Landscape Painting Course:
September 16th, 17th (in person), 19th, 21st, 23rd, and 28th
If you are looking to break free from boredom, or feel tight from work that aspires to be realistic, or simply could do with fresh inspiration, don't hesitate and join us.
This new painting course is an opportunity to get you working directly outside, at this time of the year. The material you will gather doing this will stimulate your senses more than any kind of studio work and provide you with inspiration for a while.
As well as this, this course will give provide you with guidance and support for you to take your work further to a more complete stage.
This course will help you create new work that is full of life.
This painting course can be taken fully online or it can also include a whole day working in the Downs, near my studio in Brighton.
The Out in the Landscape part will get you painting outside, directly responding to the landscape and the elements. We will cover aspects of weather readiness, setting up a temporary studio outdoors, and explore more formal aspects of painting work such as composition, colour mixing - greens in particular - as well experimental/playful approaches to help you make the most of working outside.
In-person participants will do this with me in Brighton.
If working online, you will receive guidance to enable you to work outdoors wherever you are.
The Back in the Studio part is the painting development stage. Here you will learn how to take your paintings forward, from your outside sketches and other work to paintings that are more complete.
We will have 5 live zoom sessions which we will use as a space to share, review, comment, and learn directly from your work. The actual painting work will happen mostly in-between sessions
Dates and Times:
Part 1: Out in the Landscape
Thursday, Sept 16: Prep Session ONLINE/ 90 min- 2 pm to 4 pm.
Friday, Sept 17: IN PERSON FROM MY STUDIO IN BRIGHTON 11 am to 3 PM
Part 2: Back in the studio
Sunday, Sept 19, Tuesday, Sept 21 & Thursday, Sept 23
Online for everyone: 90 min/2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (UK time)
Final Session: Tuesday, Sept 28/
Online for everyone: 120 minutes/2:00 pm to 4: 00 pm (UK time).
Cost:
£250 for all sessions including the in-person day on Sept 17, from 11-3 pm (excludes materials).
£200 for all sessions (except Sept 17), online via Zoom.
These courses are open to all levels of ability and always include unlimited 1 to 1 feedback, as and when you need it, which can be done on Whatsapp or Zoom, or even just as a telephone call when you’re a bit stuck.
To book your place, you need to pay a non-refundable deposit of £100.
You will then get a booking form to complete and a list of materials.
Any further questions, text, or call 07946465942 or email johanna.berger@hotmail.com.
or click here.
Previous Courses to give you an idea..
DYNAMIC COMPOSITION
& FREEING THE MARK:
This little course is the second one in a series of more technical, hands-on workshops. The previous one, "Design Thinking in Painting" covered aspects of form and design and it's available to purchase as a pre-recorded course too.
Dynamic Composition will focus on strategies to free you up in painting (the way you paint rather than concepts).
Each session is a workshop, meaning that we will be and making art things during the online contact time.
This is not a painting course to spend time working on a painting, but more a series of shorter exercises, which are fun and easy but will have a profound impact on your painting work.
If you feel your painting needs freeing in any way, take this little course.
This course is the perfect preparation for the next course, "Greens & Rhythm". If you are able to join both, do. together these courses will give you quite a strong base for future painting work.
Sessions for Dynamic Composition are: (all at 3 pm UK time)
Monday, June 14,
Tuesday, June 15 &
Thursday, June 17.
Sessions will last 60-90 minutes depending on the size of the group.
Cost: £120
All courses can be paid in instalments and there are significant (and increasing) discounts when booking two or three courses together.
A materials list will be provided with your booking but generally, most water-based painting and drawing materials would work.
This course is suitable for all levels of experience and especially suited to those in the early stages of their painting/art journey.
To book your place on this course, or if you have any questions, please click here or email me at johanna.berger@hotmail.com
Courses fill up, so act soon!
Greens & Rhythm in nature:
Green can be the hardest colour to tackle and there is so much of it in nature!
This course will explore different aspects of green, starting from nature observation, but also finding inspiration in the colour itself, (ie; mixing it successfully!); looking at artists who work with greens in interesting ways; and different aspects relating to how to create paintings that are dynamic, interesting and full of life.
This will help with landscape paintings, either realistic or abstract or with any other theme inspired by nature.
We will cover the basics of outdoor work, including outdoor sketching & setting up a "studio" in -situ.
