Intuitive Painting Art Retreat
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
June 30th - July 6th, 2024
Ready to unleash your creativity in paradise?
We'll take over the secluded Nereus Retreat Center for 7 days & 6 nights of making art where the jungle meets the ocean in the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. We’ll lodge in a private retreat center with our own saltwater pool, surrounded by lush rainforest, and steps to the Pacific Coastline.
Prepare to be immersed in a once-in-a-lifetime art experience.
You’re An Artist
Want to make art in a welcoming community where your identities and stories are celebrated?
I’ll guide you through my intuitive painting process in the spirit of play, where experimentation is celebrated, and without judgment.
This process will help you loosen up, tune into your intuition, release expectation, and invite joyful expression in painting and your daily life.
You’ll Experience and Learn:
My integration of a whole hearted practice, including meditation, journaling, and tarot
Painting demonstrations aplenty
Expressive mark making and layering techniques
My favorite paints and tools
Color mixing tips and tricks
Be bold. Let go. Get wild.
We're all artists! This class is for everyone, with no previous painting experience necessary.
This isn’t a paint by numbers class. Those serve their purpose, but I don’t want you to paint like me or everyone else. Here you’ll tell your own story and explore your unique style.
I infuse the space with loving guidance and encouragement, but the heart of the experience is the community we form together. The collection of creatives who lift and support each other.
I anticipate lots of laughter, making a big 'ol mess, and maybe some dancing!
While the Osa Peninsula comprises only 3 per cent of Costa Rica’s total land area, it is home to more than 50% of the country’s animal and plant species.
Get Inspired By Your Surroundings
Costa Rica’s famous Osa Peninsula – a region described by National Geographic as one of the most “biologically intense” places on the planet – is bookended by the deep blue waters of the Pacific to the west and the Golfo Dulce, or “Sweet Gulf”, to the east.
The Nereus Retreat Center is located just outside Puerto Jiménez, a historic gold mining and logging community, and one of two major gateways to the the awe-inspiring Corcovado National Park – picture a biodiverse home to some 140 species of mammals, 400 species of birds, 40 species of fish, four species of sea turtles and more than 500 species of trees.
Spend part of your day out exploring the spectacular beach, snorkeling in calm coves, or turtle-, dolphin- or whale-watching before heading back to the gardens to, perhaps, swing lazily on a hammock while watching a squirrel monkey leaping to land on a branch overhead.
Disconnect To Reconnect
7 days filled with adventure, relaxation, and creativity
What’s Included In The Cost?
Nourishment
At Nereus Retreat Center, food isn’t just fuel, it’s a feature in your creative experience.
Your week will includes three meals a day, all gorgeously curated by a private chef and adapted to your dietary needs. Breakfast will include fair trade coffee and handcrafted teas. Lunch will be served family style and dinners will be plated. Produce is seasonal and sourced locally from independent businesses, from the organic rice grown in-country to the mahi mahi caught just along the beach.
Food is never one-size fits all here, but it is always plant forward, seasonal, gluten free, and brings color, as well as nutrients and all the taste!
Yoga
Morning yoga will provide a beautiful foundation for the day.
Four (optional) 90 minutes yoga classes that are perfect for all levels. Yoga will be led by Michelle Garcia, an indigenous yoga teacher hailing from a small and remote Canadian town. Her aim as an instructor is to foster a sense of equilibrium and serenity in people’s lives by creating a sacred space, nurturing silence, and encouraging students to embark on a voyage of self-discovery within the realms of yoga.
All bodies are welcome to join in any capacity, even if that means sitting in a chair and meditating or taking a long resting pose.
Transportation
Once you arrive at the Juan Santa María airport in Costa Rica, we’ll take care of the rest.
Domestic roadtrip air travel from Juan Santa María airport (SJO) to Puerto Jiménez (PJM) and shuttle transfers to the retreat center are included in your registration and will be arranged for the entire group.
The flight is only 40 minutes long on Sansa Airlines and within two hours from check in at the domestic terminal (adjacent to the international airport) you will be standing on the beach.
You will travel over the mountains in the central valley and along the Pacific Coast, cruising over the “Whale’s Tail” near Uvita, the Sierpe River Delta and the Gulfo Dulce. It’s a wonderful opportunity for some jaw-dropping photos.
Once you land in Puerto Jiménez it’s a quick transfer (approximately 5 km) to Nereus Retreats.
Day Trips
Bring your adventurous spirit and sense of wonder.
Together we’ll take two day trips to soak in all the beauty and diversity of one of Central America's most unique ecosystems.
Day Trip One: Boat Trip and Guided Hike. For our first excursion we’ll travel to the heart of the Corcovado National park via a 90 minute boat ride to Sirena and where travelers often see dolphins, whales, and turtles along the way. Next we’ll enjoy an (easy + flat) guided hike through the jungle. Corcovado National Park is home to numerous flora and fauna, including four species of monkeys, two-toed and three-toed sloths, and many species of birds including trogons, hummingbirds, a large population of scarlett macaws, red-lored parrots, parakeets, and king vulture to name a few.
