Testimonials
Watercolour Veil Painting Retreats
"I only wanted to put some paint on paper and see what happens, I never imagined just how much I would draw from our time together.
Ms. McGill is an intuitive teacher and has no trouble sharing herself with her students... I spent two hours for three days exploring what happened on my canvas as we both spoke at length and shared many ideas about going through life and the beliefs one carries with him or her through that journey. In the end I felt like I had gone through and turned each "stone" in my own life, to check and recheck what I had been believing about the life I had led. There was a very comfortable space that Ms. McGill opened up for me to meditate and take a deeper look into my inner workings...
I would encourage anyone who has an opportunity to work with Ms. McGill to jump at it at once, it will be the single most satisfying experience he or she will have - perhaps in a lifetime of possibilities. Many more people would benefit from the experience I had with her style of teaching, or, rather, guiding one along on his or her path."
- Barry Isaac, California
*********************************************** "It was a journey into our hearts and art! As I put the layers of paint on to the canvas, layers of healing energy started to fill me… You patiently guided me through and truly taught me how to fill my space with colour! What a profound experience!" Paula Perron, Nova Scotia *********************************************** "The veil painting class will stay firmly etched in my memory and pressed onto my heart for ever. It was, in just 8 hours, a truly life changing experience for me. I am not somebody who has ever really painted before yet I came away with a picture that I absolutely loved and I learnt so much about myself. The experience of doing the painting was for me a spiritual and emotional journey. Shannon guided me, with so much patience and she engaged with me at so many levels. The whole experience was extremely therapeutic which I had not expected at all. Being with you Shannon is like finding an oasis in the desert. You showed me where I could drink from, where I could find beauty and peace. You showed me all the wonderful colours - a secret oasis where I can retreat to - a magical place." - Alexa Underhill, England *********************************************** "My experience at Shannon's Contemplative Collage Workshop was uplifting and heartening. Shannon quickly created an environment of safety and warmth for all the participants as we shared stories of ourselves in preparation for our journeys of self-discovery. As I gathered materials for my collage, I discovered pieces of myself and where I am in my personal journey of life. The process was restorative and healing as I discovered Sharon the Person, not Sharon the Mother, The Healer, The Manager, but just Sharon. By the end of the day I became more important to myself, how I feel and how I want to feel…and how to manifest those desires. Thank you, Shannon, for a wonderful day." Sharon Skaling, B.HEc. *********************************************** "Building the collage was very satisfying. It felt like I was expressing hidden things and I was able to be create something pleasing to the eye without worrying about the fact that I can't draw or paint or whatever... it was such a lovely day. It was so wonderful to sit quietly with others who were discovering hidden parts of themselves. I felt a closeness even though we barely spoke... something about a shared activity. As I worked on (the collage), it felt that it was mostly about the pleasing colours and images but sitting here now I think what I learned is that I'm a lot happier, stronger and courageous than I thought... that I actually value the parts of me that are invisible more than I thought I did. A nice dose of peace, relaxation, inspiration, nurturing. I felt comforted and cared for. Thank you so much Shannon, it was wonderful. You have a gift for making creativity accessible and fun and for making people feel included. Much love, *********************************************** "Thank you for the Collage day. I loved it - it was so easy to lose oneself... and then find oneself inside a magazine. Who knew?" Very best wishes to you, *********************************************** "I just wanted to follow up with you to express my sincere gratitude for all your time and work during our retreat. I have never experienced a similar process and I found the results and impact of your work refreshing and inspiring. So often we use the same techniques and tools and throw them at a situation without thought because that is what our environment, experience and training tell us to do. You showed me a new way of opening discussion and exploring ideas and thoughts. I sincerely see so much value in what you do and truly benefited from your presence and contribution - thank you so much :)" Verity Astephen, Nova Scotia *********************************************** "I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Shannon and seeing her artistic talents integrated into a leadership development program in a way that allowed participants to tap into wisdom within themselves they would not otherwise have been able to access. Shannon's art was creatively woven into the other components of a three day retreat so that each artistic element had relevance and meaning and was connected to the outcomes of the retreat. She was a valuable member of the team that led the retreat and I look forward to future opportunities to bring Shannon into the work we do." Kathy Jourdain *********************************************** "Children seem to fall in love with Shannon very quickly. She has a very special way of engaging with and responding to each child which allows them to feel truly heard and to be completely seen by her... Around her they found their confidence and lost inhibitions." - Alexa Underhill, England *********************************************** "In the lesson we made a painting of a sun and painted blue all around it… I liked the tree with the sun in the background and the little blossoms. I like painting." Ben Underhill, 5 years old, England *********************************************** "I liked the paint mixing. It was swirling. We had a story about this little pixie painting everywhere and he learned not to do that. I learned how to make colours. I would like to paint another one!" Mattie Underhill, 3 ½ years old, England *********************************************** "This painting time was the most spectacular!" Katelyn, 10 years old, Thailand *********************************************** "Painting with Shannon is FUN!!!" Rebecca Jorgensen, 9 ¾ years old, Massachusetts, U.S.A. *********************************************** "It was great fun and I was very inspired." James Clark, 12 years old, Much Hadam, Hertford, England *********************************************** "We had a wonderful morning of adventure with colours." Mother of 4 year olds, Harriet and Ann, Much Hadam, England *********************************************** "A wonderful and peaceful painting experience." Mother of Jamie, 3 ½ years old, Much Hadam, England *********************************************** "Art is fabulous- blending, painting and drawing! Art is the best!" Charles Pask, 9 years old, Korea *********************************************** "I had not anticipated meeting an "Artist in Residence" at Laem Set Inn, but I'm so glad I did. I'm blessed in three ways: I'm blessed by your sharing of your colour techniques, and in a non-judgmental, lightly-directed way perfect for a tender budding artist. I'm blessed by the poem you shared… And I'm blessed by yourself, as an example. You have the courage both to leave friends and family behind, and to leave your artistic persona behind, in search of growth and renewal!" Larry Cole, Thailand
*********************************************** "Shannon McGill taught me personally for 2 months and I enjoyed it immensely. I needed to get my art portfolio ready for an art college interview and Shannon helped me sharpen my skills for drawing and painting, especially still life and very detailed observations of nature and portraiture. She can capture the essence of art with the way she teaches and bring the student an inspiring lesson each day to work with. Things that helped for me were her suggested daily walks and journal writing to keep up to date with my more artistic mind. Things like these add to a healthy artistic lifestyle. As far as personal talent Shannon is most advanced with creating fun images of life like accurate depictions of animals and children that need food. I was amazed to see how detailed some of her still lifes were and it brought me to realize the work it takes to be an artist." Brendan Skinner,Contemplative Collage Workshops
President, Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS), Halifax Chapter
Finalist - 2006 Metro Business Awards
Simply Sharon
Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada
www.ItsSimplySharon.com
Jackie Mullenger, Nova Scotia
Sharon Brannon, Nova ScotiaLeadership Retreats
Participant of Envision Halifax and
Associate Director, Marketing & Conference Services at Dalhousie University, Halifax
Chrysalis Performance Strategies Inc.
www.co-creatingfutures.comWorking with Children
Private Sessions
London, England