Every painter knows it: that moment of hesitation in front of the blank canvas, the inner voice that censors before the brush even touches the surface, the habit that keeps the painting on familiar ground. This course starts precisely there – not in a therapeutic sense, but in a painterly one.
This five-day studio week is about trying out new things, letting chance guide you and questioning the familiar. What happens when you approach it differently than usual? When the material helps shape the picture, when an unexpected gesture sets the direction? In this context, overpainting is not a failure – but a method. Layers emerge, traces remain visible, and the painting is allowed to develop wherever it wills.There is a particular focus on working in large or even very large formats – formats for which there is simply a lack of space, room or even courage in everyday life. The studios at the Bad Reichenhall Art Academy offer precisely this freedom. Work is carried out on canvas and paper – those who wish to do so can paint directly onto unstretched canvas on the floor or on the wall. Those who prefer a large-format stretched canvas have the opportunity to stretch and prepare large stretcher frames together on site. At the end of the week, these can be dismantled and made ready for transport – the finished work travels with you, without compromising on format.
Brief prompts, open discussions and mutual feedback create an atmosphere in which a joy of experimentation and curiosity count for more than perfection.

Preparation: Before the course begins, there will be a group Zoom call to discuss in detail what materials to bring, how the week is structured, and what, if anything, can be prepared in advance.
The course is aimed at painters of all levels of experience who are ready to rethink their own work – and their own approach to it.