All this will be covered at more depth in the Landscape painting Course in September (see below), for which this is a great introduction..
The sessions in this course will be a mix of doing, discussing relevant artists' work, learning technical aspects, personal feedback as well as the individual feedback included with all courses, as and when you need it, in between sessions.
Dates are:
Monday, June 21
Tuesday, June 22
Thursday, June 24
Monday, June 28
Monday, June 5.
All classes at 3 pm for 90-120 minutes, depending on group size.
Cost: £200
All courses can be paid in instalments and there are significant (and increasing) discounts when booking two or three courses together.
A materials list will be provided with your booking but generally, most water-based painting and drawing materials would work.
This course is suitable for all levels of experience and especially suited to those in the early stages of their painting/art journey.
To book your place on this course, or if you have any questions, please click here or email me at johanna.berger@hotmail.com
Courses fill up, so act soon!
While it will be possible to complete your painting during the length of this workshop, you will also have the chance to take more time for this by joining the Green Extra (information below).
These extensions have proved hugely beneficial to those participating and can only be taken if you have done the actual course (even if you only joined as a witness).
There is a significant discount if you book these two courses together and an even bigger one when you book all three.
WHEN TAKEN WITH 'DYNAMIC COMPOSITION'/£120,
BOTH ARE £280 (a £40 discount).
WHEN TAKEN WITH 'GREEN-EXTENSION'/ £90, BOTH ARE £260 ( a £30 discount).
ALL 3 COURSES - 11 DAYS: £350 (DOWN FROM £410!- a £60 discount that is...)
To book with Dynamic Composition, click here.
To book with Green Extension together, click here.
To book all Three courses, click here.
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This course can only be taken by those who participated in the "Greens & Rhythms in nature" course.
You can also participate in your own time and receive the session's recordings and summaries.
Hugely beneficial for anyone who would like to spend longer completing their paintings with the full support -group and individual- that these courses provide.
In these Course "Extensions", we bring together everything that was learned during the main course and individualize it for your own painting work.
This is offered as a separate option to provide a focus for those interested in seeing their paintings through.
Suitable for all levels.
Dates:
Thursday, July 8,
Monday, July 12,
Thursday, July 15.
At 3 pm.
Sessions will be 60-90 min depending on group size.
If booked with the "Greens & Rhythms" course, £60
To book both courses, click here.
SOLD OUT
PAINTING THE SEASONS 3:
BIG SPRING PAINTING.
This course is what we all need right now; to get stuck outside, looking at flowers close up. Can't wait!
You will work from nature observation of colours, which I promise, will fill you with energy and optimism.
The idea is to paint or larger formats (or smaller series), using either oil, acrylics or other painting mediums of your choice.
You will receive guidance and feedback during the live sessions, as well as an opportunity to connect with like-minded people in various parts of the world.
You will all be on this colour adventure together and will have the opportunity to share this and learn from each other.
You will also receive individual feedback, which is included with all my online courses. These one-to-ones are regular opportunities to connect with me and receive individual instruction when you need it. As many times as you need it.
These courses are suitable for all levels, and classes are usually a mix of very experienced artists and absolute beginners.
If you are a beginner, and we haven't worked together before, we just need a chat before you book.
You will receive a preparation document, including a list of materials with your booking. You are also welcome to book a prep chat with me to make sure you have all you need.
Courses are normally quite free and experimental but we also cover technical aspects and deeper things to do with how we approach the work, obstacles that come up, ways to overcome them. We also look at other artists' work and generally discuss all sorts of interesting art-related stuff.
Dates:
Starting Session 1, with a short introduction on Thursday, April 15 at 5 pm - (60 min) UK TIME.
Other Sessions are: (ALL UK TIMES)
Session 2: Saturday, April 17 at 4 PM - (120 min)
Session 3: Tuesday, April 20 at 5 PM -(60 min).
Session 4: Saturday, April 24 at 4 PM -(120 min)
And Final Session 5: Thursday, April 29 at 5 PM -(120 min)
Cost:
£185 including access to all live sessions, recordings and email summaries PLUS ALL ONE-TO-ONE FEEDBACK SESSIONS YOU MAY NEED, as and when you need them (normally £35-£50 each).
When taken together with the Painting Design Crash Course (£120) -info below- both courses cost £280 total.
