WELCOME.
2026 marks 10 years of the Shadow Tender Project, and we are excited to present
four seasonal offerings unlike anything we’ve done before.
We begin this May.
…Will you bloom through the darkness with us?
Our workshops are a lovingly constructed container to guide you as you build your own Shadow mask.
They are a structure within which you can make and un-make the courageous
face with which you confront the world.
They are space to encounter Shadow and step into relationship with the wisdom,
resilience, and joy contained within.
Unlike a traditional therapeutic or coaching environment, which encourages verbal exchange, the focus of Shadow Tender offerings is on creative, embodied, and symbolic self-expression and discovery. This approach is informed by over a decade of experience in teaching visual arts, physical movement, and performing art techniques.
UPCOMING IN 2026
Join us for a 2.5-hour immersive workshop to slow down, breathe deep, and explore the beauty and wisdom that blooms at the very edges of our beings.
Part outdoor workshop, part mini-retreat, this event blends botanical mask-making, movement, ritual, and Jungian shadow work lead by Shadow Tender co-founders Natalya Kolosowsky & Maria Thomas.
SUNDAY, MAY 31 2026
1pm - 3:30pm // + 1 hour of self-guided reflection/exploration
$95 early bird (until May 15th); $125 regular
All materials included, open to all levels of movers & makers
Spots are limited to 10 people, please register ahead of time.
Scholarships and work-study available upon request. Reach out to learn more.
This offering is created in collaboration with the Verdancy Project - a private artist oasis of 4 wooded acres just outside of Portland, Oregon. The Verdancy Project is rich with both wilderness and carefully tended gardens, hidden coves, a bubbling creek, and living art installations.
If this is your first encounter with Shadow Tender and our offerings, please scroll down for all the full details below.
“Shadow Tender was a game changer for me in how I approached shadow work on my healing journey. By engaging me intellectually, somatically, creatively, and emotionally - no aspect of self was neglected in what had been an historically painful process of “processing”. Natalya is a gifted artist, mystic, thinker, and community leader. This delicate work is in compassionate, master-level hands with the Shadow Tender Team. Post workshop, I had a dramatically more accurate view of myself, and a tenderness and love for my hidden aspects that is priceless. This workshop was a tipping point on my path.”
ABOUT DEEP BLOOM
As Spring transforms into Summer, our world spins ever faster with uncertainty and Shadows. Each new wave of news and technological advances raises questions that shake the very core of our identities as human beings. How do we hold ourselves and each other through the chaos, pain, and paradox of it all?
In this workshop, we will introduce the concept of the Jungian Shadow through a grounded, animist lens - not as something broken, but as a subterranean archive of potentiality, insight, and nourishment.
Through guided prompts, quiet reflection, and tender connection with the land, you will be invited on a journey to discover the wisdom and vitality buried within the secret reaches of your own inner landscape.
Using fresh flowers, foraged treasures, and other natural elements you will create a botanical face mask - an ephemeral expression of that which dances just out of reach, ready to bloom forth into the the Light of Summer. Each mask will be captured as a photographic portrait to anchor your transformation.
We will close with a community ritual of witnessing, cleansing, and integration followed by optional self-guided time for further reflection.
Our journey will unfold at the Verdancy Project - an artist oasis of 4 wooded acres just outside of Portland, Oregon. The Verdancy Project is rich with both wilderness and carefully tended gardens, hidden coves, a bubbling creek, and living art installations.
No prior art or movement experience necessary to attend. All materials provided.
The Deep Bloom Workshop is part of our special 10-year anniversary programming designed to celebrate a decade of shadow tending, creativity, and collaboration.
Our aim is to make this work as accessible as possible to all who wish to be a part of it. If you are called to join us, but pricing is prohibitive for any reason, please reach out to inquire about work-study or scholarship accommodations.
