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Art and adventure in the outdoors

Two things are important to art therapist Judith Robertson: being in the outdoors and being with people. The new resident of the Sunshine Coast has turned these two elements into her life's work.

Two things are important to art therapist Judith Robertson: being in the outdoors and being with people. The new resident of the Sunshine Coast has turned these two elements into her life's work.

In the summer, she leads Outward Bound programs, and in the winter months, she has planned a series of day workshops that combine walks in the wilderness with art-making activities.

Inspiring Horizons combines art with physical activity and group therapy in natural settings to offer opportunities for personal growth. Robertson, who has degrees in science and education plus a two-year training certificate program with the Kootenay Art Therapy Institute, describes how these programs are suitable for both adults and children and especially for those who would not take the time or opportunity to step outside for a day of art. No previous artistic experience is necessary.

The artistic part involves whatever the environment has to offer. For example, on a beach a participant might work with the pebbles and driftwood to create a work.

"We would look at the tide," says Robertson, "what comes, also goes. We might create something, then let it go with the waves, to represent letting go of something big in one's life."

She also works with old maps that become a metaphor of a journey. An adult would approach the day workshop as a chance for personal growth. They participate in the activities, stories emerge, and by the end of the day they are changed, somehow different.

Inspiring Horizons is founded on the basis that nature is a place of wonder and inspiration - this is the element that appears during children's workshops.

"For children, they learn about working together, listening to each other and being curious about what they see in nature," she says.Robertson's first workshop this month on Jan. 28 is aimed at adults. It's called Exploring Pathways: Women's Art Making and Day Hike. She invites women to explore and benefit together from creative expression and group activities in the natural world. A fee of $70 includes art supplies.

On Jan. 30 Robertson offers a day for home-schooled children: The World Around Us - Nature Investigation Through Art. Learn from nature as the teacher and art as the medium for expression. Children from seven to 13 years old will explore, discover and be creative while hiking the trails of a local park. Art activities will include both plant and animal themes and promote a sense of curiosity and awareness at the same time as developing connections with others.For elementary school kids, she will offer a similar adventure day, including a scavenger hunt, for children six to 11 years old on Feb. 17, a Pro D day.

For more information, contact Robertson at 604-741-5028 or judithrobertson@planet-save.com.