating for yourself or as a gift, this experience is about honoring the beauty of the natural world and the special objects we collect along the way.
Workshop fee of $85
includes one 8"x8"x4" book-board box
Register with the Art Department here
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Lively Layers and Shimmering Shapes Workshop
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 10:00 to 4:00
Silverton Arts Association, Silverton, OR
Join us for this creative romp into the dynamic world of layered painting techniques and shape creation. GG will guide you through the process of building depth and texture using various painting methods, while also focusing on the fundamental elements of form and design.
In the first half of this workshop, we will play with acrylic paint, sumi brushwork, webbing spray, and shape masking to create a layered background.
Next, we will choose (or create our own) stencils for a focal point shape(s) and learn how to use negative space to create visually compelling artworks.
Suitable for artists of all levels, this course offers a playful and free-form exploration of how to achieve depth and dimension in a layered painting.
Supply list (or pay instructor $25 for a supply kit):
- One American Easel “deep” wood panel 12” x 12” x 1.58” or 11” x 14” x 1.58”
- One 20” x 30” (or similar sized large sheet) of black watercolor paper
- Acrylic paints in your choice of colors including white and a combination of light, medium, and darker tones
- Rubber brayer (any size but no wider than 4”)
- Palette paper
- One #8 or #10 Filbert brush
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Removable glue dots
- PVA book binder’s glue
- Gesso
- Chip brush
What to bring: Bring all supplies listed above or pay $25 to GG and she will provide all materials.
Workshop fee $85.00 ($95.00 with $10 discount applied)
Silverton Arts offers this class as an "Art for All" offering. What does this mean? The Silverton Art Center applied for, and was awarded, a grant that allows them to offer classes to the community at a reduced cost. The class is discounted by $10 through a grant from Lynn’s Smile Fund of Oregon and the Oregon Community Foundation.
Register at Silverton Arts Association here.
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Friday SoulCollage® Gatherings at GG's Down to Earth Studio
"I am continuously amazed at the depth of the intuitive process of SoulCollage®. I love holding workshops and sharing this profound process with people. SoulCollage® has helped me have more faith in knowing that we are all connected and that the thing we long for the most is within us." — GG
Facilitated by GG and Kim Buller
Morning gatherings from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Afternoon gatherings from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
GG’s Down to Earth Studio
240 Bush Street S., Salem, OR 97302
May 16: The Vibrant Colors of May - A SoulCollage® Celebration
AM Session: Kim. PM Session: GG
No 3rd Friday sessions in June, July, or August. We will begin again in September.
Sliding scale fee for Friday sessions $30 to $50. Venmo (Glenda-Goodrich), Paypal (glendaanne@msn.com). Please pay in advance to reserve your spot. Cancellation policy: Full refund 7 or more days in advance or if I can fill your spot
Email GG to reserve your spot at any of these gatherings, or to get on the waiting list for sessions that are full.
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Courting the Muse: Nourish Your Innate Creativity! 4-day Retreat
Explore, Express, Expand!
THIS RETREAT HAS ONE SINGLE LODGING OPENING due to a cancellation.
Email GG for registration or more information.
Thursday evening June 12 to early afternoon on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at Tipi Village Retreats in Marcola, Oregon with GG and Cindy Brodner.
Imagine spending four days nestled in the sanctuary of a rich green forest next to a babbling brook, sleeping in a cozy bed, being pampered with gourmet food, playing with paint and collage, and renewing that spontaneous, juicy, creative, soulful part of yourself. It’s all yours to enjoy in a community of kindred spirits. “Courting the Muse” is an immersive arts retreat held in the heart of a Doug fir, pine, and fern forest next to a meandering creek, this workshop focuses on tapping into your subconscious mind and intuition to inspire and free-up your original creative expression.
GG and Cindy will be your midwives clearing the way for you to meet your muse and bring forth the creative impulses that have been stirring inside you as you step out of what you think is true about your creative self, and step into an environment where you feel free to birth whatever wants to be expressed.