THIS WORKSHOP IS FOR YOU
IF YOU ARE
Craving to slow down, ground, and remember the wonder of everyday things
Curious to gently and playfully dive into the Shadow Archetype
Excited to learn new approaches to mask-making and personal adornment
Drawn to the magic of working with plants, flowers, and other natural materials
Searching for an intentional container in which your body and your breath can unwind in community with others
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE
A conceptual framework for understanding and relating to the Shadow archetype
An introduction to local plants and ethical foraging practices
Everything you need to create your very own botanical Shadow Mask
A photographic portrait capturing your ephemeral Shadow Mask creation
Tools and rituals to integrate and anchor insights that emerge from your explorations
A facilitated space to ask questions, dialogue, create, and play in community with others
3-weeks of follow-up prompts for further reflection and creative exploration
Special invitations for our continuing 2026 anniversary programming and seasonal offerings
And much, much more
OFFERING STRUCTURE & DETAILS
This offering will be guided by two experienced facilitators and the co-founders of the Shadow Tender Project - Natalya Kolosowsky and Maria Thomas. We have been teaching Shadow Tender workshops for the past decade and put great care into creating strong, cohesive containers where encounters with Shadow are a source of empowerment and insight.
To ensure an intimate and meaningful experience, this offering is capped at 10 participants.
DURING OUR 2.5 HOURS TOGETHER, WE WILL:
Introduce the concept of the Jungian Shadow through a grounded, animist lens - not as something broken, but as a living archive of potentiality, insight, and nourishment.
Guide you through writing prompts, breathwork and somatic exercises to help you center, and connect with yourself, the land, and the humans around you.
Introduce you to local plants, ethical foraging practices, and how to safely work with natural materials as a form of personal adornment.
Talk you through natural adhesives, application and mask-making techniques suitable for all skin types.
Support you in creating your very own botanical face mask from fresh flowers, foraged treasures, and other elements.
Capture each mask creation as a photographic portrait to anchor your transformation.
Close with a community ritual of witnessing, cleansing, and integration
AFTER OUR 2.5 HOURS TOGETHER:
You will have another hour of self-guided discovery on the grounds of the Verdancy Project. We strongly recommend taking this time to rest and explore the unique environment and beautiful art installations at your own pace.
In the weeks following our time together, you will receive three weekly follow-up emails with creative prompts and resources to continue to help you deepen your relationship to Shadow and the subterranean kingdom of the psyche.
Participating in DEEP BLOOM also grants you special invitations for our continuing 2026 anniversary programming and seasonal offerings.
WHAT TO BRING
Journal and writing/drawing utensils
Something you can move in comfortably (we recommend layers for both cool and warm weather)
Sturdy comfortable shoes suitable for wooded/uneven terrain
Water bottle
Your favorite facial cleanser and moisturizer (if you have one)
A small clean towel
Anything else you may need to comfortably spend 3-4 hours outdoors (sunscreen, snacks, etc)
Questions? Please check out our FAQ page or write to us directly.
“I can’t believe this Shadow Tender workshop exists in the world. It’s like alchemy, healing, performance all rolled up into one. During this workshop, I relearned that healing takes place on levels we don’t even realize. Maybe it takes place when we can take off just one mask, for a little while, and put on another one. Thanks to Natalya, I regained a sense of wonder - and realized that the greatest secret is to have one, and not know what it is.”
COST
$95 EARLY BIRD (UNTIL MAY 15th)
$125 REGULAR
Space is limited to 10 people. We strongly recommend reserving your spot in advance.
All materials and supplies provided.
Our aim is to make this workshop as accessible as possible to all who wish to be a part of it.
If you would like to participate in this workshop, but pricing is prohibitive for any reason,
you can request scholarships or work-study opportunities by contacting us directly.
“My joy returned to me (mic drop). I loved every moment of how you structured our time...from opening, to the slowness of the exercises that helped me embody my body again, to identifying my grief and putting it into the mask. I don’t tend to be creative in that way and you gave me permission to create whatever wanted to come forth. You gave me options on how I want to express myself through movement and intimacy with the others. I appreciated your intentionality and care for details. I was amazed by the alchemy of acknowledging my grief as myself as a child and releasing a part of my bullshit programming that my child was carrying for so long so that I can feel joyful and free again in the present. I was frankly surprised by the return of joy and play thanks to the ceremony, mask making, and being in community. This work and play are vital for the world to heal right now. Please don’t ever stop teaching Natalya!”
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Natalya Kolosowsky
Natalya Kolosowsky is a bilingual artist, facilitator, and teacher of creative processes and the founder of the Shadow Tender project.
