Events Archive - Page 2 of 105 - Rancho La Puerta
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Artists in Love

Artists In Love
Romantic influences flourished among famous artist couples throughout the 20th century and played a fascinating role in furthering new modes of expression. Whether partnering briefly or for extended periods of time, these lovers exchanged ideas and imagery that triggered some of the most important avant-garde art of the modern era. Join us as we examine the connections between such artist pairs as Pablo Picasso and Fernande Olivier, Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O’Keeffe, Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude who drew inspiration from one another, and whose art took paths unimaginable without the impact of their companions.

Giants of 20th Century Mexican Mural Art
Mexico has long been a magnet for an international community of avant-garde intellectuals, writers, poets, and artists, but it is Rivera, Orozco, and Siqueiros who would shape an artistic revolution and an imaginative new vision, bringing both fame and notoriety as they went on to influence generations of Mexican artists, while also profoundly impacting American art at mid-century. Join Diane Arkin to explore, discover, and discuss this extraordinary cultural and artistic legacy of Mexico.

Spanish and Mexican Surrealism: The Magic of Miro, Dilemma of Dali, and Fantasies of Frida
The dream imagery, personal sign languages, auras of fantasy, and subconscious feelings that surrealist artists explored are all evidenced in the paintings of Miro and Dali, two of the best-known 20th-century Spanish surrealist painters. But we also find these elements in the extraordinary art of Frida Kahlo, a truly iconic Mexican surrealist painter who forged a unique and original type of art filled with personal symbolism. These artists took separate paths to express their shared interests, with Miro creating child-like, carefree, abstract, and poetic images, with flamboyant Dali pursuing painting with hallucinatory impact and power to shock, and with Kahlo virtually re-inventing self-portraiture as autobiography. Join Diane Arkin as we unravel the mysteries in the surrealist art of these three giants of modernism.

Enjoying Modern Art
Modern art can baffle, challenge, irritate, and delight us. By throwing away past traditions, artists like Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Picasso, Miro, Rauschenberg, Warhol, Wiley, and Kim experimented with new ideas and materials to revolutionize the art experience. With an emphasis on 19th, 20th, and 21st century art, we will track the hand of the artist, the growing emphasis on the psychological, and the movement toward abstraction. Join Diane Arkin for a session of careful looking and lively discussion aimed at discovering, exploring, and enjoying modern art.

 

Diane ArkinFor VIP’s, dignitaries, superstars, and celebrities, Diane Arkin, retired Senior Lecturer at the National Gallery of Art, was the scholar routinely called on to provide engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking presentations on subjects spanning treasures from the medieval period through the most challenging art of today. She also lectured nationally on museum education, trends in theory and practice, active learning strategies, and museums as unique learning environments. Prior to coming to the National Gallery of Art, Diane served as Curator of Education at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art and Design in Washington, DC, and as Director of Education at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Diane’s work as a Program Coordinator in both the Resident Associate Program and the International Study Tours Division of the Smithsonian Institution included years of lecturing both domestically and internationally on a broad range of art historical subjects.

Hands-On Cooking Classes and Harvesting Mindfulness: A Culinary Journey with Gyll Turteltaub and Reyna Venegas

Gyll will collaborate with La Cocina Que Canta’s Executive Chef Reyna and her team to create a special hands-on culinary experience. During the 3.5-hour experiences you will learn about the benefits and techniques of mindful eating and cooking. You will then mindfully harvest veggies from the garden, prepare and enjoy your own farm-to-table meal along with fellow chefs. Classes take place at La Cocina Que Canta, our culinary center on Tuesday and Wednesday, at 4pm. The Thursday class begins at 4:45pm and includes a wine paring!

Tuesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM Sign Up
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.

Wednesday Hands-On Cooking Class 4:00 PM Sign Up
Each class $145 (tax included). Class subject to change, check your weekly planner and schedule for updates. The maximum number of guests per class is 14.

Mindful Matters Dining Experience 4:45 PM Sign Up
Celebrate the abundance of our organic farm and the connection to community with a Farm-to-Table dining experience – a perfect blend of health, tradition, flavor, and fun! Cost is $150 per person, tax and wine pairing included. The maximum number of guests is 30. Sign Up at the Appointments Desk or through the link above.

 

Gyll TurteltaubGyll Turteltaub, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist in San Anselmo, California.  Gyll is the Senior Director of People & Culture for The Permanente Federation.  The Permanente Federation LLC is the national leadership and consulting organization for the eight Permanente Medical Groups (PMGs).  Gyll is responsible for developing and providing strategic leadership for PMG People and Culture initiatives including equity, inclusion, and diversity, leadership development, engagement and training, and Physician Health and Wellness.  Additionally, Gyll maintains a private practice, providing psychotherapy for individuals and couples.  Her areas of specialty include compassion fatigue, burnout, improving mindful living, and treating anxiety and depression.  Gyll has presented workshops internationally on a variety of topics including mindful eating, resiliency, communication effectiveness, burnout, and emotional intelligence.             

