Even before I'd completed building Villa Nilaya in 2012, I knew that it was a perfect place to share with creative people who yearned for some peace and quiet to hear themselves think. At that time I was a full-time art gallery director, short of time, surrounded by artists, and a dedicated yoga practitioner.

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It was from here that Creative Living Retreats evolved. I designed what I  was yearning for and invited friends to join me. Now, 30-something retreats later, we have refined our offerings to ensure that the essential reason for the retreat remains foremost - time to come to rest, find one's centre, and surrounded and inspired by this beautifully authentic part of Bali, exercise that innate creative instinct that we all have.

 

I hope that you'll be able to join us on a Creative Journey.   

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Anna has a B.Sc in Medical Technology and an M.A. in Sienese Art History from the Courtauld Institute, University of London. She owned a fine art gallery for 18 years and has been creating Art+Yoga Retreats in Bali and Sri Lanka since 2011, and Spice Voyages Tours in India, Ethiopia and Morocco since 2007.

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In 2024 she brings her experience of living on the Greek island of Hydra to the program, with three new painting and writing retreats in Autumn '24.

Becky made a home in Brighton in 1997 after spending her twenties travelling, and undertaking regular commissions for the Pizza Express chain. This allowed her time to grow as an artist, and be inspired by the wonders of India, Nepal, South East Asia and Australia. Trekking through the Himalayas, riding pillion on an Enfield Bullet from Southern India to Katmandu were some of her many adventures. And along the way making friends that were to shape her future as an artist in later years.

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Meeting Cat Read, a design publicist in a guesthouse in Nepal was the beginning of a long love affair with Western Australia. Cat proposed in return for a painting, she would secure a gallery and generate the publicity required for a solo exhibition in Perth, WA.

 

Becky’s first show with the Gadfly Gallery, whose director, Anna Kwiecinska immediately recognised a unique authenticity in Blair's work. The show was a huge undertaking and a steep learning curve, but ultimately a huge success, and the pair went on to collaborate with 6 sell out solo shows over years, creating  a loyal following that relish her vibrant, and unique style.

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During this period, Anna held a Creative Living retreat with Becky in Bali, and now, in 2025, the pair collaborate gain with art retreats in Fes Morocco (march/ April 2025), and Hydra, Greece (October 2025).

When traveling, Becky’s interest lies in the sights and scenarios that reveal a true sense of place. Her paintings reflect the experience, rather than the visage, allowing viewers to share in the moment. In some images, one can note a suggestion of indigenous motifs but it is rather an appreciation than appropriation as Blair celebrates all subjects with her unique view.

When she isn’t in Australia, Becky lives in Brighton with her husband and daughter. Working out of her studio at the Phoenix, she creates work for galleries throughout the UK, and is commissioned by collectors worldwide. She is represented by FourWalls at art fairs in London.

What drives me to create?

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A desire to be present in my own mind, my own space and my own dreams allows my hand to interpret my thoughts.

From an early age at school, I would daydream looking out of the classroom windows watching the shadows and shapes the eucalyptus leaves made on the tree trunks and the negative spaces filled with sunlight through the outstretched branches.

I was always in trouble for daydreaming.

But it is those early habits of looking and observing that has sustained my art practice.

I look and I look again at shapes, patterns and colours. I look at shadows and light and dark in nature. For me this ability to see what is around me is the greatest gift I can draw on for inspiration in my abstract and representational work.

A lifetime of dreaming has led me to a daily practice of creating.  Always pushing boundaries and experimenting with new techniques and materials.

Not everything works but that is the process of making art, always moving forward and challenging myself.

I work in oil on canvas, acrylic and watercolour on paper.

I work with clay to create sculptures and glaze using may different techniques.

I embroider on fabric. I love creating lino and wood cuts and silk screen prints.

I work on my art practice every day.

I am an Australian artist working from my studio in Ubud Bali.

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Mark Making is always the start of any project regardless of the medium.

I am happy to share what I have learned over forty years of creating to help other artists find their own voice and enable them to turn their dreams into reality.

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EXHBITIONS

I am represented by three galleries in Australia and one in Bali.

My work hangs in collections throughout the world.

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Christine has participated in a week-long Creative Living Retreat with Liz Murphy at Villa Nilaya in Bali, and has known Anna through exhibitions and gallery life in Perth, Western Australia for many years.  