Day Trip Two: Chocolate Tour and Tasting. During our second excursion we’ll discover the beautiful Finca Kobo situated in the middle of primary rainforest on the Osa Peninsula. Wandering through the "cacao forest" on a guided tour we’ll learn about the process of the organic cacao production and the making of chocolate from the fruit to the purest chocolate. Last but not least, we’ll taste a delicious chocolate cake and chocolate fondue with exotic fruits in the middle of a tropical garden.
All Art Supplies and Individualized Instruction
Everything is provided - all you need to do is show up.
Paint, brushes, a variety of mark making tools, substrates (watercolor paper and canvas) will be provided.
We’ll work in acrylic paint and a variety of mixed media tools to create abstract paintings from start to finish. Through mind, body, and soul practices, we will enliven your already established creative practice or offer a start fresh. I will offer insight into the intuitive painting process, including prompts to get your started, tips for expressive mark making, techniques for building layers, lessons in color theory, ways to elevate your value, and contrast, and so much more.
While I'll share plenty of painting tips, techniques, and "rules", I'll also encourage you to break them all. The goal of the retreat is to help you tame your inner critic and release expectations so that you make more instinctual choices and create more freely.
Rooms
Accommodations are arranged across single and two-story villas with 12 light and spacious rooms with single, double, or triple occupancy.
All rooms have USB charging for devices, powerful fans, screens, air-conditioning, sheets, towels, and a bathroom with shower.
The body and hair care products provided in guests’ bathrooms are plant-based, biodegradable and made in Costa Rica. Beds and linens are of the highest quality throughout.
Rooms will be given on a first come, first serve basis.
Your Investment
Trip Price: $2520 - $3480 (select room upon booking)
Single occupancy room with one queen bed and a shared bathroom (2 rooms share one bath) $2,880 per person
Double occupancy room with one queen bed and a shared bathroom (2 rooms share one bath) $2580 per person
Double occupancy where each room has two XL twin beds or a King bed with an ensuite private bath $2,730 per person
Triple occupancy rooms where each room has three XL single beds with ensuite private bath $2,520 per person
Single occupancy with private ensuite bath $3,480 per person
Secure your spot now with a $600 deposit.
The remaining balance will be split into two equal payments. The first due on February 1st, 2024 and the remainder due on April 1st, 2024.
You also have the option to pay in full.
OUR ITINERARY
Sunday, June 30th (DAY 1):
Meet at Juan Santa María airport where we will gather to take a domestic plane to Osa Peninsula followed by a private shuttle to Nereus Retreat Center. Settle in, opening circle, and welcome dinner.
Monday, July 1st (DAY 2):
Breakfast. Option of 90 minute yoga class, beach, or pool time. Morning painting workshop. Buffet lunch. Afternoon painting workshop. Free time and sunset viewing. Plated dinner.
Tuesday, July 2nd (DAY 3):
Breakfast. Option of 90 minute yoga class, beach, or pool time. Morning painting workshop. Family style buffet lunch. Afternoon painting workshop. Free time and sunset viewing. Plated dinner.
Wednesday, July 3rd (DAY 4):
Breakfast. Group excursion: Boat trip followed by a guided hike through Corcovado National Park. Free time and sunset viewing. Plated dinner.
Thursday, July 4th (DAY 5):
Breakfast. Option of 90 minute yoga class, beach, or pool time. Painting Workshop. Family style buffet lunch. Group excursion to Finca Kobo for Cocoa tour and tasting. Sunset viewing. Plated dinner.
Friday, July 5th (DAY 6):
Breakfast. Option of 90 minute yoga class, beach, or pool time. Painting workshop. Family style buffet lunch. Afternoon free time with option for spa treatments or kayak excursion (add-on), or time in the studio. Closing dinner and ceremony.
Saturday, July 6th (DAY 7):
Breakfast. Check out. Group shuttle and domestic flight returning to Juan Santa María airport.
*subject to minor changes due to weather, group desires, or opportunities
Refund Policy
There will be no refunds for this Intuitive Painting Retreat due to the extensive planning and logistics involved.
Travel Insurance
It is HIGHLY recommended that you obtain trip insurance that covers travel, medical, and cancellation insurance for protection against any circumstances that might require cancellation or change of travel arrangements.
We strongly advise that your chosen policy provides coverage in case of lost or delayed baggage, loss of personal belongings, trip cancellation, trip interruption, accidents, illness, injury, medical expenses, death, and emergency repatriation.
Terms and coverages vary depending on the specific insurance carrier. Carefully check before purchasing your policy.
What’s Not Included
Flights and transportation to/from Juan Santa María International Airport, Costa Rica
Massages or spa treatments (on-site services available with option to schedule at a later date)
Additional Excursions (optional)
Alcoholic Drinks (available for purchase)
Safer Space
As a white queer cis femme woman with a professional background in gender studies and queer theory, I strive to create a safer space that promotes equity, open-mindedness, a willingness to learn from others, and affirmation of the unconditional value of all peoples.
My hope is that the space is both critical of the power structures that impact our everyday lives and allows us all to be free to grow, thrive, and express our individual identities.
Confirmation
Once you are enrolled in the retreat, you will receive several emails in the coming months to arrange transportation, schedule any remaining payments, and provide more retreat details.
Please feel free to email any questions to becky@beckyjoanspringer. I am here to help!