$1385.00 single lodging space that is available includes:
- 3 nights lodging and accommodations at Tipi Village
- Creekside dining
- 3 hearty breakfasts, 2 light lunches, 3 gourmet dinners
- Water, coffee, tea
- 18 hours of Art Doula guidance, creative activities, and experiential exercises to unleash and inspire your creativity
- 3 morning dreamwork sessions
- All painting, collage, and creative activity supplies
- Gift bag of goodies
- Outdoor soaking tub
- Evening fire pit
- Access to a fresh-water swimming hole
- Full moon gazing
- A large wood platform in a meadow by the creek for your personal morning practice (Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, etc.)
- Sanctity of an emerald Doug fir forest
Email GG to register or for more information.
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Creative Arts Eliot
4-day Art Retreat
August 9 - 14, 2025
Seabeck, WA
I have been invited to teach at Creative Arts Eliot.
The Eliot Institute creates and supports an intentional, inclusive community of celebration, friendship, and joy with opportunities for exploration, spirituality, and growth for Unitarian Universalists, their families and friends. Each year they offer summer camps featuring a variety of opportunities for creative expression. I will be teaching Dynamic Mixed Media Collage. You can find out more about Creative Arts Eliot camp here.
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Fall 2025 Retreat
Soul Renewal withSoulCollage®
Coming Home to Yourself
with Glenda "GG" Goodrich and Ann Christensen
Breitenbush Hot Springs Resort
September 12 - 15, 2025.
What does it mean to come home to yourself? How does it feel to meet yourself at your core? And who is the person that resides there?
Life can bring many difficulties and traumas and can cause us to build up protective layers that keep us from truly knowing ourselves and being available to love. Coming home to yourself means stripping away some of these layers and rediscovering the unique essence of YOU.
Join us for a soulful retreat at the serene and healing grounds of Breitenbush Hot Springs. Soul Renewal with SoulCollage: Coming Home to Yourself invites you to reconnect with your inner landscape through the intuitive and transformative practice of SoulCollage®.
Surrounded by ancient forests and the soothing waters of Breitenbush, you will explore the deep wisdom that resides within you through guided meditation, rituals, sound baths, movement, contemplative card-making, reflective journaling, community, and heart-centered circle sharing.
Registration information is coming soon!
| | | MAKE IT AN EVEN 10! Solo Passage Book Awards and Placements. I have to say it... I am so proud of my awesome book! | | |
GG interviews GG
Here is a link to my latest podcast with Greg Gerber from Forward From 50.
| | Readers' Favorite Honorable Mention Award in Non-Fiction Inspirational | Next Generation Indie Books Award Finalist in Memoir | |
Bookfest First Place
Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit
| Paris Book Festival Honorable Mention Award in General Nonfiction | | |
Firebird Book Award Winner First Place in Inspiration
First Place in Mind/Body/Spirit
First Place in Nature
First Place in Self-Help/Motivational
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Reader reviews of my book make a huge difference!
I would so appreciate it if you would leave a rating and maybe a few comments. You can leave a review on Amazon here. Thank you!
| Best Book Awards: Finalist in Nonfiction: Inspirational | | Foreword Indies Book Silver Medal Award Winner in Body, Mind, and Spirit | Global Book Award Finalist in Self-Help, Personal Transformation | |
NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite
in the category of Nature.
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CIBA Hearten Book Awards
Semi-finalist in Inspiring and Uplifting Non-fiction.
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Are you curious about what it means to work with the Art Doula? Contact me for a free 30-minute consultation to see if art mentoring can take you to the next level in your creative life.
Here's a comment from recent client:
"I love how you think . . . and how you put questions to me. It's like there's gold at the bottom of the bucket and you are stirring the pot!"
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from my creative heart to yours,
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The Art Doula is here for you!
Come and discover, explore, and birth your unique creativity.
I am here to help you explore, discover, and birth more of your unique creativity. I'd so love to work with you to help your creative life blossom. Contact me for a free 30-minute preliminary consult.
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