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We are delighted to be finally working together on this experimental, large scale works on paper retreat at Nilaya in  2025.

I am a West Australian artist and art educator, with a Diploma of Education and Bachelor of Education: Secondary Art.  

 

The focus of my earlier art career was expressionistic portraiture, in both 2D mixed media and clay forms, examining aspects of the

human condition and later a sense of place while residing in China for 4 yrs.

 

My recent work has been a response to the landscapes at the mouth of the Moore River, WA and the desert country in the West MacDonnell ranges, surrounding Alice Springs in Central Australia. I focus on layers of rich colour, collage, print and texture whether on clay or canvas.

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Nadine was both a participant in 2013 on a Creative Living Retreat in Bali, and following that, Anna invited her to collaborate as a presenter, teaching portraiture, printmaking and design techniques to help participants create large scale, expressionistic portraits which reflected their experiences of beautiful east Bali, where the retreats take place. 

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Nadine has presented a series of 5 annual retreats in Bali with Anna, the most recent being in 2024, and the next one in 2025.

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EXHIBITIONS

• Glimmer Gallery: Melbourne, Victoria Solo Exhibition:  2023

• Earlyworks Gallery: WA Solo Exhibition 2022

• Hale School Exhibition: Perth, WA Group exhibition 2015

• Kurb Gallery: Perth, WA Group exhibition 2014

• Suzhou Gallery: Suzhou, China Group Exhibition 2013

• New Collectables Gallery: Fremantle, WA Solo exhibition 1998

• Sandalford Winery WA Group Exhibition 1996

• Gomboc Gallery WA Solo exhibition 1995

 

COLLECTIONS

Gomboc Gallery Middle Swan Suzhou, China (private collector) Olio Dome Café Orchard Rd Singapore Melbourne (private collections

Born in Forbes in 1961, Kasey began painting at the age of 17yrs in 1978, and has painted professionally since 1980.

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He has had 6 solo exhibitions in London and has been represented at major London Art Fairs, such as ‘Olympia’ where a record price of 18,000 pounds was established for a major canvas in 2002.

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He has been commissioned by the American Australian Association to provide works, painted and presented as awards to Greg Norman and Andrew Liveris, president of Dow Chemical Co USA, and Paul Anderson, ex CEO BHP and present CEO of Duke Energy in America.

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Commissions for 2007 include Chip Goodyear, ex CEO BHP & James McInerney, Vice President of Boeing Air USA

Kasey was selected for the Ingles equestrian Prize 2012.

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Kasey’s a Learn to Paint “Visions in Oils” was published in 2012

Kasey’s book “The Art of Kasey Sealy” was published in 1993.

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Kasey has painted in many overseas countries, including UK, France, Venice, Italy & USA.

He still manages regular painting trips around Australia, as his love of the Australian bush is the source of much of his inspiration.

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He was previously a regular lecturer at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst, but now holds tutorials for Art Society members, throughout Australia, and holds his own home tutorials in his studio.

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He has also produced 5 educational; learn to paint Videos/DVD’s.

His paintings have been shown as a major prize on popular Australian TV game shows, on numerous occasions.

His articles on painting are regularly published in Australian Artist magazine as well as the International artist.

In 2013 Kasey appeared in the ABC Landline documentary called “Brush Strokes”.

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Major Solo Exhibitions

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Kasey has also has had numerous mixed exhibitions.

• Turner Gallery, Orange 1980

• Prouds Gallery, Sydney 1983-1985-1989-1991

• George styles gallery, Sydney 1984-1986

• Barry Newton Gallery, Adelaide 1987

• Showcase Gallery, Darwin 1988

• Bribie Island, Gallery 1996-1999

• Bruce Watling Gallery, Gold Coast 2000

• McKenzie Gallery, Perth 2002-2004

• Sealy Studios, various venues 1987-1988-1990-91-
  -92-93-97-98-2000-02-04-05-06-08-2011-2012-2013

• Piano Nobile Gallery, London 1997-1999-2000-2002-2003–2005

• Sutherland Gallery, 2007

• Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle, 2007

• Katoomba Fine Art, 2007-08-09

• Sutherland Art Gallery 2008

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Major Prizes

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Kasey has also been awarded other numerous prizes not mentioned here.

