Wild Heart Painting in Borrego Springs
Winter 2026
Saturday, January 24, 2026 – Friday, January 30, 2026
You are longing to paint. To spend some deliciously uninterrupted time putting color and shapes and images on paper. And to have everything already set up for you. So you don’t have to think or plan or prepare. You just want to show up to a fully stocked studio that is just waiting for you to express your no holds barred creative self.
And you’d like to do it with other people. And maybe feel like you’re part of something bigger…. like a really cool creative community where you get to hang out with other cool creative, openhearted and accepting folks.
You’d like 2024 to be the year that you made a deeper commitment to being more intuitive, more creatively free and more fully alive.
And you’d like to do it in a really beautiful and peaceful place that is homey, and interesting and funky with good vibes.
And you want some support. And guidance to help you get out of your own way enough so that you can create with total joy and unfettered freedom.
If you are looking for something this wonderful, this fabulous and this nurturing to feed your creative soul, I have got just the thing for you.
It gives me great joy to announce that Tim and I are offering:
A Wild Heart Expressive Arts Intuitive Painting Weeklong Extravaganza Creativity Retreat
…and we would love to have you join us!!!
What this Painting Retreat is NOT….
This painting retreat is not even remotely like your typical art class. All of the usual assumptions about art and creativity just don’t apply.
Like you have to know what you are doing in order to paint and create.
Or that you have to be talented.
Or be good at making a painting actually look like something.
Or the idea that creativity is just another chance to judge yourself mercilessly. And that other people will be encouraged to join in.
One thing you need to know. Nothing like that will EVER happen at our Wild Heart Painting retreats!
When you come to this retreat we guarantee that you and your creativity will feel very cherished and valued. And safe. And encouraged.
Which of course will allow your creativity to bloom and blossom and grow like some lovely wild bougainvillea on Miracle Gro!
Who This Workshop Is For:
This week long intuitive painting extravaganza is for you if you have put your authentic creative expression on the back burner for too long and you need a jumpstart to get it up and running again.
You’ve always wanted to paint and were told that you just weren’t any good at art and you want to challenge that old belief system.
Or you’re a working artist but the excitement and energy has gone out of your work because you’ve lost touch with the experience of doing what pleases you!
You’re going through some sort of transition in your life and you need the time, the space and the support to be with all the changes that transition brings and the opportunity to process those changes creatively in a safe and compassionate environment.
You’re feeling bogged down with way too many duties and responsibilities. You’re hungry for a space where you are encouraged to play and where your inner child can come out again and have some fun.
You’re feeling overwhelmed and burnt out by all of the intensity that is happening in the world right now. And you need a safe container to process your feelings and recalibrate your nervous system through making art and being in a supportive and loving creative community.
Dates
Saturday, January 24, 2026
through
Friday, January 30, 2026
Location
Borrego Springs, CA
Address will be mailed on registration
Cost
$1,900
What Gets In The Way
Fear. Lots and lots of fear. I know. It’s scary. Really, REALLY scary to sign up for an experience like this one. As soon as you even CONSIDER it all those voices come raging to the surface telling you that you have NO BUSINESS attending a WEEKLONG workshop on intuitive painting. And creativity. And spirituality. And self love. And self acceptance.
Those voices say things like “I mean, who do you think you ARE for crying out loud. You don’t have the time. Other people need you at home. You shouldn’t be spending the money on yourself. And you don’t even have any talent.”
The fact that you listen to those voice is exactly why you really need to come to this retreat! We have many wonderful and sneaky and powerful ways of working with those messages to help you get free of the crippling influence they have over your creativity, your sense of who you are and how you live your life.
What You Can Expect To Get Out Of This Week
You will get to hang out in a creative space filled to the rafters with more gorgeous eyepopping paint colors and reams of paper and buckets of brushes than you will know what to do with. We are a firm believer in abundance of art supplies!
You will have TONS of uninterrupted time to just paint. And play. And feel. And create.
You will get recharged and rejuvenated by diving into the bottomless well of your own creative source. And supported to reclaim your personal power to take risks, get bigger and be yourself. All the while being inspired by the courageous energy of your wild hearted creative cohort.
