Elements of Life
An Informal Exhibition at Whidbey Institute I have a long relationship with Whidbey Institute. My husband Ross Chapin designed Thomas Berry Hall. The annual Touch Drawing Gathering has been held
expressive art therapy
Facets of Touch Drawing
I asked Touch Drawing Gatherers what their experience of Touch Drawing is. Each response was like a facet of a gem.
2025 Touch Drawing Gathering
Journey through the 2025 Touch Drawing Gathering through the photos below. Click on the images to enlarge. Arrival and OpeningThe afternoon is a time to relax and connect with each
Drawing at The Circle
The Circle was a 5 hour participatory concert experience ~ Bridging culture through song & story. Nov 22, 2025 at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle WA Imagine a 1000
Many Years of Soul Healing
I am a shamanic herbalist living on South Whidbey Island. I am also a teacher, offering apprentices and mentorships to people. I continue to develop a deep, intimacy with the
Get Your New SoulCards App
search for the deck of your choice. SoulCards and Portals of Presence have entered the digital age! You can now carry them on your phone or pad wherever you go.
Enduring Images to Nourish the Soul
Beloved across generations, SoulCards are trusted tools for insight, creativity, and communication. 30 years after their release, they continue to be discovered anew. Many who encounter the images experience a
24th Touch Drawing Gathering 2024
Experience the 2024 Touch Drawing Gathering through images. Find out about the Touch Drawing Gathering Opening and Drawing Reflecting and Sharing Inner Portraits Silence in Nature and Sanctuary Bringing Our
Freeing the Inner Artist – Lissa Kilgore
Otherly Visitor I felt an impulse growing in me this year to express myself more freely and more often through creative pursuits. Write a poem, draw a picture, take a
Touch Drawing: Expression of My Soul – Junko Kurata
I moved to the U.S. in 1992 and spent my days busy with translation work, until one day in 1998, at the age of 35, I suddenly heard a voice
A Daughter’s View – Aleah Chapin
Exactly 50 years ago today, on May 20th, 1974, my mom made a discovery that would change her life and have a huge impact on my own. She had just
Touch Drawing with Teens and Young Adults in Late Stage Cancer – Gloria Simoneaux
As a close friend and classmate of Deb’s at Cooper Union, I experienced the power of Touch Drawing personally. I felt that it could be a vital process to share
Touch Drawing: a personal and group practice
I first encountered Touch Drawing at Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in 2005. I participated in a five day Touch Drawing Intensive facilitated by Deborah. Although I was deeply moved
At the Pool of Wonder – Marcy Lauck
Dearest Deborah, It was such a blessing nearly 50 years ago when my dreaming and your images found such a potent marriage in At the Pool of Wonder: Dreams and
i CAN draw!! – Claudia Coenen
Because I loved to twirl with the wind, my mother enrolled me in a creative movement class when I was 3. Deborah Koff was also in that class, and we
The Spirit of Touch Drawing: A Healing Companion – Heidi Morford
I first learned Touch Drawing at a workshop Deborah offered at the Women of Wisdom conference in Seattle in the early 2000’s. Since then I have attended many sessions and
Celebrations and Transformations – Mukti Khanna
Touch Drawing has been the manifestation of Jungian synchronicity in my personal and professional life since meeting Deborah Koff-Chapin on a bus in Boston on the way to the International
Touch Drawing is Always There to Hold and Comfort Me – Shemaya Blauer
One of my greatest teachers has been the privilege of working in all aspects of hospice as a social worker. I carry a passion for being with people honoring rites
Touch Drawing is Facilitating Change in Me – Barbara Davis
I experience Touch Drawing as an opportunity to invite my inner world to come out and play; to be seen and to be heard. Sometimes it feels like Touch Drawing
In Our Right Minds – A Conversation with Dale Allen & Deborah Koff-Chapin
Dale Allen has for 25 years shared the healing energy of the sacred feminine through her work: In Our Right Minds, which has been widely acclaimed at universities, conferences, corporations, theaters, and
The Gift of Touch Drawing: A Personal Journey – Lori Sweet
It was about 25 years ago when I first discovered Deborah’s deck of cards based on her Touch Drawings. I was mesmerized by the deep dream-like images. A few years
My Touch Drawing Journey – Juan Aguirre Vergara
Hello, I’m from Chile, working as a psychologist, specialist in deep psychology, Jungian psychology, with a long experience in inner work and soul work, also long time traveler on the
