The Restory Retreat Centre

Windows Of Our Culture Wakkerstroom Classical Music Festival 2026 For the second consecutive year, local artists, as well as artists from the wider area, will exhibit at the annual Classical Music Festival. We act as curators and with the help of friends and family from Wakkerstroom, the restored old trading house, Brown's, will be transformed into a gallery and music space in less than a week. We are also very proud that Matilda's daughter, potter Eylene Clifford, is this year's festival artist. Tired after the hard work, we let music, shapes and color wash over us.   With much love. George & Matilda 

  Meraki   The Conversation  Big apology! Meraki, even though it has all the characteristics of a Japanese word, is not a Japanese word. We discovered after our conversation that it is actually a Greek word. Elements From The Conversation  Music With all our love. George & Matilda

Wakkerstroom Classical Music Festival 2025 20 - 23 March 2025 “He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;  he suspends the earth over nothing.  He wraps up the waters in his clouds,  yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.  He covers the face of the full moon,  spreading his clouds over it.  He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters  for a boundary between light and darkness.  The pillars of the heavens quake, aghast at his rebuke.  By his power he churned up the sea;  by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.  By his breath the skies became fair;  his hand pierced the gliding serpent.  And these are but the outer fringe of his works;  how faint the whisper we hear of him!  Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” ‭‭Job ‭26‬:‭7‬-‭‭14‬ ‭NIV                              It is that time of year again! Autumn is...

  When You Know But Still Do The Conversation  Elements From The Conversation  Remnants of sculptures at the bottom of the kiln. Snow outside, pottery workshop and Glühwein inside. In spite of disappointment and setbacks, we return to create again. To create is to live this life. Again, always, with love. George & Matilda

  Spirituality In Conversation With Art “All Jesus did that day was tell stories - a long storytelling afternoon.” ‭‭Matt ‭13‬:‭34‬  (The Message)                               The Conversation Elements From The Conversation ~ ❖ ~ “When we move toward our own creativity,  we move toward our Creator.  When we seek to become more spiritual,  we find ourselves becoming more creative.  Our creativity and our spirituality are so closely interconnected  they are in effect one and the same thing.  Speaking of God, we often use the words “Maker” or “Creator”  without recognizing that those  are the terms for “artist.”  God is the Great Artist.  We are creations  and we are intended, in turn, to be creative ourselves.” Julia Cameron                               ~ ❖ ~ What if we were ...

  Sharing In Other's Creativity The Conversation Video: Sharing In Other's Creativity Elements From The Conversation   Music/Dance With love and our wish that something creative will stir in you. Even if it's just a little. It's a start. George & Matilda

  Art In Times Like These The Conversation  Elements From The Conversation Music  “I . . . ask the Lord  to give you every blessing and joy  and to keep ever fresh and young your ‘child’s mind’  which is the only one worth having.”                                                                                                                                 Thomas Merton George & Matilda

  Paul And Mary On Prayer The Conversation  Elements From The Conversation  According to Paul and Mary, the following video has all the elements of a prayer. Music  With much love and wishes for a spacious life. George & Matilda   

Wakkerstroom Old Bioscope: Photograph by Owen Castleman Cet animal est tres mechant; Quand on l'attaque il se defend. (This animal is very malicious; when attacked it defends itself.)                                                 - La Menagerie (Traditional French song) ~ o  ~ Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.                                              - Rainer Maria Rilke ~ o  ~ When we can see the image o...

Inner child exploration: playing with coloured pencils.   What if you are way more talented than you thought you were? What if life can’t wait to reveal wonderful things to you? What if something is waiting to come into being, but it can only happen through you? What if your thinking is too limited in terms of resources, opportunities and everything possible? What if….. Are you the proud owner of a pulse? Then you are creative. And it has to do with much more than paint on canvas, clay on wheel or wood chips around your feet. Too many people struggle with the word creativity . You can almost be certain that by hearing it they conjure up images of painters in paint smeared overcoats standing in front of large easels with a beret perched sideways on the head. Or even worse, someone wandering the street, one-eared and tormented. They give it one look and decide it’s not for them. In any case, the closest they’ll ever come to drawing is the drawing up of papers and contra...