You can also opt to join this course as a Witness, which gives you access to everything except the direct feedback for your work. This way will suit people who are unable to do the work due to time restrictions but would like to participate in the sessions and do the work later, in their own time.
The cost of witness access to this course is £180.
FURTHER INFO CLICK HERE.
PAINTING DESIGN CRASH COURSE:
SOLD OUT
Design Thinking in Painting/
A Crash Course:
This course is a hands-on course (meaning that we will actually do work during all three sessions) intended for people who have not had formal art training OR are ready to revisit these aspects to benefit their work.
This sort of thinking is the reverse of what I normally teach, BUT I realise that have been to a Graphic Design School in an Architecture school and since then done 5 formal art training in art schools in different countries, plus, years of looking at art, as an artist, a teacher, a therapist. I have worked on many different facets of art.
I want to offer you something that will give you this foundation so that I can later ask you to put all these notions out the window and work freely from your feelings.
I believe strongly that we all have an innate inner sense of harmony within us, which can be enhanced with the practice of painting, but a little course like this one will help you enormously to progress further.
Each day we will play with FORM, SHAPES, SPACE, MARK-MAKING and other aspects of design and composition in painting.
This will be the sort of thing they teach in some Art Foundation Courses if they still do at all.. but not for a foundation level. I have designed the exercises to be useful for any level. It's basically, revisiting form, proportions, selection processes and others AS ALWAYS, BASED ON NATURE OBSERVATION.
Homework will be minimal, so this little course is one that you can do with the minimal time available, although attendance for the 3 days is essential.
This course is now available as pre-recorded material.
Cost: £120.
Any questions or to PURCHASE ALL COURSE RECORDINGS & SUMMARY EMAILS, please click HERE.
About this course:
This new course is about expanding our understanding (and perception) of darkness, beyond the usual negative connotations, in order to become more aware of its enticing mystery, its warmth, holding, richness, grounding...
This was explored at length by Rembrandt, not as much in his self-portraits as with the rest of his work, so we will spend some time looking at his paintings too.
As with a lot of my painting courses, this one will be a mix of nature sketching, the Rembrandt studies and your own experimentation with painting..
You will need to allow time to work in between sessions, as those will be mainly used for feedback, questions, and other forms of exchange.
You will get a summary after each session and a recording of the Zoom, to review at a later date.
All my courses are open to all levels of painting ability but if you are an absolute beginner, I will ask you to first have a chat with me to make sure my method is right for you.
All courses are abstract or semi-abstract and the focus is not on techniques but on your connection to the work and your own progress. I will teach techniques individually, in response to questions from you or if I notice you are stuck or would benefit from knowing something specific.
Included with this course, is also access to feedback from me, as and when you need it. This is only available during the course but if you would like to book a session with me to guide your work outside a workshop, that is perfectly possible too. One to one sessions cost £50 per hour or £35 for half an hour or, FREE during a course.
We start on February 18th at 5 pm.
Dates are (UK TIME ZONE:
Thursday, Feb 18, 5-7 PM
Saturday, Feb 20, 4-6 PM
Thursday, Feb 25, 5-7 PM
Saturday, Feb 27, 4-6 PM
Thursday, Mar 4, 5-7 PM
Times elsewhere:
Thursdays, 12 am to 2 pm/ Saturdays, 11 am to 1 am in NY.
Thursdays, 9 am to 11 am/ Saturdays, 8 am to 10 am in California.
Thursdays, 6 pm to 8 pm/ Saturdays, 5 pm to 7 pm in Europe.
Thursdays, 2 pm to 4 pm/ Saturdays, 1 pm to 3 pm in Chile.
Cost: A single payment of £180 OR £120, which is offered as a discount to those in need upon application (an email explaining your situation).
US: $245/$164
EU: 205 EU/ 136 EU
I believe that doing this work will help you build resilience and adaptability. With the study of darkness comes a sort of grounded positivity.
MATERIALS:
A note about materials suitable for these courses. You can use any sort of paint you have available and are familiar with, including Acrylics, oils and also watercolours, Gouache and mixed media.
You will also need soft pastels for the Rembrandt studies.
It's very open. You can work on canvas or paper, although canvas is more satisfying. I recommend larger sizes whenever possible with a minimum of 80cm2.
Ideally, you will have a range of colours and different size brushes, from thin to big, including house brushes.