She was born in Siberia but grew up in the Sonoran desert, which created a life-long interest in bridging worlds that normally remain invisible to each other and navigating realities polarized by a history of antagonism and fear. Natalya’s teaching approach is informed by over three decades of experience in dance and somatic practices; two decades of yoga practice; and formal training in expressive arts and the psychology and neuroscience of trauma resilience.
Natalya holds a BS in Psychology and a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Arizona, as well as a MFA in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon. She is also currently becoming a certified Buteyko breathwork instructor via Patrick McKeown’s Buteyko Clinic International in Ireland. Natalya’s work has been presented in universities, conferences, museums, and theaters around the world.
You can learn more by visiting natalyakolosowsky.com or follow her on Instagram @natalya_chaos.
Maria Thomas
Maria Thomas is multidisciplinary artist, martial arts instructor, and stunt woman based in Portland, Oregon.
Her passion for martial arts and dance, as well as her experiences with chronic illness, have fueled a fascination with the way we use our bodies to communicate, navigate, and integrate with our surroundings. Her current work uses creatures and characters from folklore and mythology to explore growth, decay, and transformation.
Maria has over 20 years of experience teaching diverse populations and is a 4th degree black belt in Tang Soo Do with over 25 years of experience in multiple martial arts. She has provided dance, stunts, and creature movement for live performance, television, and independent film projects. She currently manages the Tang Soo Do program at Aim High Martial Arts and teaches stage combat in local community theaters. Maria holds a BFA in Visual Communication from the University of Arizona.
You can follow her on Instagram @birdskullstudios
PAST WORKSHOPS
WITD, Portland OR
Maskmaking | Movement mini-series February, 2024
WITD, Portland OR
Shadow Tender Community workshop, April 2023
ONLINE OFFERING
Maskmaking & Un-Making 4-week intensive, February 2021
SAUVIE ISLAND, Portland OR
Outdoor Shadow-Mask Community Ritual, October 2020
WITD, Portland OR
Maskmaking | Movement mini-series December, 2019
WITD, Portland, OR
Maskmaking | Movement mini-series October, 2019
FLOCK Dance Center, Portland, OR
Maskmaking | Movement mini-series, February-March, 2019
FLOCK Dance Center Portland, OR
Maskmaking | Movement Workshop, November 2018
Taipei National University for the Arts, Taiwan
Maskmaking | Movement Workshop, July 2017
HONOR YOUR TEACHERS
RESPECT YOUR ANCESTORS
This work was developed across a variety of spaces - intellectually, temporally, and geographically
- which is itself an enormous privilege.
No teacher, no ancestor is perfect or without flaw, yet a constellation of teachers can begin to weave clearer and clearer paths for inquiry shaped by integrity, curiosity, and greater self-awareness. As such - both here, and throughout our workshops - we openly credit and honor those whose work has become a foundation for this project and teaching methodology:
Shadow Tender collaborators and co-teachers: Maria Thomas, Magdalena Kaczmarska, and Adam Cooper-Terán
Eastern European folk dance traditions, especially from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine as taught by Nadia Zubkov and others
Eastern European and Central Asian folklore and fairytales as passed through oral and written traditions
The teaching methodology, academic guidance, and insights of La Donna Forsgren, Les Gray, Theresa May, and Alexandra Bonds
The research of Spee Kosloff, Jeff Greenberg, and other scholars of Terror Management Theory
The writings and scholarly research of Judika Illes
The methodologies of Konstantin Buteyko
The teachings of butoh artists Diego Piñon, Hiroko & Koichi Tamano, Yumiko Yoshioka, and others
The communication strategies taught by Kasia Urbaniak at the Academy
The teachings & writings of Marshall Rosenberg and his theory of Nonviolent Communication
The psychodramatic approaches of Alejandro Jodorowsky
The research of Peter Levine and Somatic Experiencing
The original writings and theories of Carl G. Jung
The Shadow Tender project stands in deep reverence and solidarity with the occupied lands and its indigenous communities on which this teaching curriculum has been developed over the years: Chinook, Kalapuya, O’Odham, Pima, and Lenape.