 

Reyna VenegasExecutive Chef Reyna Venegas’ classes are about fresh and delicious food that will energize, inspire, and nourish our Tween guests!!  She fuses the culinary and cultural heritages of her own Northern Baja roots with the nutritious “spa cuisine” pioneered 80 years ago by Rancho La Puerta co-founder Deborah Szekely. At La Cocina Que Canta, “The Kitchen That Sings,” Chef Reyna teaches healthy eating as a celebration of life in farm-to-table cooking classes.

As a lifelong learner, Chef Reyna graduated from University of California, San Diego’s Integrative Nutrition program, which focuses on how food promotes wellness. She is also a graduate of the Culinary Art School in Tijuana, and holds a Pastry Degree from the Lycée Technique et Hôtelier de Monte-Carlo and Fondation Turquois.

She and her husband Chef Marcelo Hisaki own Restaurante Amores, a hidden culinary jewel in the heart of Baja and currently collaborates as manager of Team Mexico on their way to the Bocuse d’Or Americas 2024.

                

8th Annual Chamber Music Festival

Our 8th Annual Chamber Music Festival features some of the world’s finest musicians who will inspire you with extraordinary performances set in the relaxed atmosphere of The Ranch. In addition to daily concerts, you can enjoy talks by the musicians, watch rehearsals, and perhaps even encounter “random acts of music” in unexpected places throughout your day.

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Immersion Swim Program with Dr. Steven Katz

Offered two times a day Sunday – Thursday, 11 am & 3pm, Activity Pool
Dive into a five-day progressive swim class that will have you swimming smarter, better, and faster. Designed for swimmers of all levels, Total Immersion taught by swim coach and Chiropractor, Dr. Steven Katz.

Coach Steve will begin by analyzing your stroke and then will apply small incremental corrections for skill improvement. Over the course of 5 days, you will discover an ease, confidence, and enjoyment in swimming that you never could have imagined. Spaces are limited so please be sure to register as early as possible.  Offered twice a day so max 12 people. (Sign up in lounge).

 

Steven KatzDr. Steve Katz has been a lifelong athlete (including professional baseball) and yoga/chiropractic practitioner. His passion for mindful swimming was ignited after experiencing a Total Immersion workshop in 2015. He experienced such immediate improvement in the ease, efficiency, and pleasure of swimming freestyle that he dedicated himself to certifying as a Total Immersion coach and achieved coach certification in 2021. He believes swimming is ideal for safe and mindful fitness at any age.

Nurturing Your Emotional Health

A Mindful Approach to Stress
During this time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, we have come to accept that stress is a part of daily life, yet many people struggle to understand that stress can be both a positive and motivating force as well as a detriment to physical health and emotional wellbeing. This presentation offers a mindful approach to navigating change and challenges — participants will learn about signs of stress related to four dimensions of personal energy: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Research in the field of positive psychology will be highlighted and participants will be introduced to several natural antidotes to stress as well as pathways to cultivating joy and meaning.

Natural Pathways to Well-Being
The pursuit of happiness is a fundamental right mentioned in the Declaration of Independence; however, it is left to individuals to determine the meaning of happiness.  Researchers have provided varying definitions of what it means to be happy, but many people struggle to feel a sustained sense of overall well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic added a new appreciation for the importance of engaging in self-care – feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation, and loss became more common than ever. This presentation will focus on providing strategies to not only cultivate meaning and purpose, but to mindfully navigate change and improve your physical health and emotional wellbeing. Evidenced based benefits of expressing gratitude, engaging in acts of kindness, and the importance of connection will be illuminated. Participants will learn ways to develop a growth mindset – leaving the session with a sense of empowerment to approach the challenges of life with emotional fortitude.

Boosting Resilience
Resilience is the ability to successfully bounce back from adversity or misfortune – the past few years have certainly been a time to tap into one’s capacity to persevere. How successful have you been in navigating the stress and uncertainty of the pandemic, the social and political unrest, personal losses…? When people face adversity whether big or small, they need to apply their mental, physical, and emotional energy to adjust to new circumstances. A set of five characteristics have been associated with people who adapt well to stressful situations and life-altering events. These five attributes will be reviewed, and participants will have an opportunity to assess their current level of resilience and evidenced-based strategies for boosting resilience will be presented.

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You?
What is emotional intelligence? How does it impact your relationships with family and friends, partners, and colleagues? During this session, you will learn about the components of emotional intelligence (EQ) and participants will complete an EQ assessment to determine their areas of strength as well as areas for skill building. The benefits of increasing your EQ will be highlighted and strategies for strengthening your EQ will be provided.