I will send out a more detailed list upon booking and follow up with a phone call to review studio/ work set up and materials, for those who need it.
Painting the Seasons 2: WINTER/ SOLD OUT
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PAINTING WINTER LIGHT
The second on the PAINTING THE SEASONS SERIES: WINTER
(you don’t need to have done the previous one).
Dates: January 8, 9, 15 & 16.
Time: 4-6 PM UK
This is from 11 am to 1 pm in NY.
from 8 am to 10 am in California.
5 pm to 7 pm in Europe and 1 pm to 3 pm in South America.
Online, via live zoom sessions
Cost: A single payment of £165 OR £100, which is offered as a discount to those in need upon application (an email explaining your situation).
US: $220/$134
EU: 185 EU/ 112 EU
ABOUT THIS COURSE:
Looking at LIGHT is one of the most uplifting things to do.
In this short course, I will guide you through a number of observation exercises, which will add new qualities to your painting work.
The main aim of this course is to give you new inspiration.
Suitable for any painting technique and format, including acrylics, oils & watercolour.
This course is online via Zoom and will be guided live.
It will include support between sessions, as and when you need it.
You will also receive an email after each session, including a summary, plus references to other artists or things to look at.
In all these online courses, the groups are a wonderful source of feedback and support.
Usually a mix of people from different locations and at very different points in their practice.
AND it's perfectly timed to be your Christmas Present!
Ask to be gifted this course or gift it to yourself.
MATERIALS:
A note about materials suitable for these courses. You can use any sort of paint you have available and are familiar with, including Acrylics, oils and also watercolours & Gouache.
It's very open. You can work on canvas or paper. Ideally, you will have a range of colours and different size brushes, from thin to big, including house brushes.
I will send out a more detailed list upon booking and follow up with a phone call to review studio/ work set up and materials, for those who need it.
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BALANCE IN PAINTING
Open to ALL ABILITIES.
How much? You decide what it's worth to you.
The minimum is £40. They are normally £165!
If you can afford the full amount, please do. If you need a discount, set your price. In other words, pay what you want/ can afford/think it's worth to you... Yep, that's how it is...
Dates: December 11, 12 and 13th, with an optional 4th day (!) if needed.
Times:
Introduction of the work on Friday 11th at 5 pm UK time.
This is 12 noon in NY.
9 am in California.
6 pm in Europe and 2 pm in Chile!
On Saturday & Sunday, we work at 4 pm UK time for 90 min if the group is small and longer if needed.
ABOUT THIS COURSE:
Suitable for any painting technique and format, including acrylics, oils & watercolour.
We will explore total carefree freedom in painting, balanced by the beauty of structure.
How to channel freedom and courage to work with energy and playfulness, while containing this with elements of composition, design?
This little course will take a deeper look at all of this.
Experimental brushstrokes and carefully placed lines, grids, patterns, repetition... Movement and stillness.
We will celebrate imperfection, chaos, lack of precision, arbitrariness (is that a word?:) ) and look for rhythm, pattern, and form to help contain it all.
All about BALANCE
As always, taking inspiration from nature and working on refining a deep feeling sense for painting.
In this course, I will invite you to look outside (or inside if you're stuck in, in these strange times...) and look for these qualities in the natural world. You will be sketching, observing repetition, patterns and chaos and we will bring that back to the painting.
Even though my courses are not about technique, but about exploring and experimenting, you will get lots of support, in fact, pretty much unlimited one-to-one support between classes, as and when you need it, as well as class recordings and email summaries.
All my courses are aimed at helping you find your own individual style or approach. Perhaps one for each project.
As usual, this course is also open to all abilities. It will suit artists and beginners (as long as you are committed to your creative process).
Don't miss it! I promise it will be lots of fun.
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Join me and others on this next little course, to make the most of the Autumn.
Some of us need a little kick to get outside before the season is over.
This course is that kick! It will provide you with a focus, my real-time, individual guidance and the support of a like-minded group.
Together, we will explore the richness of the autumnal colours, directly from nature from wherever you are.
This course will get you outside looking, sketching, photographing, documenting the colours of nature around you so that you can gather visual material and inspiration for your painting in the studio.
There will be time spent in nature, looking and time in the studio, painting from your gathered inspiration.
I will guide your work using oils or acrylics.
I will also advise on materials to use inside and outside.