• Mornington Art Prize 2018 – Best over all 1st prize

• Alexandria Art show VIC 2017 – Best over all 1st prize

• Hamilton Art Show VIC 2017

• Ocean Grove Art Show VIC 2017

• Portland Art prize VIC 2017

• Edrington Art prize VIC 2017

• Singleton Art prize NSW 2017

• 2017 Sydney Royal Easter Show – 1st prize rural section

• 2017 Margaret Esque Award Best over all Sydney Royal Easter Show

• 1st prize oil Brighton VIC – 2017

• 1st prize oil Newcastle Grammar Art Show – 2017

• 1st prize oil Kuringai Art Society – 2017

• 1st prize Tumut Art Show local subject – 2017

• Singleton Art Show 2016 – Best of Show

• Singleton Art Show 2015 – 1st Prize Landscape Section

• Inspired Art Show: HVGS. 2015 – 1st Prize Watercolour Section

• Camberwell 2014 – 1st Prize $20,000

• Currabubulla 2013 – 1st Prize

• Ryde Art Show 2011 — 1st Prize

• Port Stephens Art Show 2011 – 1st prize Seascape section

• Camden Art Prize 2011 — 1st Prize

• Currabubula 2011 – 1st Prize Bright Art Show 2010 – 1st prize

• Goondiwindi Art 2010 Council Award – 1st prize

• Camberwell 2009 – 1st Prize $20,000

• Bright Art Show 2009 – 1st prize

• Sydney Royal Easter Show 1999 – 2nd Prize

• Sydney Royal Easter Show 1998 – 2nd Prize

• Camberwell Rotary Art Show 1992 1st prize $10 000-Gold medal

• Sydney Royal Easter Show 1992, 1st Prize

• Currabubula Red Cross Art Show 1992 – 1st Prize

• Bega Caltex award 1991 – 1st Prize

• Wyong Rotary Art Show 1991 – 1st Prize

(Other numerous minor prizes not mentioned here).

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​Michael Done is a versatile musician, songwriter, poet and reflective writer. Over his lifetime, his expansive musical journey has been intertwined with a heart-felt explorations of self and spirituality.

 

The musical and spiritual aspects of Michael’s life have always been close companions. In 2010, this brought him into friendship with Deva Premal and Miten, internationally acclaimed exponents of Indian chant and ethereal contemporary spiritual music.

 

Michael’s composition Lokaha Samasta became one of Deva and Miten’s most popular pieces with over 7.5 million hits on YouTube, and he has performed many times with them at chanting retreats in Australia and Greece.   

 

Indian musical influences coupled with Michael’s interest in various Eastern spiritualities drew Michael to ‘Kirtan’, an immersive form of call-response chanting that enables participants to be internally centred, sensorily engaged, aesthetically nourished and joyfully connected to themselves and those around them.

 

In his hometown, Perth, Michael has become a well-respected Kirtan musician, leading and participating in Kirtan events at festivals, meditation events and retreats. At 70, Michael wound back his regular Kirtan activities but he is still frequently invited to play and sing at special events. This includes two memorable writers’ festival appearances with his close personal friend, author Brigid Lowry.

 

Michael continues to play, sing and compose but also enjoys giving attention to his other artistic wing, writing. He is a life-long journal-keeper and a sensitive poet. Some of his lovingly crafted reflective writings are posted on his personal blog, www.michaeldone.com, which he cheerfully (but wrongly) claims “no one ever reads”​

Brigid Lowry has an MA in Creative Writing and has published both poetry and short fiction for adults, as well as 8 prize-winning books for teenagers.

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Her two essay collections, published by Fremantle Press are Still Life With Teapot: On Zen, Writing and Creativity and A Year of Loving Kindness to Myself, and Other Essays.

The later was chosen by Apple books as best book of the month in April 2024 Fremantle Press will publish her new title in February 2026 – A Time of Living Graciously: Essays on Ageing.

 

Brigid’s current work combines Buddhism, the psychology of healing, self-help, memoir and humour, and aims to inspire anyone who is struggling in difficult times, or who wants to live with more ease and equanimity.

 

She believes in op shops, coloured pencils and floral frocks, and in fostering joy and creativity in herself and others. She is a widely experienced creative writing teacher who has taught in schools, community classes, private workshops and at Curtin University.​​

The name on my identity card is Theresa Jane Hardman.

