Bioeuphoria: Contemplation and Mark Making with Natural Objects

This class was enthusiastically received last year, and we are thrilled to offer it again in 2024 for artists of all skills levels (beginners to advanced). The day begins with a guided meditation led by mediation coach, Debi Gollan, to get grounded in the present and set intentions. Next is a walking meditation to explore the garden in search of specimens to observe and materials to draw with.  

We will use ink and vine charcoal to demonstrate and review the fundamentals of observation and drawing – including continuous line contour, negative space, balance, harmony, and types of mark making including tools from the natural world. This is not about creating a perfect rendering of the plants we observe but rather a record of time spent together in connection with nature.  

The term Bioeuphoria is a protologism (not yet in common use) that refers to the very particular relationship artists have in direct, sustained observation of nature – one that with practice can build a sense of a true reciprocal relationship. The artistic and meditation practices used help foster deep connections with the natural world and can become a part of your daily practice.

Snacks, hot and cold drinks, and a simple vegan lunch served. Please bring your own if you have dietary restrictions.

Instructor Bios: Jessica Abbott Williams is an artist and owner of Brushstrokes Studio, a community art space and ceramics studio in Berkeley.  She received her BFA in 1997 in ceramics from the California College of the Arts and has sold her line of ceramics at the SFMOMA Museum Store, the Palo Alto Art Center Gallery Shop, and The Gardener. Her fine art painting draws from the natural world, particularly plants and flowers. She has collaborated with the designer Erica Tanov on a floral-inspired clothing line and exhibited her works in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Marin, and Napa Valley. She is currently working on a social practice project called Bioeuphoria:  Conversations with Artists in a Time of Climate Chaos. 

Debi Gollan is a meditation coach and energy medicine practitioner, who accesses universal tools with potent healing frequencies, through meditation and visualization techniques. With a master certification in Intuition Medicine®, she is a certified Past Life Regression Therapist and a practicing Evolutionary Astrologer.  Debi incorporate these modalities in supporting clients through life transitions.Instructor Bio: Gail Dubinsky, MD graduated from the University of California Davis School of Medicine in 1979. Her passion and aptitude is in working with people with musculoskeletal problems and nerve injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. She uses a “person centered” approach, viewing healing as a confluence of physical, mental, spiritual, and lifestyle factors, and she applies a range of conventional and alternative approaches to facilitate optimum health and functioning. She began formal study of Iyengar yoga in 1984 which emphasizes strength, flexibility and proper bodily alignment. In 1999 she became certified in Kundalini yoga as well. She has substantial yogic training and teaching experience and has build a comprehensive program promoting strength and flexibility with special relevance for gardening