You will get back in touch with your wildly creative spontaneously expressive self. That place inside of you where you get to feel free. And joyful. And alive.
You will get the opportunity to pay attention to yourself again. To really listen and to hear what your heart needs and wants.
You will get a chance to slow down and step out of the madness of your daily life for a week. You will find that place of deep quiet , delicious inner relaxation and the opportunity to rest, truly rest, your tired bones, your aching heart and your busy mind.
You will get to be part of a fabulous circle of creative folks who are all there for the same purpose, which is to become more conscious and self loving and compassionate through engaging with their creative process. Most people come away from this retreat feeling like they have found their creative clan, their people , a long lost community of wild hearted supporters and encouragers of their deepest dreams and their most amazing true selves.
You are likely to laugh more than you have in years!
And give yourself a solid week is all about YOU focusing on YOU!
What Happens At A Wild Heart Expressive Arts Painting Retreat?
The retreat is limited to 14 participants so you get to part of an intimate and dynamic creative healing community of wild hearted painters that will inspire you to go to your creative edges and beyond.
We spend time every morning getting out of our heads and into our bodies using music and movement, dancing and breath, presence and meditation.
We meet once a day in a sacred circle of support where we get to be witnessed with compassion, share our wisdom, tell our stories, laugh, cry, whine, celebrate and be held by a community of wondrous wild hearted creative folks.
We paint. A lot.
You will have the opportunity to be in a smaller group once during the week where you can experience deeper sharing and an even greater sense of support by being held and seen for your real and authentic self.
There will be daily inspirational talks where you will learn about things like what is intuition, the wisdom of no mistakes, how to discover the secret language of painting, the myth of inspiration, finding your juicy creative essence, and ways of effectively dealing with the pesky inner critic.
There are also break times during the day where you can hike or nap or read. And two free afternoons during the week where you can explore the charming town of Borrego Springs or the vast desert beauty of Anza Borrego State Park. Or simply rest with more napping, reading, etc..
You absolutely don’t need to have ANY art experience at all to participate in and to benefit GREATLY from this retreat.
Schedule
The retreat begins on Saturday evening from 6:30-8pm. This first session begins with a ritual and is designed to welcome you, have you meet each other, orient you to the space and get you set up to begin painting the next day. Dinner will NOT be provided, so make sure to eat before you come or bring food with you.
Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday we will meet at 9:30am for movement, sharing circle and painting until 12:30pm. There will then be 90 minute lunch break, and then we’ll come back to the circle for sharing, Q&A and painting at 2:00pm until 5:00pm.
Just a reminder… You’re on your own for dinner.
On Tuesday and Thursday between 7:00 – 8:30pm there will be an optional group process circle.
Monday and Wednesday we will meet at 9:30am for movement, sharing circle and painting until 12:30pm. Lunch will be at 12:30pm and then you will have those two afternoons free to play and explore the area. There will be another evening painting session between 6-8pm those days.
Friday we will meet at 9:30am for movement, sharing circle and clean up until 12:30pm. After lunch at around 1:30pm we will set up our paintings for our final closing circle which will end at about 2:30pm.
Location
Borrego Springs is on the border of Anza Borrego State Park which is HUGE and has tons of hiking, 130+ awesome lifesized metal sculptures scattered all over the place, and tons of other cool things to explore. The town itself small and quaint and artsy and is also an International Dark Sky Community, which means that the night sky is full of twinkling, starry gorgeousness!!
We will be painting in a cool (on all levels) and delightful straw bale house which has three potential painting areas.
There is a large, clean and very open garage space that opens out onto the desert, a palm frond covered patio/veranda facing the mountains enclosed by an adobe wall, and a few painting stations set up inside the house, so you can paint either inside or outside.
The workshop is limited to 14 people so it will be quite lovely and intimate.
We will be doing our morning movement and dance party on the patio and our group sharing circles will be held in a comfy living room space inside the house.