 

Gyll TurteltaubGyll Turteltaub, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist in San Anselmo, California. She works for Kaiser Permanente as the Senior Director of People & Culture for The Permanente Federation. The Permanente Federation LLC is the national leadership and consulting organization for the eight Permanente Medical Groups (PMGs). Gyll is responsible for developing and providing strategic leadership for PMG People and Culture initiatives including equity, inclusion, and diversity, leadership development, engagement and training, and Physician Health and Wellness. Additionally, Gyll maintains a private practice, providing psychotherapy for individuals and couples. Her areas of specialty include compassion fatigue, burnout, improving mindful living and work/life balance, and treating anxiety and depression. Gyll has presented workshops internationally on a variety of topics including mindfulness, resiliency, communication effectiveness, burnout, and emotional intelligence.                  

A Path for Personalized Wellness

Lifestyle Approaches to Reduce Chronic Medical Conditions
The Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of chronic diseases. We’ll explore tips about not only nutrition but also about lifestyle approaches.  Discover how the Mediterranean lifestyle improves health and how you can include this into your daily habits.

Hot Topics in Wellness: Wellbeing, Joy and Weight Loss Drugs
How we take care of ourselves has a significant influence on our health. We’ll have a holistic discussion about the various dimensions of wellbeing, pros and cons of weight loss drugs as well as the often-overlooked elements of fun and joy. Learn how you can incorporate unique strategies for wellness into your everyday life.

What’s Spirituality Got to Do with It?
Did you know that people with a higher sense of spirituality live longer? Spirituality in wellness embraces a sense of purpose as well as a connection to self and others. This is important at all stages of life. Find out about the research behind the significance of spirituality in wellness and discover ways you can augment your own sense of spirituality.

Pillow Talk: A Sleep Conversation
You may know that sleep impacts wellness. Do you know why sleep is important? It’s not just the amount of sleep but it’s the quality of sleep too. What can you do to get better sleep? We’ll take a deep dive into sleep for everyone and also for specific groups like women. Come hear about strategies for improving sleep.

 

Nicola Finley, MD, is a clinician and an innovative educator in integrative medicine with over 20 years of experience working with clients of a luxury wellness resort environment, as well as underserved communities in Arizona. She is an international speaker known for her evidence-based, engaging seminars. Dr. Finley is a board-certified internal medicine physician, fellowship trained in integrative medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Currently, she runs a boutique consulting business which focuses on a holistic view of wellness – mind, body and spirit.

A Path for Personalized Wellness

Lifestyle Approaches to Reduce Chronic Medical Conditions
The Mediterranean diet can lower the risk of chronic diseases. We’ll explore tips about not only nutrition but also about lifestyle approaches.  Discover how the Mediterranean lifestyle improves health and how you can include this into your daily habits.

Hot Topics in Wellness: Wellbeing, Joy and Weight Loss Drugs
How we take care of ourselves has a significant influence on our health. We’ll have a holistic discussion about the various dimensions of wellbeing, pros and cons of weight loss drugs as well as the often-overlooked elements of fun and joy. Learn how you can incorporate unique strategies for wellness into your everyday life.

What’s Spirituality Got to Do with It?
Did you know that people with a higher sense of spirituality live longer? Spirituality in wellness embraces a sense of purpose as well as a connection to self and others. This is important at all stages of life. Find out about the research behind the significance of spirituality in wellness and discover ways you can augment your own sense of spirituality.

Pillow Talk: A Sleep Conversation
You may know that sleep impacts wellness. Do you know why sleep is important? It’s not just the amount of sleep but it’s the quality of sleep too. What can you do to get better sleep? We’ll take a deep dive into sleep for everyone and also for specific groups like women. Come hear about strategies for improving sleep.

 

Nicola Finley, MD, is a clinician and an innovative educator in integrative medicine with over 20 years of experience working with clients of a luxury wellness resort environment, as well as underserved communities in Arizona. She is an international speaker known for her evidence-based, engaging seminars. Dr. Finley is a board-certified internal medicine physician, fellowship trained in integrative medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. Currently, she runs a boutique consulting business which focuses on a holistic view of wellness – mind, body and spirit.

Awaken The Artist Within, a Creativity Immersion

Jumpstart your creativity and boost your confidence, intuitive decision making, and skills in writing, painting, drawing, and design. Strengthen your creative practices and explore the connection between the mind and body. An immersion in art-making and creativity experiences within the time-honored structure of Rancho La Puerta’s wellness programs.

Erin Lee GafillAwaken The Artist Within, a laboratory for artistic exploration

The Future of You: How to Survive and Thrive in Changing Times

This program will provide you with the information and tools to adapt to the upcoming dramatic changes in technology and environment while staying healthy, safe, and happy.

The Future of You: How to Survive and Thrive in Changing Times
Jill will introduce the concepts of change and adaptation with an entertaining slide show of the rise and fall of civilizations around the world, talk about lessons learned, and forecast what happens next for humanity. Examples will come from fiction, film, and real life. What have we learned? What can we improve? And what should we be looking forward to?

The Body in the Future: Wearables, Sensors, Ingestibles?!
Learn about what’s current and what’s next in biohacking and health technology for your body.