Deborah Koff-Chapin and Markus Scott-Alexander Celebrate Touch Drawing
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Touch Drawing, I am holding conversations to deepen my insight and develop fuller ways to articulate about the process. Markus G. Scott-Alexander is
Our Common Source – A Conversation Between Michael Samuels & Deborah Koff-Chapin
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Touch Drawing, I am holding conversations to deepen my insight and develop fuller ways to articulate about the process. Michael Samuels, M.D. is the
About the Touch Drawing Gathering
Feel free to email questions or arrange a time to talk. Blessings, Deborah Koff-Chapin VIEW FACETS OF TOUCH DRAWING VIDEOS HEREI asked Touch Drawing Gatherers What is your experience of Touch
An Enlivening Practice
with Portals of Presence: Faces Drawn from the Subtle Realms When I published SoulCards in 1995, the decktook on a life of its own. SoulCards 1&2continued to thrive and are
Parliament of the World’s Religions 2023
The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions convened people of faith, spirituality, and ethical convictions from around the world advancing the theme of “A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights.”
The Gaian Congress
There are many worldwide efforts to promote peace between peoples, races, and religions; and for the protection and preservation of animal and plant species. The Gaian Congress affects the planet by
Sacred Artistry: Deborah Koff-Chapin on Touch Drawing, Song Bath Sanctuary, and SoulCards
Dive into the enchanting world of Touch Drawing with Deborah Koff-Chapin, the visionary creator of this transformative artistic process. In the newest edition of MysticMag interviews, Deborah shares the origins of Touch Drawing,
How the Portals of Presence Came into Being
In this article written for Evolve magazine, I share the significance of faces as a universal language. I then tell stories of sacred journeys in which some of the faces
Oracular Experience: PASSING THROUGH THE PORTALS
Penny Lane shares an oracular journey through the Portals of Presence designed by Deborah Koff-Chapin. TAROSOPHIST INTERNATIONAL Experimentation starts with an open mind, without fixing the outcome. We accept the
Tarosophist International: THE PORTALS OF PRESENCE
We ingest images through our eyes. They enter the body and psyche directly, prior to reflection by the verbal mind. In these times, we are overrun with images as we
An interview with Alan Steinfeld of New Realities
Portals of Presence: the Art of Deborah Koff-Chapin – An interview with Alan Steinfeld of New Realities
Women’s Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century
Women spiritual leaders are emerging more prominently than ever before across the major religions and spiritual traditions of the world. This auspicious trend is gradually eroding long-standing oppression of women’s
Published in Esotoracle with David Spangler
An enlivening experience of the new deck by the creator of SoulCards Deborah Koff-Chapin, with David Spangler Open your eyes and bring your attention to your environment. You might walk
2021 Parliament Of the World’s Religions Gallery
I listened deeply to presentations throughout the Parliament, and created spontaneous drawings that reflect the content of each one. My aim is to capture the essence of the Parliament themes
The Arts as Sacred Portals to the Soul of Life
https://vimeo.com/588143081 This presentation was part of the Shift Network Sound Healing Summit. Deborah talks about the universal power of the arts for healing, soul development and communion with the sacred
Authentic Movement with Touch Drawing
Michelle Kurzenacker weaves Touch Drawing wordlessly and naturally into this beautiful short film about Authentic Movement. this is so appropriate. I often describe Touch Drawing as the Authentic Movement of
Watch the story of the deck shared at the live launch
https://vimeo.com/691186472 In this recording of the live launch event, I share how I created these faces, and tell stories of how some of them came into being. I then showed
From Touch Drawing to SoulCards to Portals of Presence
This is a wonderful hour-long video conversation with Justine Serebrin. It was part of her Intuitive Artist Mastery Code Course. I felt free to roam into details of my process
Touch Drawing at Science and Nonduality Conference Oct 21-25, 2020
Dying and Living Our world is going through challenges, upheaval and confusion. Some see this moment as an evolutionary threshold. Death feels closer. False beliefs, obsolete structures, and ideas of
SoulCards Inspire a New Generation
Deborah Koff-Chapin “I was shocked to find SoulCards were created in the 90’s! The art is timeless, seeming to spring forth from the void of eternal knowing, truth, and love.