Lodging
Lodging is not included in the cost of the workshop and on site lodging is not available at the location where we will be painting. There are a number of hotels and vacation rentals available in the town of Borrego Springs. Please be sure to reserve your place early as the winter is tourist season in Borrego Springs and things will fill up quickly.
Meals
Lunch will be provided as part of the workshop fee. We will order in from one of the several restaurants in town. You will be able to choose your own lunch from one of their menus before an order is placed each day. Breakfast and dinner will not be provided as part of the workshop but there several great places to eat in town.
Travel & Transportation
You can fly into San Diego International Airport which is about 2 hours by car or the Palm Springs Airport which is about an hour and half by car to the destination. FYI: There are more flights into and out of the San Diego Airport. Travel is not included as part of the workshop fee. There is no public transportation in the town of Borrego Springs so you will need to have access to a car to get to and from the workshop venue.
We strongly recommend that you acquire travel insurance in the event that you are unable to attend the event due to family crisis, illness, or other unforeseen circumstances. Please check with a travel agent for information on how to obtain travel insurance. Please note that we will not give refunds, credits, or transfers for any missed days of the event regardless of the cause.
What to bring
The town of Borrego Springs is in the desert so it can be very dry. In addition, while it is generally very comfortable during the winter months it can get cold in the evenings so its important to bring a variety of clothes that you can layer. You want to be prepared for ANYTHING… so bring both warm and cool clothing. We will be painting under covered verandas or the open garage area for shade but you should still prepare to protect yourself from sun. Here are some basics you will want to bring:
- Water bottle
- Hat
- Hiking shoes
- Jacket and warmer wear
- Shorts or lighter wear
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Journal
- Personal Art Supplies (optional)
We provide large, 4x 6 foot standing easels.
- A wide variety of tempera paints.
- Oil pastels.
- Brushes.
- Tray tables.
- Chairs/stools.
- Water containers.
- Painting rags.
- Very high quality, large sheets of paper to paint on.
- Painting smocks.
All of these materials are included in the cost of the workshop. You are more than welcome to bring your own brushes or smocks but we ask that you don’t bring any acrylic, glitter, or oil paints. We’ve (sadly) discontinued providing glitter paints for environmental reasons. But there will be an ABUNDANCE of fluorescents, metallics and pearlescent paints!!
Covid Protocols
Hopefully, Covid will be way calmed down by the time we get together but we do ask that if you are feeling sick within 2 weeks before the start of the event that you test immediately and notify us of your condition.
We strongly recommend that you acquire travel insurance so that if you test positive for COVID and must cancel your trip you can get reimbursed. Please note that we will not give refunds, credits, or transfers for any missed days of the event regardless of the cause.
Payments
A $500 deposit is required to hold your space and we will bill you electronically for the remaining amount due 60 days before the start of the event. (Please note, the deposit is not refundable within 60 days of the start of the event). Please review our cancellation policies below under Policies, Disclaimers, and Agreements.
Getting To Know You…
We understand that coming to a week long retreat is a big commitment in time, money, and effort and we want to make sure that everyone who attends is aware of the work that we do and is willing to participate in all of the different activities that we offer during the week. As a result, if you have not worked with us before in a weekly class or other workshop, we will reach out to you after you register for a short half hour complimentary meet and greet so we can get to know each other and you can ask any questions that you have. Note, if you are not sure this retreat is for you then we always welcome you to reach out to us before registering and we will meet with you to answer any questions you have.
Painting from the Wild Heart in Borrego Springs, CA
Painting from the Wild Heart in Borrego Springs January 2026 is currently full. However, we have opened another retreat from February 28 – March 6, 2026. Please join us and follow the button below to enroll. We hope to see you there!
Rave Reviews From Happy Painters
My experience at this retreat was life altering. It was a gift to myself at a time when I was reconnecting to my creative life which had long been neglected and was fighting for space. The voice inside just kept getting louder and louder. So I answered it by dedicating time to paint — paint my emotions, be present for my yearnings and desires and respond to them, and be quiet and reflective through the painting process. I planned to do this on my own yet the magic of life brought me to the Painting from the Wild Heart retreat at Mountain Home Ranch and the supportive environment was a perfect [new] beginning. 
