Are you ignoring your inner artist?
Do you have a desire to create? To express yourself?
This is the time and place to let that artist’s soul come out and play!
All levels of artists are welcome. If you don’t call yourself an artist, don't worry! If you are a woman who is willing to explore your inner landscape as well as playing with art supplies, this retreat is for you, too.
The world needs you to be the best you possible.
We’re better and more well balanced when we are creating, and connected to ourselves and others.
Art is a powerful tool for transformation.
We can be transformed by viewing art - even art that someone who lived hundreds of years ago created. And we can be transformed by creating art, especially when we create as a way to record and process the world around us.
This is exactly what we’ll do on the Phenomenal Women Art Retreat. We’ll learn, explore, experience, connect, and put all of this into our art, every day.
Through workshops with Tabetha, you’ll learn to see through your “artist’s eye” and use the elements of art to strengthen your sketching and painting skills, and to create compositions using your unique perspective.
Can you relate to this?
You have something inside of you that needs to be expressed, but you have trouble getting it down on paper or canvas.
You follow other artist’s work to create a painting, but struggle coming up with your own composition.
You are creative, and maybe even artistic, but your creative endeavors get put on the back burner.
You yearn for deep, transformative experiences.
You crave freedom and time to recharge and nurture your creativity.
You want some adventure and the space to connect with other like-minded, creative women.
Imagine how you would feel after spending six amazing days in the company of other creative women, sharing not only transformative experiences but also their collective wisdom.
We’ll gather together to make art, share amazing meals, experiences, and honor ourselves and each other - phenomenal women one and all!
Together, we are SO much more than the sum of our parts, and we can learn and grow in community.
About Oaxaca (pronounced wuh-HAWK-uh)
Oaxaca City Mexico is a feast for the senses. The colors and flavors will inspire and delight you. If you're looking for a creative infusion, this is the place!
Vibrant colors, cobblestone streets, amazing food... everything there seems to spark creativity!
Oaxaca is a wonderful arts town - museums, art studios, galleries, murals, and beautifully colored buildings are everywhere! On weekends there are festive wedding parades, salsa dancers, and of course, there are tons of merchants selling all sorts of wonderful fun things in the markets.
I can't leave out the dozens of cathedrals - all works of art themselves - that are sprinkled throughout the city.
On this wonderful retreat we will immerse ourselves in all of the art and culture of this wonderful little city! While we're exploring the city, we'll look for clues and insights into ourselves and how we relate to the world around us. All of the inspiration you gather will be used to express yourself through the art you’ll create while sketching about town and in workshops and open studio time.
Unmute video below for Nancy’s 1-Minute Testimonial!
"It's really important to push past your comfort zone and take a chance on yourself... and use art to think about the world around you... and how that can make your corner of the world a better space."
Laura M.
2019 Phenomenal Women Art Retreat
Imagine the wonderful adventure of traveling to Oaxaca Mexico to meet a group of creative women. Envision trusting that the perfect group will be there, waiting to welcome you. Picture yourself sitting down with that group of phenomenal women, feeling like you belong there. Feeling like you’ve always known these women; that you were connected to them even before meeting them in Mexico.
Imagine going out into the town, the markets, and the restaurants, soaking in the rich colors, sounds, and flavors. Picture yourself connecting to another culture.
Imagine gathering all of these connections and experiences, and pouring them into your art.
Now imagine how this can help you feel more connected to yourself. Imagine how it can make you feel more grounded; more empowered.
The Phenomenal Women Art retreat is all about connection. We connect with another culture, with art, with each other, and most importantly, with ourselves.
Calling all artistic women!
If you're a visionary soul yearning to unleash your creativity through the power of visual art, if you dream of escaping to a world where you can recharge and rediscover your inner artist, and if you hunger for authentic connections with a group of extraordinary women who share your passion, then look no further, this journey is tailor-made for you!
Join us on this amazing adventure of self-expression, exploration, and sisterhood. Let your artistry soar, ignite your spirit, and immerse yourself in the vibrant tapestry of Oaxaca.
Workshops and
Art-Making
Art Making Experiences Included:
Three expressive art workshops led by Tabetha Landt.
Personal one-on-one coaching with Tabetha.
Cheerleading and support from Tabetha and the other phenomenal women!
Open studio time for you to drop in and explore and create on your own.