Art and the Future: Is it all just cat videos now?
We’ll learn about the future of fine art (painting, sculpture, video, and more) as well as the performing arts. What we’ve learned about the future of art in these last few years of online adventures is only the beginning!

(Re-) Writing Your Future: There’s job crafting, life crafting, and relationship crafting in your future.
We’ll learn how to take what we know about what’s coming with technology and apply it to your individual future.

 

Jill BronfmanJill Bronfman is a tech lawyer and media professor who has done extensive research on the future of humanity. She was named to The Recorder’s list of the 50 Women Leaders in Tech Law. She has presented on the future of tech at conferences in Geneva, Auckland, London, Brno, Kerala, Beijing, and Washington, DC, among other cities. Jill’s publications include academic papers, tech books, media articles, flash fiction, and ecopoetry. She holds graduate degrees in law and communications from USC, and in history and communications from UC Berkeley.

 

Professional Social Media: LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-b-63a4b75/

Creative Writing Website:
https://www.jillbronfman.com/

 

Art Classes with Resident Artist Jennifer Brandt

Drawing
An introduction to basic perceptual tools for representational drawing—how our eyes and brain shape the reality we believe we see.

Watercolor
Demonstration of abstract and figurative watercolor techniques, followed by plenty of time to experiment and practice.

Landscape Sketching
Drawing, continued: putting the tools together to draw the world.

Collage Card Making
Scissors, glue sticks, painted watercolor paper: collage is a relaxing, friendly medium, no expertise required.

Painting Day
Open studio — still life or landscape, weather dependent — paint with our resident artist, or watch a painting in process.

Ancestor Altars
Create a small sacred space to honor those who came before you, whether connected by blood or spirit.

Mandala
Meditation with ink and paper — a deceptively simple, deeply calming practice of mindful doodling.

 

Jennifer BrandtJennifer Brandt paints, exhibits and teaches in Baja California, Mexico, as Resident Artist of Rancho La Puerta. jenbrandt.com

Hand-Stitching and Group Quilting

The act of Group Quilting opens the door to designing in community. Over the course of our week together you will have a chance to connect with friends and residents from the Ranch through hand-stitching on a communal quilt.

When we work with each other, using a simple hand stitching method to design and piece together a massive textile, the world falls away and the stakes are lowered. Keeping our hands moving towards a shared goal allows us to play and connect with each other in a traditional medium that is given new life.

At the end of this project we will have new friends, new skills and a colorful cloth that we can all be proud of.

 

quiltEmily Birmingham is an artist living Big Sur, California. She works in a range of  mediums, from fabric manipulation and assemblage to observational sketch and acrylic painting. Currently she is exploring group quilting and gathering together through this traditional practice. Born into a family of artists, she sees the world through a creative lens and is quick to incorporate and adapt new disciplines. Her aim is to  share her expressions, through work that feels like play and interactive installation with a focus on connecting people through their creativity.

 

Rhythmic Sounds

The Beatles: Listen and Talk
In 1963 the Beatles were a promising band just beginning to make a name for themselves.

By 1970 they had changed the face of popular music forever. Their metamorphosis is a story of musical genius and the uneasy dreams of an entire generation. Sixty years after “Please Please Me,” they still please us. Let’s listen together and talk about why.

Rhythmic Sounds
The rhythms of nature. The beating of your heart, the rise and fall of the surf, the promise of a child drawing her first breath. The world is full of meaningful, beautiful…and rhythmic…sounds. Join Steven Schick—percussionist, conductor and author—as he explores the world of percussion rhythms and mindful listening.  Don’t worry! This is still your vacation. The performance will be gentle, evocative and will draw you into a world of pulses, sonic textures and musical gestures.  If you think you’ve heard everything there is to hear on a concert stage, then come take a listen to the percussionist that Alex Ross of “the New Yorker” called, “one of our supreme living virtuosos, not just of percussion, but of any instrument.” It will music for both the ears and the heart.

 

Percussionist, conductor, and author Steven Schick, hailed by Alex Ross in the New Yorker as, “one of our supreme living virtuosos, not just of percussion but of any instrument,” has championed contemporary percussion music by commissioning or premiering more than one hundred-fifty new works. Steven Schick is artistic director of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus and the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. As a conductor, he has appeared with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony, Ensemble Modern, the International Contemporary Ensemble, and the Asko/Schönberg Ensemble. He is the curator of, and was most recently conductor and percussion soloist in, “It’s About Time,” a festival of the San Diego Symphony held in January of 2018. Schick’s publications include a book, The Percussionist’s Art: Same Bed, Different Dreams, and many articles. He has released numerous recordings including the 2010 “Percussion Works of Iannis Xenakis,” and its companion, “The Complete Early Percussion Works of Karlheinz Stockhausen” in 2014.  He received the “Diapason d’Or” as conductor (Xenakis Ensemble Music with ICE) and the Deutscheschallplattenkritikpreis, as percussionist (Stockhausen), each for the best new music release of 2015.  He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2014.  Steven Schick is Distinguished Professor of Music and holds the Reed Family Presidential Chair at the University of California, San Diego. He was music director of the 2015 Ojai Festival, and in 2017, the co-artistic director, with Claire Chase, of the Summer Music Program at the Banff Centre. In 2018 Schick became the Artistic Director of the Breckenridge Music Festival.