All you need is access to nature (including out the window, or your garden), sketching and painting materials and space to paint indoors.
To help you distil your direct nature observations in your painting, we will aim to work abstract.
These courses are packed with support.
After each lesson, you will receive:
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A written summary of the previous session.
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Added references of relevant artists to look at, images, videos, talks, etc
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Guidance regarding materials and techniques
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The lesson's zoom recording so you can work through it all, in your own time.
All of this, based on what comes up in each lesson.
AND, because the groups are small, you will have the opportunity to contact me between lessons to ask for feedback, help, support, when you get stuck. Yes, you can video call me! We can have a brief chat, just like it would be in an in-person course. This support is available when you need it throughout our work together.
If you are a beginner, really passionate about painting, join us.
All my courses are open to all levels of abilities and have an experiential approach to painting techniques.
If you are already experienced in painting, join us too.
As you know, it is such a privilege to paint as part of a group!
You will benefit from the goldmine of feedback, witnessing other people's approaches, and the wonders of having guidance when you get stuck.
From the multiplicity of greens to the many yellows, to the oranges, reds, the siennas, through to greys, off-whites, all the way to deep darks.
Be inspired by the full autumnal rainbow.
Give yourself the life-enriching experience of spending time noticing colours in nature, while practising your creativity.
Let's explore this season together, and get you motivated, inspired, connected, and fired-up to paint
I am very excited to invite you to join me on this course.
Based on what my own work has been during the lockdown.
In fact, I have been working on large formats and in oils for years.
The reason is, I find it expansive and freedom giving.
In many ways, easier than working on smaller formats.
Your work becomes more of an adventure.
Having more space in front of you is surprisingly less daunting, once you get going... and that is precisely what this course is for!
to get you going, with the safety net of my individual support.
This course is an opportunity to work on a large scale using oils.
If they are new to you, this course will give you some basics, answer your questions and inspire you to try things out.
If you are already familiar with oils, working on a large scale will help you find new areas of exploration.
This course could be done in acrylics and if you are not quite ready for oils yet, for any reason. But, oils will give you so many more options than acrylics.
It's a whole new world...
If you are a beginner and haven't worked with me before, I want you to know I believe techniques are learnt by experimenting, playing, getting stuck. There is really nothing to know, besides a couple of simple principles, which I will share with you right at the start.
You will have my support, should you get stuck or as questions come up.
I will also introduce you to The 4 Directions Way to create a composition. A method I developed to help you build your painting and create definite forms and shapes, as well as your colour palette, while still remaining unique and individual.
This lovely and exciting little course is meant to have something for everyone.
As usual:
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LOTS of one to one input.
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Open to all levels of ability
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Good size groups
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Lots of support
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Lots of warmth and good humour
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Lots of tips, references to other artists, and tons of feedback
As it has been with all my online courses so far, the groups are small, so that you can benefit from free access to my advise in between sessions, via a telephone or Whatsapp, etc.
Like in an in-person course, if you get stuck just raise your hand and I'll help you.
Now, if you don't have access to a large wall or room where to work big, no worries, you can work on multiples that join up as a single piece.
This is beautiful work and can be done in lots of different ways.
More information:
Tel: 07946465942
Email: johanna.berger@hotmail.com
Click here for more information.
This is a highly experimental workshop, which will get your painting moving to the next level, along with your approach to it.
It will open new doors for you, and re-enliven the way you think about your work and the possibilities available to you.
This workshop is for you if:
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You feel bored with your work in its current manifestation.
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You feel stuck.
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You feel frustrated.
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The kind of work you like is radically different from the work you produce.
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You feel your work is no good because either you didn't go to art school Or you did, but haven't painted for a while.
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You could do with a change.
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You are up for a challenge.
Tuition is via Zoom live calls with individual support in between sessions if you get stuck.
Participants to our previous online courses, were from Brazil, France, Germany, New York and the UK.
You can join from pretty much anywhere...
For more information about this course, click here.
Bookings via contact or direct messages on Facebook, Instagram, or email: johanna.berger@hotmail.com
Ensouling the Landscape
A landscape course, from the comfort of your own home (and the nature around you!) This is a short online course to inspire you to attempt the landscape this summer.
Always live on Zoom/ Small groups.
Individual tuition.
1 week/ 3 x per week
August 10-12 and 14, 2020
£100/£70
Click here to book or request more information.