Studio art supplies: paper, brushes, acrylic paints, charcoal, pencils, other mark-making tools.*
*All studio art supplies are included, however you may bring acrylic paints and brushes if you have some favorites you'd like to use.
You may also wish to bring a small (5x7ish) sketchpad and pencils to sketch while we are out and about.
One of the wonderful things about making art is that it brings us fully into the present. It forces us to observe the world around us with our "artist's eye". When you look at something with the intent of rendering it on paper or canvas, you see it in a different way. You might start seeing things in shapes, you might start naming the colors you'd use to paint it. And all the while you can be creating compositions in your mind.
I'll help you see through your “artist’s eye” and create those compositions. You’ll deepen your understanding of line, shape, form, color, texture, mark making and composition. We'll then use these elements of art to help us see Oaxaca as artists. We'll use all of this information to create art inspired by the sights, sounds and flavors that surround us!
In addition to the workshops and studio time, you’ll have opportunities to sketch the sites while we’re out and about. Sketching is a powerful way to get focused in the moment and record a moment in time and space.
On the last afternoon of our retreat, we turn our studio into a gallery, and have a gallery walk! Each woman chooses a few pieces of art that she created on the retreat to show and discuss.
If you’ve never done this before, don’t worry!! I walk you through the process by asking questions, and telling you and the group what I love and appreciate about your artwork. This is a positive, fun experience!
Where We’ll Stay and How We’ll Eat
Breakfasts and dinners at the Casa are included, and we’ll get to sample many of Oaxaca’s fabulous restaurants each day at lunch. You pay for your own lunches, which average between $8 and $15.
Breakfasts are prepared at the in-house cafe, and consist of a full breakfast with American and Mexican fare. Order eggs any way you'd like, or enjoy the breakfast specialty of the day.
Freshly squeezed orange juice, an array of tropical fruits, toast, oatmeal, granola, and yogurt are available every day. And, delicious Oaxacan coffee is served in the beautiful dining room, with views of front and back gardens.
In the evening, the chef at the Casa will prepare a special cena for us - a family-style dinner - on most evenings.
The chef specializes in Oaxaca home-style cooking in all of its savory (but not too spicy) variety, including Oaxaca's famous moles. Yum!!
They serve hydroponic greens and organic food, and are happy to accommodate vegetarians or other special diets.
All dinners are scheduled at the casa - except for our farewell, celebratory dinner. If you wish to have dinners outside of the Casa, you are welcome to, but those will not be covered in your registration fee.
Family style dinners at the Casa consist of salad, soup, a Mexican specialty, and dessert!
Your taxi will drop you off outside of the lovely aqua colored wall with the lavender door of Casa Colonial. You’ll ring the bell and be greeted by one of the amazing staff members who will be taking care of us at the casa!
Behind those aqua walls lie the gorgeous gardens and grounds that will be our home base for the week. Lush plants, flowers and the sound of birds will sooth you as you’re shown to your super comfy room.
The casa is filled with lovely Mexican pottery and art, and there is even a little koi pond!
Imagine waking up and sipping Mexican coffee while sitting on the veranda right outside of your room. Oh, and you can also relax in the hammock, or check out the library.
The casa is also where we’ll create art in the indoor/outdoor studio space!
You will fall in love with the grounds at the Casa! The gardens are stunning and feature water lilies, koi fish, birds, and of course beautiful flowers.
There are tables and chairs outside, so you can enjoy your morning coffee, journaling, art making, or just sitting and taking in the gardens.
And there is a resident dog, Reggie! (Short for “regalo” the Spanish word for “gift”.)
There is plenty on the itinerary, but there will also be unstructured free time to make art, explore on your own, or just lounge on the lovely grounds at the casa.
The Zocalo is just a quick walk away, and features restaurants, museums, galleries, and more! Taxis are easily available and affordable ($3-$5) if you prefer not to walk.
The casa has 2 private rooms available, several double occupancy rooms, or you can choose the “single in a double room” option to have a bit more space. If you're traveling alone and choose a double occupancy room, you will be assigned a roommate.
Each lovely room has a covered veranda with tables and chairs outside, and the rooms surround beautiful gardens. There is also filtered water in each room, and a water cooler is available to refill the bottles, should you run out.
Pricing, Policies, and What’s Included
The 2025 retreat is in the planning stages!!
