ABOUT JEAN

I was born in 1948, in a multicultural mining town in Northern Ontario, parented by an Irish mother and an English/Scottish father. Positively influenced by the diversity of cultural values in my neighborhood, emboldened by the birch and pine forests and the granite rock of the Great Northern Shield, and gifted with an inquiring mind, I set off to expand my world. I sought out striking landscapes while working professionally as an adult educator, and political activist. Encountering wise teachers along my path I was fortunate enough to explore the human growth potential of eastern spirituality, western psychology, and contemporary creativity practices.

I chose to retire to the country, 8 years ago, where I now live a simple contemplative lifestyle, in a village setting, writing and painting, and training with the local Fire and Rescue Department. I periodically offer painting workshops, retreat accommodation, and outdoor recreation to fellow adventurers. I also travel to other cities to teach painting workshops, when requested.

I feel passionately about this creativity practice: Intuitive Painting. A method that is MORE about spontaneous inner self revelation, MORE about surrendering to the movement of creative energy, and LESS about controlling and producing an art product. I, and others I work with, give testament to the liberating effect this process can have on people's lives.

This painting method is based on an approach developed by Michele Cassou and Stewart Cubley, as illustrated in the books "Life, Paint and Passion" and "Point Zero: Creativity Without Limits". I studied for 5 years with these teachers in San Francisco and am one of a small handful of people teaching this method in North America today. My approach to working with people is also influenced by my first Vipassana meditation teacher, Michelle McDonald, and my study, for 4 years, with The Diamond Method of Realization via the Ridwan Foundation, and founding teacher Hamid Ali, pen name A.H. Almas, Oakland , California.

To contact Jean Burgess:
Box 71, Spences Bridge, BC, Canada V0K 2L0
telephone: 250-458-2201
email: quin@sunshine.net
http://mypage.uniserve.com/~sn1138