Prayers Among Clouds
An offering to ring in the new year Earlier this past summer I carried my new crystal bowl up to a peak in the North Cascades Mountains to open the
Rosslyn Song
My friend Kris Kinosis who leads sacred tours of Scotland has a strong connection with the tour guides who work in the chapel. He got permission for me to have a few
Interview with Nurturing Art by Rita Loyd
Deborah Koff-Chapin BFA is an artist, vocalist, author and teacher. She has been developing Touch Drawing since she came upon it in revelatory play in 1974. Through her years of
Touch Drawing Gathering Photos 2019
Journey through the 2019 Touch Drawing Gathering through the photos below. Click on the images to enlarge. OPENING SESSION: After a relaxed afternoon of arrivals and settling in, we do
Global Earth Repair Conference – Touch Drawing Gallery
This conference brought together more than 500 earth repair practitioners, grass-roots activists, farmers, scientists, indigenous leaders and supporters to talk about the social and technical aspects of earth repair and
Conference on World Affairs – Touch Drawing Gallery
The Conference on World Affairs, sponsored by the University of Colorado Boulder, is a premier forum for discussion of world affairs, attracting a diverse group of experts from around
2019 Whidbey Winter Gathering Touch Drawing Gallery
THE DECISIVE DECADE SERIES: Chaos, Community, and Compassion Thursday, January 24 – Sunday, January 27, 2019 Whidbey Institute on Whidbey Island, Washington. The Whidbey Winter Gathering is an invitational leadership conference
The Parliament of the World’s Religions Touch Drawing Gallery
The World’s Oldest, Largest, Most Diverse and Inclusive Global Interfaith Event Toronto, Ontario Canada, November 1 – 7, 2018. The Promise of Inclusion, the Power of Love: Pursuing Global Understanding,
Co-Creative Spirituality Conference at the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland
Time lapse of Deborah creating a Touch Drawing “Engaging with the subtle worlds isn’t simply to experience or explore the non-physical dimensions. The larger purpose is to engage the underlying
Drawing at the Parliament of World’s Religions 2018
Parliament convenings bring together thousands of individuals committed to fostering a more peaceful, just and sustainable world. Often times, individuals and communities are inspired by the spirit and mission of
The Image Emerging
Equilibrium – An Image Offering for the EquinoxI created this Touch Drawing while sitting on the beach on my island home on a late summer day. The experience when I
Touch Drawing at Y-We Write Camp with Young Women Empowered
Young Women Empowered and Hedgebrook team up each summer for an amazing leadership and creative writing summer camp on Whidbey Island, WA. This is a weeklong exploration of young women’s voices, stories,
Touch Drawing Gathering Photos 2018
Journey through the 2018 Touch Drawing Gathering through the images below.Click on the images to enlarge and see in correct proportion. After a relaxed afternoon of arrivals and settling in, we
I Love SoulCards
I was asked to create a video about SoulCards for one of the distributors. It was a joyous experience to reach out to SoulCards users and receive testimonial videos from
Strengthening Your Soul Through Creativity
Authentic Messengers Interview A wonderful hour-long conversation with Catherine Van Wetter on the theme Strengthening Your Soul Through Creativity.
Dawn of Interspirituality – Amanecer de la Inter-espiritualidad
San Jose Costa Rica March 12-16, 2018 See the full English/Spanish conference program booklet Welcoming statement by William Keepin and Cynthia Brix, Conveners of the Dawn of Interspirituality Conference series
Why SoulCards?