This page will be updated shortly!
CANCELLATION POLICY
Any cancellation made before Sept 1 2023 is refundable minus a $150 service fee. Cancellations made between Oct 1 2023 and Jan 3 2024 will result in a loss of 50% of the trip price. On and/or after Jan 3, 2024 your deposit and registration fee are non-refundable. We reserve the right to cancel the trip if it is not meeting the trip minimum (if we do so you’ll receive a full refund.)
COVID POLICY
Your safety is the most important part of this journey. To keep everyone healthy:
Travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage is strongly recommended.
Masks must be worn when appropriate or required.
Questions? Email Tabetha, or set up a 15 minute Zoom chat!
What's Included in the registration fee:
7 nights lodging at the beautiful Casa Colonial
7 breakfasts, and 7 dinners
Entry fees to any scheduled museums, attractions, and workshops.
Three workshops with Tabetha on using the elements of art to help you see with your artist’s eye and create more expressive paintings..
Day trip to see the pyramids at Monte Alban (you can even climb them!)
Day trip to the weaving village of Teotitlán del Valle
Opportunity for personal one-on-one creativity coaching with Tabetha.
Open studio time for you to drop in and and create on your own.
Studio art supplies: paper, brushes, acrylic paints, charcoal, pencils, other mark-making tools.
Free, unstructured time to relax.
Cheerleading and support of the other phenomenal women!
Not included in registration fee:
Airfare
Travel to and from airport
Taxis around town
Lunches
Tips
Alcoholic beverages
Travel
You’ll need a current passport that is valid for at least six months from your date of entry to Mexico.
You will fly into the Oaxaca de Juarex, Oaxaca airport, the airport code is: OAX.*
Oaxaca has direct flights from the USA from Houston and Dallas. Otherwise, you will likely change planes in Mexico City from your city of origin.
From the Oaxaca airport you’ll take a taxi to Casa Colonial. Detailed instructions and the address will be provided in your welcome email. Taxi fare is about $10 USD per person and there is just one taxi counter inside the airport. Easy-peasy!
*Please don’t book a flight until you get the okay from Tabetha that the retreat has met it’s minimum!
A note about Oaxaca:
Oaxaca is a charming, bustling little city! We’ll take cabs and tour vans to a lot of the places we’ll visit, but there is a fair amount of walking, and stairs to climb (elevators are not a thing there.) The streets are often cobblestone, and the sidewalks and stairs can be uneven. Traffic can whiz by, and although we’ll stay in a little wonderful oasis behind walls, Oaxaca is a noisy city! Parades, fireworks, wedding celebrations, and traffic can all be heard where we’re staying. As can birds, and gekkos, and sometimes a rooster or a barking dog. And perhaps you’ll have a little gekko visit your room; don’t worry, they won’t bother you (except to chirp from time to time.) They are much more interested in finding little bugs to eat.
This retreat is a deep dive into finding your creative voice, not a beach vacation (actually there is no beach close by.) This is about art, sisterhood, exploring the world through art in a fabulous, loud, old, bumpy city.
If you have any questions about this retreat, and whether it’s for you, please get on Tabetha’s schedule for a free Zoom consultation.
A Bit of Love from Phenomenal Women
Why “Phenomenal Women?”
Five phenomenal women enjoying a meal at the amazing La Jicara.
Why an all women retreat?
Something magical happens when there are no men around. Women feel free to let their hair down and to say what they feel. I’ve found that in a group setting women feel more empowered without men around.
"I will be forever grateful for this experience; life-changing, transitional, transformational... yes, all of that and more."
Sheila J. 2019 Phenomenal Women Art Retreat
Not sure if this retreat is for you? Click here to schedule a 15 minute one-on-one Zoom call with Tabetha!
Why Phenomenal Women?
Early in 2017 I was inspired by the Women's Marches across the country. It was beautiful to see women come together and march through the streets all over the world. There is this myth that women can't work together. I've never understood nor experienced it. Perhaps it's been fed to us by people who want to keep us separate.
We are more powerful together.
I was moved to create an ongoing series of paintings - and classes - called "Phenomenal Women" to bring women together to celebrate the different aspects of being women; including sisterhood. Some of the paintings we've done have been Power, Dancing Through the Storm, Freedom... to name a few. I have found these classes to be powerful and affirming.