I Can’t Draw, and You Can Too!

I have a secret to share.

If you’ve been telling yourself that you can’t draw since you were seven it’s not true.

Join me, and I will show you that you can draw! You can draw beautifully. Maybe not like Rembrandt or Picasso, but you draw exactly like you and that is a wonderful thing.

Your eye and your line can bring you tremendous satisfaction, if you just get out of your own way and stop telling yourself you can’t.

We’ll experiment with ideas of observed sketch in line and watercolor that will give you access to satisfaction in the drawing process. Once you’ve learned to be more kind to yourself about your results, you’ll find that your natural abilities will develop. You’ll learn to coordinate what you see with what you put on the page. You will find that your powers of keen observation will enhance your art practice, no matter how representational or abstract you want to be.

While this workshop will include techniques to enhance your ability to see and draw, the focus is on discovering your innate strengths, and developing your level of satisfaction in the process.

A line is a dot that goes for a walk  – …or so said Paul Klee…looking at simple compositions in still life, let’s observe the proportion and intersection of the various objects, and how they sit in a three dimensional world. Now let’s craft a line that follows the shapes to create an image of what we see.

Introducing point of view – when the Renaissance reintroduced perspective to the art world, the viewer was invited to experience the artist’s point of view. From Michelangelo to Warhol, from the Pieta to Marilyn Monroe we’ve been entranced by this idea. Now let’s develop our own point of view and see how it in turn affects our images.

Portrait Roulette – there is nothing more daunting, nor more satisfying than drawing a person through observation. Play Portrait Roulette and you’ll  have an opportunity to observe the complexities of human expression and see how to simplify these complexities into a coherent likeness. We’ll explore what is important and what is not. Instead of an academic exercise in proportion and form, we’ll use observation to see where our hand can lead us.

The Color Green  – green is the most common color in the natural world (thank god for chlorophyll). But trying to capture the nuances of a green world it is easy to get bogged down in a boring mix of blue and yellow. Let’s practice a method of observed, relational color, and see what we can express with a very limited palette of paints. Together we’ll discover that while Blue and Yellow make Green, bringing Red into the mix opens up a world of possibilities.

This series is designed for every person who has a desire to draw, but has found traditional teaching techniques to be intimidating, confusing, or boring. Let’s have fun together, and discover that I can’t draw, and you can too!

 

Tom BirminghamTom Birmingham is an artist, photographer, and teacher who has lived and worked in Big Sur, California for over 30 years. He has recently located to a home near the Long Island Sound in Connecticut. As a founding director of the Big Sur Arts Initiative, Tom has provided instruction and enrichment in the creative arts in a variety of mediums. For ten years he taught art in the summer children’s theater program, StageKids. He has taught photography and drawing at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, and for years he and his wife, Erin Lee Gafill taught painting and sketch on their annual retreats to Italy.

Tom was the director of the Big Sur JazzFest, founding member of Big Sur’s Hidden Garden’s Tour, and currently manages Studio One – Big Sur.

More recently, Tom is the founder of 26Letter Press, a small publishing company dedicated to printed materials celebrating and inspiring creative expression.

In the summer of 2020, Tom designed the museum exhibition and accompanying book, Color Duets – Kaffe Fassett | Erin Lee Gafill, which was the headlining show for five months at the Monterey Museum of Art.

Awaken The Artist Within

Jumpstart your creativity and break through creative barriers.

During this multi-day art immersion, you’ll explore a variety of mediums and techniques to find entry into creative expression.

Together we will play with color, line, proportion, texture, value, and contrast, while practicing time-honored ways into connection with energy sources that will empower your own personal voice.

Bold color block painting, torn paper collage, timed writing exercises, the Magic Dot, and other surprising methods will engage your curiosity and workaround your creativity “killers”: self-doubt and excessive self-judgment.

Whether you are a seasoned professional in the arts, or you’ve never picked up a paintbrush, these playful sessions will awaken your inner artist and help you to make peace with your inner critic.

For those who already have a creative practice, use this as a jumpstart of inspiration. If you’ve never found a way into the creative arts, but you’ve always wanted to try, this is a great place to start.

 

An award-winning painter and author, Erin Gafill has inspired people around the world with her inspirational art, heartfelt stories, and uniquely engaging teaching methods. Her work bridges art, craft, and community, weaving observation, intuition, and imagination into her painting, writing, teaching, and public speaking. A fifth-generation California artist, she was born in Big Sur, California in 1963, the daughter of a beatnik and a flower child. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Carmel’s first artist-in-residence. Growing up at her grandparents’ legendary restaurant, Nepenthe, a mecca for poets, bohemians and dreamers, she drew inspiration from its ever-changing cast of characters as well as the stunning and mystical beauty of the coast.