Sixty images in each deck offering no interpretations, no scholarly dissertations and no pre-fabricated answers to life’s questions, yet SoulCards have inspired the imagination of thousands of people throughout the
International Expressive Art Therapy Association Conference 2017
INDIGENOUS ROOTS OF EXPRESSIVE ARTS Transformation, Social Justice and Social Change The International Expressive Arts Therapy Association (IEATA) and the Winnipeg Holistic Expressive Arts Therapy Institute (WHEAT) collaborated to co-host the
Gaianeering Conference
A conference of hope and wholeness focusing on the pioneering work of forming partnerships with the multiple dimensions of Earth’s living ecologies. This effort is called Gaianeering – exploring collaboration
Mo Golden of Art Kitchen Interviews Deborah
Mo Golden interviews artist, Deborah Koff-Chapin about her creative process. This is the first of two videos, so check out the next one too. This video series is funded by
SoulCards Thriving for 22 Years
Little did I know when I published SoulCards in 1995, how deeply rooted they would be-come in lives of so many. In my travels to teach Touch Drawing and draw
Drawing During Drumming w/Arthur Hull at Expressive Therapies LA Summit
This was memorable – doing Touch Drawing in the center of who-knows-how-many drummers, percussionists & dancers! We also had a group of Touch Drawers around the edge of the circle – my
Women of Wisdom Conference Retrospective – 1995 to 2017
Each year at the opening night of the Women of Wisdom Conference in Seattle, I carry my Touch Drawing materials into the meeting hall and set up my portable studio on
Women of Wisdom 2017 – 25th Annual Conference – Remember Who You Are: Honoring Ourselves We Heal Our World
Evening 1 – Gina Sala Music, Caroline Muir: The Art of Conscious Loving Evening 2 – Rebekka Goldsmith Group Improv Singing, WOW Ensemble Directed by Pam Gerke, Laurie McCammon: Enough! A Deep
Touch Drawing Gathering Photos 2017
OPENING CIRCLE: After a relaxed afternoon of arrivals, dinner and a contemplative land walk, we gather and light candles to open the sacred circle. DEEP DRAWING: Each day revolves around
Touch Drawing Gathering Photos 2016
Ready for arrivals, decorating folders to hold drawings, and opening our sacred circle. The core of our time each day is to dive deep through Touch Drawing. Reflecting on our drawings
Standing Strong
This is not an easy image. We are not in easy times. I created this drawing during the Indigenous Day of Action as a part of Break Free Pacific Northwest. I carried my
New Leaf Article – SoulTouch Coloring Journals
The Next Level of Empowered Creative Engagement From the Creator of SoulCards, Deborah Koff-Chapin In 1995, I took a leap of faith. I published sixty of my drawings as a
The story behind an image in Opening to Love, a SoulTouch Coloring Journal
The immediacy and spontaneity of Touch Drawing has allowed me to draw in so many settings. Over the years I have developed an overwhelming archive of drawings created during talks by some
The Goddess of Creativity
Creativity, Myth and Mysticism: Something Calls to Be Remembered By Claudia Connelly I hadn’t expected it to happen this way, my venture into painting. At the age of forty-six I
Beyond the Patient
Art and Creativity for Staff, Management, Executives and Organizational Change by Deborah Koff-Chapin Chapter 22 from Art Therapy in Healthcare, Edited by Cathy Malchiodi PhD, LPAT, LPCC, ATR-BC, REAT When
Years in the Making, But Right on Time
EVOLVE! MAGAZINE SoulTouch™ Coloring Journals Years in the Making, But Right on Time by Deborah Koff-Chapin Twenty years ago, I released the first deck of SoulCards. They continue to live
From Paper Towels to SoulCards
An Interview with Deborah Koff-Chapin by Cat Saunders One of the gifts of interviewing people is that I get to meet some amazing people. Some of them are well known; some
The Creation of Soulcards
Version One: The Story as told by SoulCards creator, Deborah Koff-Chapin Version Two: The same story as told by Will McGreal, the first person to use SoulCards A Gift Blossoms
Women of Wisdom 2016 – United We Change the World
Friday Evening Plenary Dreamdance13 — Sacred the evening opened with the angelic vocals of The Luminosas, whose members are Elle McSharry, Susan Dumett and Ines Andrade-Maricle. The first speaker was Lillian Hewkes,
SoulTouch Coloring Journals – User’s Comments
See inside each book and order your own Gabriel Tamaya, United Kingdom Working with the images from the Soul Touch Coloring Journals has allowed me to access the images much more
SoulTouch™ Coloring by Others
Creative Awakening Fullness of Life Gifts of the Feminine Opening to Love Listening Within
Parliament of the World’s Religions
October 15 – 19, 2015 Salt Lake City, Utah, USA The Parliament is the oldest, the largest, and the most inclusive gathering of people of all faiths and traditions. The first
Interview with Herbalist Susun Weed
This was more like a conversation between friends than an interview. Susan asked about the process of creating the SoulTouch Coloring Journals, and other probing questions about my work. We
Interpretive Drawing with Authors
A single selection from Touch Drawings done during the presentations of various authors: Gabrielle Roth, Isabel Allende, Angeles Arrien, Joanna Macy, Stephen Levine.
