The Art of Mud: Cocoon
Solstice Earthen Arts Immersion
Tierra de Sueños / Winaq, Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Full experience: 15th-27th December 2025 /
Option to join for only the first week: 15th-22nd December
Honouring the Earth, Honouring Ourselves
The Art of Mud: Cocoon is a spacious and nourishing experience, weaving together guided sculptural workshops with plenty of time for open creative exploration. Over the course of our time together, we will co-create a large-scale sculptural shrine at Tierra de Sueños, built from sand, straw, and raw site-dug clay. This will act as a sanctuary for solitude, reflection, meditation, journalling, prayer and creativity, nestled beside a magical lake surrounded by volcanoes.
Alongside this collaborative creation, you will be supported to deepen your personal practice. Whether your path calls you to plastering, drawing, painting, sculpting, writing, dancing or simply resting in nature, this immersion offers the freedom to explore and follow your own inspiration within the collective container and with the guidance of experienced and knowledgable earthen artists.
Each day is designed to hold a balance of focused learning, communal making, and personal practice, framed by the rhythms of shared meals, nourishing rest, optional morning practices, and occasional evening sessions of presentations, movement, story and song.
This is more than just a workshop. It is a pilgrimage, a creative homecoming, and a chance to honour both the earth and your own creative spirit. Together we will step into a slower rhythm, making with our hands, opening our hearts, and allowing the natural world to guide our creativity.
What to Expect
In this spacious immersion, expect to learn the fundamentals of working with raw earth and clay plaster in a sculptural and artistic way. Over 12 days and 12 nights of hands-on learning, we will work together to create a large-scale sculptural and functional art piece using earth and fibre.
You will leave with the knowledge, skills and confidence to design and create your own large-scale 3D sculpture at home. Our intention is to share as much practical, grounded and usable knowledge as possible, so you walk away with both skill and creative fire.
Unlike our previous events, this immersion offers more spaciousness, space to integrate, play, rest and enjoy simply being in the profound beauty of the lake and mountains.
What you'll learn
-
Site Clay Sourcing and Preparation; Learn to identify, dig, test and prepare clay from the land and turn it into workable plaster and sculpture mixes.
-
Armature Building for Large-Scale Sculpture; Learn how to create the inner wooden and earthen structure that supports a giant outdoor sculpture.
-
Fermented Clay Sculpture Mix; Mix and apply sculptural base coats using sand, straw and raw clay. Work with fermentation, fibre and intuitive material understanding.
-
Relief Sculpture and Organic Forms; Create expressive, sculptural details including floral, abstract or symbolic motifs, and learn how to embed meaning into your work.
-
Creative Embodiment and Observational Practice; Drawing sessions, movement explorations and rituals to awaken perception and deepen connection with earth, body and imagination.
-
Natural Pigments and Finishes; Prepare and integrate natural colour through pigment mixing, and learn how to create your own natural paints (and how to apply this in a conventional building when you return home).
-
Polished Plasters and Finish Plasters; Practice refined clay and lime finishing techniques including burnishing, subtle textures and traditional polished surfaces e.g 'tadelakt'.
What You’ll Do
-
Foundations & Form
Co-create the shrine’s structural core with fermented clay mix. Begin with sourcing and testing, move into construction, laying on material and sculptural shaping. -
Solstice celebration; Honouring the return of the light with a special celebration.
-
Refining and Finishing; Tightening up and detailing the design. Polished plaster lab & on-site project. We’ll also share cosy evening gatherings of song, story, and festive warmth.
-
Personal Practice
Spacious afternoons to draw, plaster, sculpt, journal, dance, sing, explore the waterfall, connect with your fellow community or simply breathe and be. -
Collaborative Making & Community Rituals
Evening sessions (2–3 per week) for fireside sharing, storytelling, presentations, and ceremonial closing.
Sample Schedule
Here is an example to give a flavour of the schedule - exact timings may change.