Erin is the founder of the nonprofit Big Sur Arts Initiative, and a founding member of the Monterey Bay Plein Air Painters Association (MBPAPA). In 2001 Erin was honored to serve as the first American Artist-in-Residence at the Hamada International Children’s Museum, Hamada, Japan.

In 2009, she and her husband Tom Birmingham were named Champions of the Arts by the Arts Council of Monterey County and were honored by the United States Congress for their service to the community through the arts.

Her exhibit Color Duets was the featured 2021 Spring/Summer show for the Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, California, followed the next summer by a solo exhibit, California Atmosphere at the Morris Graves Museum of Art, Eureka, California. She is the author of a coffee-table art book, Color Duets, with Kaffe Fassett, and a memoir about life/work balance, Drinking from a Cold Spring, a Little Book of Hope. Both books are available at www.colorduets.com. eringafill.com

Creativity and Writing

Workshops: Creativity and Writing
New York Times bestselling author Ellen Sussman will present ways in which you can tap into your creative energy through writing. We’ll explore new forms of expression that will engage your imagination and enrich your life. These workshops will work for those of you who are experienced writers as well as those of you who have always dreamed of writing but never dared to try it. Ellen brings energy and humor to her classes – you’ll discover the fun of writing as well as learning a few new tricks of the trade.

Creativity, Passion and a Writer’s Life
Ellen Sussman decided to become a writer at age 6 but didn’t have real success until she was 49. Now she’s published 6 books (including a New York Times bestseller) with a new novel underway. As we age, we can choose to become more creative and we can bring deeper passion to our work. Ellen will share the stories about her own career, with an examination of the fine line between truth and fiction. How do we shape our own stories into fiction and memoir? Let’s talk about the creative process! (and how she met her husband at the Ranch!).

 

Ellen Sussman is the New York Times bestselling author of four novels, A Wedding in Provence, The Paradise Guest House, French Lessons, and On a Night Like This. She is the editor of two critically acclaimed anthologies, Bad Girls: 26 Writers Misbehave and Dirty Words: A Literary Encyclopedia of Sex. She teaches through Stanford Continuing Studies and in private classes and she is the co-founder and co-director of Sonoma County Writers Camp. www.ellensussman.com

 

Love of Music

Enjoy Performances and Classes with Korean-American composer, pianist, and YouTuber Nahre Sol:

Genius Breakdown: Inside the Minds of the Greatest Composers
A class that dives into the beautiful details of the classical music that we love, and how famous composers create their style.

How to Listen to Classical Music: A Beginner’s Guide
A class on how to find music that resonates with us within the vast repertoire of classical music, and connect with our emotions while doing so.

 

Nahre Sol is best known for her YouTube channel, with around 619,000 subscribers as of July 2023, and as being co-host of the PBS Digital Studios show “Sound Field”. She has also been a guest host of NPR’s Performance Today, created a video for Wired magazine, appeared as a guest on the online channel Physics Girl, and collaborated with other composers and musicians such as David Bruce, Andrew Huang, Adam Neely, L.A. Buckner, Tantacrul, and Ben Levin. She was nominated in the category Best YouTube Musician in the 12th Annual Shorty Awards in 2020.  The blog Pianote featured her YouTube channel in 2021 as #1 on their list of top YouTube pianists.

As a composer, Nahre Sol has had works commissioned by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra and her music was used in the film The Boss Baby: Family Business. In 2021, she released a digital album called Alice in Wonderland. In June 2023, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg announced Nahre Sol as its first-ever ‘Creator in Residence’ for the 2023-2024 season.

Nahre Sol received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the Juilliard School in 2013, studying with Matti Raekallio. In 2015 she earned her Artist Diploma from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada, studying with John O’Conor.

Happy Hour for Hormones

Hormones Through the Ages
This comfortable, warm and welcoming discussion will involve the women’s health journey through the ages and the relationship of our hormonal balance to mood, energy levels, mental health, sexual health and more. We will share our concerns and interests in this open forum on a variety of hormonal issues for all ages. The topics can range from egg freezing in our thirties, to reigniting libido in our peri-menopause/menopause years and beyond.

Our Hormones and our Overall Health and Wellness
We will share and explore how lifestyle, nutrition, stress, self-awareness, friendships and more impact our health and hormonal well-being. For example, are we aware of what we eat or drink on a daily basis and how that contributes to our personal state of health? What role do hormones play for our heart health and brain health? Why is sleep so critical?  What role does alcohol play in our overall physical and mental status and how is that a factor in breast health? Are there supplements that are important for different hormonal stages of life? More topics of interest will be addressed and discussed.

Hormonal Health and Being Your Own Self Advocate for Optimal Health
It is vitally important for all of us to be our own health advocates and have the questions we bring to our health care providers addressed and answered. Too often the long awaited visit with our health care provider becomes a rushed event and we find ourselves leaving a doctor’s appointment with more questions than answers. Why is this happening and how can we prevent it? Strategies to approach your appointment to optimize your experience and feel empowered in your own health care will be addressed. What questions should you bring up ….. even if your doctor is not? Self-exam tools will also be discussed.

