6-Day Workshop in Dixon, New Mexico

September 1 - 7, 2009
Taught by Sarah Oblinger

"The moment I saw the brilliant, proud morning shine high up over the desert something stood still in my soul and I started to attend.
In the magnificent fierce morning of New Mexico one sprang awake, a new part of the soul woke up suddenly, 
and the old world gave way to a new."  
-D.H. Lawrence

Tuition: $585 + $35 materials fee. $250 deposit | Register Online (or by check)

Continuing students or therapists save $75
New Students - You may also request a free book when you register ($4.50 shipping).

Food & Lodging extra (see below)

Location:
Dixon, an unincorporated village in the mountains of northern New Mexico settled in 1725, is rich in Hispanic and Native American heritage.  It is on the banks of the Rio Embudo, which flows into the Rio Grande, two miles downstream from Dixon.  The houses and farms in Dixon were built close together to make use of the meticulously maintained acequias - irrigation ditches fed by the snowmelt from the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Dixon’s population of 1500 people is still predominately Hispanic, but many non-Hispanics have made their homes here since 1960.

Dixon is an artist’s enclave, known for its art studio tour since 1982.  It is also home to the largest population of organic farmers in the state.  It has a community supported library, radio station (KLDK-LP), post office, two wineries, an art gallery, numerous B&B’s, the Dixon Community Food Co-op, and during the summer months there is the Dixon Farmer’s Market. 

Dixon is a place to step out of the demanding busyness of daily life and into the quiet stillness of northern New Mexico.

Lodging
Meals
Schedule
What to Bring
Arrival/Departure

Lodging:
Remaining available housing for this workshop is a double room at the Mission house. It is $25 a night per person as a double or $50 a night as a single. Two casitas at the Mission are also open. One is $60 a night (double bed, private bath, kitchenette) and the other is $50 a night (two single beds, private bath.)  

Please register for this workshop through The Painting Experience but make your housing and meal arrangements with Sarah.

Meals

Food is $150 per person for the six days. Participants prepare their own breakfasts where they are staying. Each place will be stocked with breakfast and snack foods.
Lunch and dinner will be at Sarah's house. Everyone prepares their own for lunch. Sarah's refrigerator will be stocked with a good selection of food for sandwiches, burritos, salads, wraps or yummy leftovers. Dinner is prepared and eaten together after the afternoon painting session. Beverages and snacks are included in the price.

 


Schedule:
Check-in time at the Mission Embudo is after 3:00pm.

The workshop begins Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00 pm with dinner at the Mission Embudo.  
After dinner we meet in the studio for an opening circle and painting.

Wednesday, September 2nd and continuing through Sunday, September 6 our schedule is:
Breakfast: 7:00-8:30am
Morning Circle & Painting Session: 9:45am-12:15pm
Lunch: 12:30-1:30pm
Free Time
Afternoon Painting Session: 4:00-6:00pm
Dinner: 6:15pm-7:30pm
Evening Session: 8:00-9:00 
(videos, painting, sensing or time for resting.)

Monday September 7th is our last morning together in the studio before beginning the trip home. 
The schedule for the last day is:

Breakfast: 7:00-8:30am
Painting Session & Closing Circle: 8:45-11:15am
Packing Up The Studio Experience: 11:15am-12:15pm
Farewell Lunch: 12:30

Departure time is after lunch.  Check-out time at the Mission Embudo is 11:00am.  
It is advisable to be out of your room before coming to the morning session.

What To Bring:
Please be aware of the altitude and dry heat you'll be encountering. New Mexico is also experiencing a major drought, so you'll want to stay to hydrated. Body lotion, lip balm and a good water bottle are necessities. The dry atmosphere can be a surprise.

Dixon is high-desert country.  The altitude is 6,300 feet.  September’s average daytime temperatures are in the mid 70’s; with the average nighttime temperatures in the mid 40’s.  However, it is possible to have daytime temperatures in the 80’s and nighttime temperatures dipping into the 30’s.  Dressing in layers is highly recommended.

A bathing suit for swimming/wading 
Appropriate clothes and shoes for hiking  
Flashlight (w/extra batteries)  
Raincoat or umbrella
 (Our monsoon’s are in August.  September tends to be
   dry but sometimes we get a hard afternoon rain.) 
Comfortable shoes/casual clothes for studio sessions. 
 (This is not a messy process and we provide smocks,
   but don't wear something that could be ruined by a
   little paint.)
Sweater or sweatshirt & light jacket for cool evenings
Sunglasses
Sun hat or baseball cap
Journal or notebook and pens
Toiletries and personal items
Sunscreen and lip balm (vaseline for dry nose)
Insect repellent
Small back pack or beach bag
Camera, batteries, film
Earplugs (good for airplane and snoring roommates)
Prescription medications (If applicable) 

All studio materials are provided; including paint smocks to protect your clothes.


Arrival/Departure
September 1st is a travel day for most participants.  It is also the first day of the workshop which begins with dinner at 6:00pm.  Please plan on arriving sometime in the afternoon.  See maps below.

Dixon is about two hours north of Albuquerque and one hour north of Santa Fe.  To get to Dixon from the Albuquerque Sunport you have two choices: ride the shuttle or rent a car.  If you rent a car and want to offer a ride to other workshop participants please let Sarah know your arrival time.  Sometimes it is possible to make carpool arrangements from the airport.

A shuttle schedule to Dixon from the Albuquerque Sunport is below.  The shuttle ride is approximately 2.5 hours one way depending on the number of Santa Fe stops it makes. Please let Sarah know your arrival and departure times.  She'll need to arrange a ride for you from the Dixon turn-off, which is two miles from Dixon, to the Mission or a B&B.  

Twin Hearts Shuttle
505-751-1201
Round trip fare is approximately $90.00
A reservation is required. 

Departs Albuquerque Sunport to Dixon:
11:30 am
1:30 pm
3:30 pm
5:30 pm

Departs Dixon to Albuquerque Sunport:
7:30 am
9:30 am
11:30 am
1:30 pm.


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Sarah Oblinger
"It is all very simple, so simple, you see -- the only difficulty is that you must become what you already are." Meher Baba

Sarah Oblinger discovered painting and sensory awareness while looking for relief from the intense discomfort of being herself. She was searching for something promising health and guaranteeing enlightenment. Finally she realized her focus on finding something was keeping her from finding anything. Humbled, she began the simple practice of being with what was arising inside of her in the moment. As the discomfort she felt defined by dropped away, she discovered a way to live sincerely from the heart. The strong blend of painting and sensing offered her a place to cultivate this heartfelt presence.

Sarah’s curiosity about deeply doing nothing, sense of humor, life adventures and Kansas sensibilities inform her teaching and root it in the here and now. Her explorations in the studio offer a way to approach life with a mighty kindness. She still feels resistance about going beyond her knowing, but also finds herself feeling excitement about the potency of creating, without effort, solid ground wherever she is standing.

Her workshops offer a deep dive into your interior world. In the stillness you discover a way to cultivate heartfelt presence by attending to whatever arises from inside. In front of your painting, with fierceness and tenderness, you explore making the invisible visible. This contemplative experiment encourages a wild, sweet ride into the sincerity of your own heart. You open more fully to life as it is.

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