-
9 AM – Morning Practice (Optional)
-
10:00 AM – Breakfast/ brunch
-
9:00–2:00 PM – Teaching & Collaborative Work (with break at 12)
-
2:00 PM – Lunch
-
3:00–6:30 PM – Personal Practice / Lake / Rest
-
7 PM – Light Dinner
-
7.30-8.30 (Occasional) Evening presentations
What to Expect
-
A flow between shared guidance, communal creation, and solo exploration.
-
Nourishing meals, which can be vegetarian/vegan-friendly if needed; community rhythms grounded in presence.
-
Weather and creative process may shift timing-this is a living, flexible space built on integrity, not rigidity.
-
Choose between the full 2 week immersion (15th-27th December) or join for just the first week (15th-22nd December) - contact for pricing for first week only.
Meet the Facilitators
A little about who will be guiding you through this experience...
About the location
Winaq (formerly known as Tierra de Sueños) is a holistic school and community project working closely with the Maya-Tz’utujil people of Santiago Atitlán. Their mission weaves together science, spirituality, education, ecology and art, supporting local children and uplifting the livelihoods of weavers, farmers, builders, beekeepers and artisans.
This is a place where creativity, cultural exchange and land-based learning meet.
What to Expect Living Here
You will be staying rustically and close to nature right at the lakefront. This out of town location is on the quieter side of the lake, away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby towns. Expect mornings swimming in the lake, evenings cooking by the fire, and opportunities to connect with Mayan culture, craft and cosmology.
Travel in Guatemala is surprisingly easy, affordable and well-supported. We will help coordinate shuttles and taxis.
We are deeply grateful to hold this immersion in a place so aligned with our values, and so interwoven with local culture.
We are aware that we are guests on this land, and we are committed to ensuring that our presence is beneficial, respectful and truly welcomed.
Ten percent of any profits will be donated to Tierra de Sueños to support their work with local children.
Getting there
1. Recommended Arrival Airport
We recommend flying into La Aurora International Airport (Guatemala City).
2. Shuttle to Lake Atitlán
Several shuttle companies operate between Guatemala City and Lake Atitlán, but we recommend Magic Travel.
Magic Travel Shuttle Schedule
From Guatemala City / Airport → Panajachel (Lake Atitlán):
• 6:00 AM
• 10:30 AM
• 1:30 PM
⏱️ Approx. travel time: 4 hours
Magic Travel (Shuttle Company):
📞 +502 3257-0040
3. Boat to Santiago Atitlán
Once you arrive in Panajachel, take a public boat to Santiago Atitlán.
• Cost: Q25
• Important: Boats run only until 6:00 PM, so please plan your shuttle accordingly.
4. Private Boat to Tierra de Sueños
From Santiago Atitlán’s main dock, we will arrange a private boat to take the group directly to Tierra de Sueños, our workshop site.
If you need guidance upon arrival in Santiago, please reach out.
Alternatively we can help you to organise a private taxi directly from the airport to our location for approx. 800-1000Q.
Pricing
Ready to Cocoon?
Join us in Guatemala for 12 days of earth, art, and deep connection.
Earlybird discount of up to £200 available when paying in full before September 21st.
We don’t have any products to show here right now.
Opportunities
We love working with earth and value others who do too! We hope that everyone that wants to join us is able to, and have some options that could make the experience more accessible/ affordable for those that may otherwise not be able to come.
.jpg)
Scholarships for Latin Americans available
We are offering two scholarship places for Latin Americans at $280 each. This will include the complete workshop curriculum, all meals, and a space in dorm accommodation.
Photographer / Videographer work trade
We are looking for somebody to capture the essence of our workshop through visual storytelling. The exchange will depend on your experience but we can offer a contribution towards your travel costs.
Got another skill to offer?
Maybe you are a movement facilitator, a musician or an expert in something we haven't thought of yet which you think could contribute to co-creating an amazing workshop. We'd love to hear your ideas for collaboration and can offer discounts for part work traders.
The Art of Mud experience is hard to put into words. It has been life altering to connect with mud, earth, people and myself. Becky’s knowledge of material and technique are invaluable. The collection of people and professionals she brought together cultivated an environment of colearning and expansion. The course covered a wide variety of material for both beginners and professionals. More than that, this retreat breathes light and love back to the soul!
Ciara, USA