 

Nancy CetelNancy Cetel, MD, is an engaging and passionate physician, author and professional speaker. Following her graduation from the New York University School of Medicine, she obtained her postgraduate training in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California. Her pioneering research in hormonal issues led to numerous publications and awards. Dr. Cetel is often referenced in books and journals, and is a frequently invited lecturer nationally and internationally.  Live appearances and interviews have brought her acclaim as an accomplished communicator and advocate for an informed public. She is the author of Double Menopause: What to Do When Both You and Your Mate Go through Hormonal Changes Together. Her passions include her family, vegetarian cooking, dancing, and the joys of being a grandparent.

Happy Hour for Hormones

Hormones Through the Ages
This comfortable, warm and welcoming discussion will involve the women’s health journey through the ages and the relationship of our hormonal balance to mood, energy levels, mental health, sexual health and more. We will share our concerns and interests in this open forum on a variety of hormonal issues for all ages. The topics can range from egg freezing in our thirties, to reigniting libido in our peri-menopause/menopause years and beyond.

Our Hormones and our Overall Health and Wellness
We will share and explore how lifestyle, nutrition, stress, self-awareness, friendships and more impact our health and hormonal well-being. For example, are we aware of what we eat or drink on a daily basis and how that contributes to our personal state of health? What role do hormones play for our heart health and brain health? Why is sleep so critical?  What role does alcohol play in our overall physical and mental status and how is that a factor in breast health? Are there supplements that are important for different hormonal stages of life? More topics of interest will be addressed and discussed.

Hormonal Health and Being Your Own Self Advocate for Optimal Health
It is vitally important for all of us to be our own health advocates and have the questions we bring to our health care providers addressed and answered. Too often the long awaited visit with our health care provider becomes a rushed event and we find ourselves leaving a doctor’s appointment with more questions than answers. Why is this happening and how can we prevent it? Strategies to approach your appointment to optimize your experience and feel empowered in your own health care will be addressed. What questions should you bring up ….. even if your doctor is not? Self-exam tools will also be discussed.

 

Nancy CetelNancy Cetel, MD, is an engaging and passionate physician, author and professional speaker. Following her graduation from the New York University School of Medicine, she obtained her postgraduate training in Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of California, San Diego, and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Southern California. Her pioneering research in hormonal issues led to numerous publications and awards. Dr. Cetel is often referenced in books and journals, and is a frequently invited lecturer nationally and internationally.  Live appearances and interviews have brought her acclaim as an accomplished communicator and advocate for an informed public. She is the author of Double Menopause: What to Do When Both You and Your Mate Go through Hormonal Changes Together. Her passions include her family, vegetarian cooking, dancing, and the joys of being a grandparent.

Pilates with Diane Wheatley

The magic of Pilates
Pilates isn’t really magic – but sometimes it feels like it. A regular Pilates practice will educate your body and your mind – teaching efficient movement, waking up and recruiting underused muscles, increasing strength, improving flexibility, mobility and balance.

Practicing this low impact exercise while at the Ranch will be energizing and fun. You’ll discover an ease of movement and empowerment as we move through the week. The class is progressive, starting with the basics and layering in new exercises and challenges each day. If you’re a novice, you’ll be supported with props and modifications to enhance your experience. And, if you’re experienced, you’ll be challenged. Oh, yes and it will be fun!

All of the benefits can be yours!  And, the best part, Pilates is suitable for everyone regardless of fitness level, age, shape, or size.  Anecdotal evidence shows that non-specific lower back pain can be reduced and sometimes eliminated (with a couple of studies to back them up *) – so maybe it is magic after all.

 

Diane Wheatley has been teaching movement for over 25 years (from the early days of the Jane Fonda Workout!). She was introduced to Pilates at her local gym and was totally hooked. She continued to practice and study and in the mid ’90’s met Dallas based Physical Therapist, Karen Sanzo. Karen had incorporated Pilates into her PT practice for many years and Diane trained with her gaining her Full Equipment and Mat Certification.

During that time she also started yoga training with teacher/trainer Karen Prior (Samatva Yoga, Mamaste Yoga). Her Pilates training sessions focus on the bodies she sees in front of her and her years of experience and training allow her to incorporate many different modalities into the class. If a Pilates exercise can’t give the student what we’re looking for – there’s always another way.

Tai Chi with Scott Cole

Scott ColeA former National Aerobic Champion, star of the iconic Abs of Steel videos, and creator of the over 1-million selling Discover Tai Chi series, Scott Cole has lectured in over 30 countries and been a guest on LIVE with Regis and Kelly, The View, CNN, The Early Show, The Doctors, and more. He has trained Hollywood elite (Christian Bale, Barry Manilow, Stefanie Powers, Gena Lee Nolin), and was featured in The Wall Street Journal for his unique blending of the martial and healing arts. After 5 years of Clinical Pain Management, Scott is poised to help RLP guests improve balance, strength, mobility, and flexibility, AND reduce stress.