I am an architect, maker of things, mother, lover and child.... curious, complex and playful.

One of my favourite definitions of creativity is by Osho:

“ Creativity is a very paradoxical state of consciousness and being: it is action through inaction, it is what Lao Tzu calls wei-wu-wei. It is allowing something to happen through you. It is not a doing, it is an allowing. It is becoming a passage so the whole can flow through you. It is becoming a hollow bamboo” (Osho 2011)

Leela (or Lila) is a Sanskrit word meaning “divine play”.

It is the creative dance of the cosmos… a shifting, shaping process which is never-ending. It involves creation, destruction and then re-creation. We are woven into divine, delightful, spontaneously free form of play.

“The purpose of creation is leela.

Leela is a purpose-less purpose, a natural outflow, a spontaneous self-manifestation of the Divine

Leela emphasizes the role of delight in creation.”

- Sri Aurobindo

Leela is free, playful, uncontainable, infinitely creative and unpredictable.

When I create, I am leela.

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I am passionate about all forms of creativity, I would love to share my passion with you.

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Welcome to my world…​

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Want to read more? here are some articles on Creative intuition by Dr Tee Hardman

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Understanding Creative Intuition - an article in UNISA publication "de arte" Vol 46, 2011. Issue 83. Published online 24 May 2017

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The creative process is multi-faceted. Whether one is designing a building, composing a piece of music or developing a series of paintings, the process involves both rational and other, less easily explicable, non-rational aspects.

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Understanding Creative Intuition - Perspectives from Eastern and Western Philosophy . published online in Journal of Creativity Volume 31, December 2021

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​This article is an overview of research findings from a PhD by the author in which the nature of creative intuition and how it functions during the creative process is explored. The experience of creative intuition is fragile and fleeting, characterised by moments of mysterious potentiality and open-ended suggestiveness which generate new and original thoughts, sounds, images and actions.

Tanya Dalziell teaches and researches in English and Literary Studies at the University of Western Australia.

She writes on topics related to Australian literature, film, music and modernism.

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She has published books on Australian writers Joan London and Gail Jones and co-edited a book of essays on the musician Nick Cave.

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With Paul Genoni, she co-authored Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955-1964, which received the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.

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It is this book which forms the basis of his retreat workshops on the island of Hydra, together with Paul, in October 2025.

Paul Genoni has worked as a librarian and academic, most recently with the School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry at Curtin University, Western Australia.

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His research and publishing spans Australian literature and culture, including travel writing; expatriate memoir; and pilgrimage narratives.

 

He has published a book on Australian explorer narratives and co-edited a collection of essays on Thea Astley.

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With Tanya Dalziell, she co-authored Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955-1964, which received the Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction.

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It is this book which forms the basis of his retreat workshops on the island of Hydra, together with Tanya, in October 2025.

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Creative Living Retreats really are just that. Living to create, whilst we take time out for ourselves to retreat from all the concerns of our daily lives within an easeful environment to relax, restore, revive and experience the intoxicating pleasure of making art.

 

Yoga is a foundation element in Creative Living Retreats and one of the reasons that Anna created the retreats in the first place. The yoga teachers invited to participate with us must bring a constellation of very special qualities with them. 

 

Eva Kroes, originally from the Netherlands, lives and works in Bali. With her beautiful voice, and expertise with many instruments, including sound bowls, you will experience the yoga of sound, tone and vibration. It is the yogic practice of using sound vibrations to harmonise and balance our cells and energetic pathways (nadis) of any blockages that might prevent vital energy (prana) from flowing through.

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Whilst this might be new to you, be assured, that contemporary medical research supports  these ancient Indian theories and practices. Above all, it's an absolutely beautiful way to experience sound, incorporating it into your yoga practice, and indeed, your art practice too! Each supports the other.

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Join us, and experience the healing effects of the vibrational medicine preset in your voice and the intrinsic musical harmony within your being through the Art of Nada Yoga and Sound healing, as well as the physical yoga you're probably more familiar with.

 

With our small groups, you’re assured of plenty of individual attention. The yoga will test those who like to find their edge and extend, and nurture those who may be coming to yoga for the first time, after a long time, or with injuries.

Please connect with Anna or Eva to enquire if you have any concerns – there are always alternatives if yoga isn’t for you this time.

 

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