The experience was nothing short of divine. I felt taken care of emotionally, physically and spiritually and I adored every minute of it. I felt and continue to feel alive and am showing up in my life with a renewed energy and motivation — I have already spent time painting every day since the retreat. I am inspired … I cannot thank you enough for providing me the space to breath new life into my body and soul.
Wow-weeeeeeeeeeeee … YES!!!!!! Having the dedicated time, space, and guidance away from the daily routine really supported opening my creative channel in a BIG way. In the wake of the workshop, I continue to express myself creatively on and off the canvas. Painting in community for the first time since high school, was a wonderful and revelatory experience. Highly recommended!
The workshop was marvelous beyond words! I too was blown away by the level of immediate trust and safety we all felt with each other. All of you will be in my heart forever! Actually, the intuitive process for painting was easier to follow than I expected. Of course, that doesn’t mean it was easy to keep open to what came up. Sometimes the things that wanted to show up on my paper really ticked me off! But as I went with it I found such freedom and release that now I think I am addicted to this process. Thank you for leading us in it, Chris. Your responses were affirming, challenging and always right on! And I am so glad my daughter and I could do it together. We keep the work in our relationship up to date so we didn’t have any big dark issues to wrestle through but I think we both learned something new, fresh and beautiful in each other. She is a wonderful painter as well as song writer! I am SO proud! And it was a special gift to see all of you respond to her with the same level of respect and joyful delight that I feel for her!
Amidst the natural setting of oak and redwood trees, I felt free to discover my inner self. Through painting with Chris, I also felt safe enough to discover and express my deepest and truest creativity. The natural and bucolic yet almost rustic setting is reminiscent of an earlier time, with a slower pace and wonderfully tasty and nutritious home cooked, organic meals provided in a family atmosphere that welcomes and nurtures the soul!
What a treat to spend a weekend surrounded by the beauty of nature and a community of fellow artists … to be nourished by wholesome cooking as well as Chris’s supportive guidance … and to have the opportunity to immerse myself in my creative process. I feel that I’ve returned from the retreat with fresh eyes for the forms and colors in the world around me … as well as a deeper insight into my own inner landscapes. I’ve experienced the joy and peace that comes from trusting my own intuition … and learned a few tricks for recognizing and banishing the critic, at least temporarily! I am amazed and humbled by what shows up on the paper when I am willing to trust the process. What a great metaphor for living, too! Just trust … be bold … go with the flow. Thank you, Chris!
Like Chris mentions, people are drawn to her retreats at specific times of their lives for inexplicable reasons. That’s exactly how it happened for me.
I was guided at just the right time, a time of transition for me, with just the right people and I’m beyond grateful that I followed through and trusted my intuitive shout to go to learn from her! Chris shares beautiful wisdom and gives clear guidance and loving support toward allowing what needs to come forth, to come forth and what needs to shed, to shed at your own pace.
Plus, having a set up studio space brimming with hundreds of brushes, paint colors (yes, Glitter!) and unlimitted paper to ‘go bigger’ makes it like a playground to be free in and to safely explore!
I’m in awe really of what happened there and how life shifting it’s been for me. Connecting to our inner wisdom and painting from there is magically healing, inspiring and promotes loving and caring at deeper levels. Chris (and Tim) are changing the world for the better with their work. Thank you both for being the wise, laughter-filled, loving creatives you are!
For me the Calistoga retreat was like summer camp for grown ups, but in the middle of winter. The ranch had a kind of old style charm. Big fireplace in the main room, friendly owners and beautiful country all around. Of course the food was anything but summer camp style! I ate so much! I find that when I am intensively creative, as was the case during the retreat, I am famished by the time each meal rolls around and having wonderfully prepared food certainly encourages my eyes to believe that I need huge servings of everything! Being surrounded by such a lovely place was an added extra plus to the excitement and loving energy that everyone brought. It wasn’t planned or expected, it just happened. We all got together the first night and relaxed, got to know each other a bit and shared our hopes for the next few days. Something about having the intention to create consistently with little or no distractions produces so much energy! I wanted to get painting right away. Even though fear mixed in with the excitement, I couldn’t wait. 