Concerts with Kyle Adam Blair

Gabriel Fauré – Charcoal and Lace
Aaron Copland – Pensive Architect

 

Kyle Adam BlairLyricism, complexity, and dissonance characterize the musical interests of pianist Kyle Adam Blair.  A contemporary music specialist, his major pianistic focuses include the performance of new works in collaboration with composers, and the performance of works from the American art music repertory of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, particularly music of Elliott Carter, Aaron Copland, George Crumb, and Stuart Saunders Smith.

Blair’s solo piano debut album Palm Sunday can be heard on New World Records, and he has performed and produced for releases from Bridge Records, Edgetone Records, and more.

Blair currently holds dual appointments at the University of California, San Diego as the Staff Pianist for the Department of Music, and Lecturer/Vocal Coach in the Department of Theatre & Dance. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Contemporary Music Performance from UC San Diego in 2018 under the mentorship of Aleck Karis.

Transitions, Transformations, and Traveling Solo!

How to embrace the inevitable life transitions and learn a unique way to travel in your new chapter of life. 

Transitions—Embrace them!
Transitions are part of life. Whether it’s an evolution from a demanding career to retirement, a busy parent to empty nester, partnered-up to single, we are always changing. Sometimes the change is voluntarily and sometime change is foisted upon us. We will talk about identifying these transitions and organizing your new chapter into the right pillars for you.  One of the pillars for most people is travel. Especially now, people want to travel more or differently, but are at a loss as to what that really means.  The next sessions will deal with this one aspect of your transition—traveling in a different way as you design the next chapter of your life.

Transformation—How Shirleyfest can become “[your name here]fest”
In Berlin, Melbourne, Montréal, Rome, Kyoto and cities on every continent, Shirley carefully picks a host city and then embraces an intentional way of travel. She’s thrown dinner parties for new friends, perfected the art of eating out alone and unlocked the essence of the cities.  Although this sounds spontaneous, there are concrete steps she takes while planning and executing each Shirleyfest. Whether you are single, or just want to travel alone, or envision doing a fest with a partner, you will learn that optimizing your travel means mastering three basic concepts. 

Travel—The art of becoming a local
One of the secrets of Shirleyfest is being part of the community you have chosen. Learn how to “put lines in the water” in order to seek out the right people to meet. Shirley will show you how to increase the odds that those “lines” will pay off.  You will learn why it is important to establish a “first thing in the morning” and “last thing at night” place. In short—you’ll learn how to live like a local.

Travel—The nuts and bolts of travel technology
Many of us love that we are unplugged when we come to the Ranch. Yet we find ourselves plugging in the minute we cross the border for home. When we travel, and especially when we travel solo, technology can be a double-edged sword. Learn what specific apps, web sites and technology are critical aids and what you can leave at home.

 

Shirley Buccieri is the creator of Shirleyfest: living one month every year in a different city in the world.  She goes to her new city alone, rents an apartment and fully embraces the city as a local. Everyone who learns of the concept loves the idea, but most have no idea where to begin.  Her acclaimed blog, shirleyfest.com, has been read in 91 countries and featured on various radio stations across the globe.  Shirleyfest was born out of transitions in her life.  Shirley is uniquely qualified to provide insights, tips, and enthusiasm to those interested in turning any transition into a transformation.

Concert & Drumming Circle

Karl Anthony is an award-winning singer/songwriter and a proud member of NOAH (National Organization of Arts in Health), dedicated to advocating for the healing power of music in healthcare. For nearly twenty years, he has served as a healing-arts professional at the San Diego Rady Children’s Hospital, infusing his work and music with a message of hope for children and families. Leading drum circles in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services (CAPS) at the hospital as a REMO Certified Health Rhythms Facilitator, Anthony promotes the scientifically researched benefits of community drumming as a tool for equalizing and building communities. Each year, Karl and his wife Noi lead travel service trips to Thailand, where they have a home and reside part of the year. These trips support musical instruments for local schools and orphanages. Karl has forged his own unique path in the music industry, earning multiple Gandhi/King Season for Non-Violence Peace Hero awards for his innovative art-focused wellness programs, music performances, and humanitarian efforts. Through his music, Karl Anthony opens doors to connect with people and shares his passion for the healing potential of music.

Brain Training with Ryan Glatt

Ryan Glatt is a personal trainer and brain health coach with over a decade of experience in the health & fitness industry. He currently works alongside clinicians and researchers to study the effects of cognitively-enhanced and comprehensive exercise plans at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He also assists with the delivery of memory training classes.

Ryan has pursued education from the Amen Clinics, The BrainFirst Training Institute, the Neuroscience Academy, the Academy for Brain Health & Performance and, the Masters of Applied Neuroscience program at King’s College of London. He is currently in a PhD program for Leadership: Health and Human Performance.