Israeli/Palestinian Relations
This series was created during a talk at by Yehezkel Landau on Israeli/Palestinian relations. This presentation includes notes on what he was saying while I drew each image. Find out
Tibetan Monks Find Touch Drawing
Seven Tibetan monks on tour from the DalaiLama’s Drepung Loseling Monastery in Karnataka, India, visited Whidbey Island to offer chant and sand painting on behalf of world peace. Staying on
Using Touch Drawing at Auschwitz
by Nancy Shemaya Blauer accompanied her family through Auschwitz and offers her story: As a Jew one of my struggles has been how to experience and express the immense emotions
Drawing Light Out Of Darkness
Reclaiming Creative Spirit by Helen Warren Helen Warren worked through clinical depression to arrive at a place where she reclaimed her Creative Spirit and her connection to Mother Earth. She
The Source of Myself – I Touched My Origin
By Akiko Mukunashi (Body Worker/Psychotherapist), Oita Japan Japanese Version click here (Translated by Junko Kurata kurajun@gmail.com) I had heard about Touch Drawing from my friend,
Touch Drawing in the UK
British BBC Film by Sue Mason Touch Drawing was featured on the British BBC television program “Inside Out” last autumn (2003), a regional magazine style programme. It formed part of a
SoulCards Take Committee Retreat to a New Level
Cynda Rushton PhD, RN, FAANAssociate Professor of NursingCo-Chair Ethics ServiceJohns Hopkins University and Hospital Last year, at a retreat of the Ethics Service of the Johns Hopkins Hospital, I invited
SoulCards in China
We have just completed the sixth reprint of SoulCards 1, which makes 61,000 of this deck now in print! We included a special edition of 1,100 decks for Steven Lam.
Access Deeper Presence in the Onset of Dementia
Spiritual Director Uses SoulCards to Help a Woman to Access Deeper Presence in the Onset of Dementia Cheryl Rose, HM, Cleveland, OH I taught high school for many years and
Women of Wisdom: Empowering the Dreams and Spirit of Women
by Kris Steinnes, Founder, Women of Wisdom Foundation Every February since 1995, I have done Interpretive Touch Drawing at the Women of Wisdom Conference in Seattle. A large number of
SoulCards Used to Catalyze Heartfelt Sharing in Management Team Meetings
by Carla Summerlin Executive Director, Hampton Alzheimer’s Community Vancouver, Washington Carla@thehampton.com I first encountered the SoulCards at a meeting that was sponsored by St. Charles Medical Center in Bend Oregon.
A Storyteller’s Gallery: Love has Won
by Linda Howe Linda is an artist, educator, writer, poet, storyteller and facilitates Touch Drawing. She recently had an exhibition of her drawings, paintings, poetry and stories at the Gallery
Touch Drawing as a Moving Meditation
by Jewell Jnana Scanlon I began Touch Drawing in 1999. It was an amazing opening for me. My sense of a small self stepped aside or rested back. I began