Retreat in Northern FrancePosted on Fri, May 14, 2010
I was lucky to meet with Barbara and Mike Boxhall a couple of years ago. They recently opened their retreat in Northern France.
I am delighted to say that they took a large bowl with them as a gift from me, which is being used for floating candles during the meditations times within the retreat.
This piece offers such calmness with the 12 Buddha sitting in peaceful repose. Barbara and Mike commissioned me to create another piece in various blues to compliment an outside wall of the retreat, where Barbara has painted a poem, (William Blake’s Eternity) creating a peaceful and enchanting place to be still.
He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity’s sun rise.
Well, I have now completed their second commission, which has arrived safely in Northern France and here it is! 
I wanted to incorporate the energy of spiritual freedom within meditation, linking too the line ‘But he who kisses the joy as it flies…’ from Blakes’ poem, together with the seven solid blue hands with yin and yang palms symbalising communication across the waters. I am really pleased with this piece, as are Barbara and Mike. Very exciting – I hope to visit their retreat next year.
Barbara and Mike write ‘We run a retreat centre in northern France and as a present to us, Nina made a beautiful meditation bowl, which is not only gorgeous but has real charm as well. The design was created as a homage to Mike’s work and beliefs. This came as a touching gift to both of us for our work together in providing a setting at the retreat for people to develop the very best in themselves and for the world.
She is currently working on another bowl as a commission for us for the the retreat centre. It is to compliment my design for the veranda where I have used William Blake’s ‘Eternity’ poem on the walls. The plan is for both these bowls to be used with floating candles on the veranda at night this summer, both for meditation and for relaxing evenings, watching the stars, the river and the lake beyond.
Barbara Boxhall
Retreat Manger and Artist’
The retreat is located at the Mill Retreat Centre, an historic mill, on the River Bresle. Set in 30 acres of natural beauty, the mill stands within a stone’s throw of a ten acre lake, all surrounded by the peaceful, green Bresle Valley of northern France
Categorized as Feature