Often when I paint with Chris I work through difficult emotions, and of course that’s okay. It’s all part of it. During this retreat however, I was able to stay in a place of humor and lightness. I don’t know if the group energy, the beautiful country side, or Chris’s way of encouraging and listening to what I needed and wanted, helped me reach this playful place. Perhaps it was all three and then some. Whatever it was, I felt so much joy and freeness. At one point while painting I looked around and saw that everyone was completely present with their own process. It was inspiring and encouraging. I felt so much love for everyone along with a kind of collective pride. I thought, yeah, look at us! Look at what we’re creating! This is amazing! We’re creating so much healing energy! I feel transformed! One day during a painting break I went for a walk down the French Toast Gulch. It was very cold that weekend but the sun was out and the colors of nature were crisp and clean. Ice had formed along the path and tiny crystals attached themselves to the thin blades of grass. It was quite something. I felt alone and not alone all at once. Yes, I loved this retreat. The collective energy, the conversation, the quiet, the beauty, the painting into the unknown, Chris’s unending support, the food, the rustic cabins. All of it.
I was a woman in need of a local retreat. My Google search offered me Wildheart Painting with Chris Zydel or a Buddhist Monastery. I grew up terrified of painting and drawing, yet what I was experiencing that required retreat, made painting seem less terrifying; besides the Buddhist Monastery would always be there if painting didn’t work out. The retreat was only 2 weeks away, and I wondered if there would still be room for me. Thank Goddess there was. The time came and I packed a bag of causal comfy clothing and drove off to Calistoga. I was met by a longtime student of Chris’, who asked me if I’d ever done process painting before. Process painting, yikes! I didn’t see those words on the website. For the next 6 days I processed and painted, and processed and painted with as much paint and paper as I needed; it would be 30 2’x3′ sheets by the end of that week. I learned a lot about myself and about paint, and what kinds of shapes and lines and strokes the brushes and I could make together. It was work and fun, and love and hate, and hot and cold, and blue and green. I learned to love red and orange, made a mess, and then cleaned it up. I worked myself into a frenzy and into tears, into trance and out of terror. It was an inside job, expressed onto the outside world through paint. Thank the Goddess again! The environment is safe, and very quiet. It flows with the energy of others painting and processing, and it flows beautifully. Chris Zydel is a genius. She claims the studio a temple where there is no talking or visiting, and no studying or discussing our paintings. This creates a container free of judgement, and what can be created in the freedom from judgement, especially self-judgement, is amazing, and healing, and freeing, and expansive. Chris’ attention to our individual moments of being stuck or confused in our painting process were deftly supported in side-by-side witness and brief discussion. She offers humor and hugs, and gentle reminders that we are all artists, no matter what. I stepped into the retreat 6 days earlier, a bit shattered and certainly in an emotional spin over the change in life events that had recently occurred. I left that retreat with my self-confidence restored, emotions processed and clear headed. One week in the Wildheart Painting retreat changed me and freed me. A week in a Buddhist monastery might have achieved the same, but I wouldn’t have traded my experience with paint and paper, and my inner artist. There is power in putting paint to paper, and in experiencing and expressing that inner power, I am changed, and freer than before. Thank you Chris and thank the Goddess, again.
Chris Zydel and her Mountain Home Wild Heart workshop was the most amazing transformational week of my life. Chris pulled me deep into myself and created a space for my intuitive self and my deepest feelings to emerge and gain a larger voice that will continue to grow long after the retreat. Being together with Chris, other soul sisters, and the redwood trees, pulled me right through a threshold that I have been standing at for quite a while.
Great food, great hikes and the support of amazing people allowed me to release and rocket into the next phase of my personal development. Was it intense! Yes! Was it fun! Absolutely! Was it worth it! It was a priceless experience filled with support and love that gave me the courage to feel and explore and transform myself.
Thank you Chris and Tim.
Diane Prescott, attorney and lightworker