What is it about?

This two-year part-time training offers a unique approach to learning painting and drawing, where artistic practice becomes a schooling process for the soul, using colour, form and space.

The course promotes art as a spiritual practice as well as a creative one, using an open-ended research process that blends practice and theory, art and Anthroposophy with online classes, lectures, discussion and contemplation, technical guidance, individual consultations and self-directed learning. Through this approach, we create online the studio environment that combines the academy with art school, accessible to all.

A two-fold purpose

• Artistic practice: The schooling employs the anthroposophic approach to art but encourages students to develop their own unique style of expression rather than adhering to the approach of a particular school or style.
  
• Spiritual practice: The schooling offers a research-based approach to understanding Anthroposophy, where ‘research’ means being self-reflective and self-reflexive of your process. We ask why we are doing this and effect it has on us, as much as how to do it and what we’ve created.

Understanding comes through the experiential rather than purely theoretical. This means that, rather than a study of texts followed by an illustrative artistic exercise, the study is the artistic exercise and the texts are complementary readings.

This is a path of inner work through artistic practice.

About the schooling

The schooling provides the fundamentals of an anthroposophic painting training in the context of Spiritual Science and the anthroposophic way of seeing the world.

Rudolf Steiner’s extensive portfolio of training sketches, motifs and lectures form the foundation of the training but other approaches and texts are also used. The aim is to use Steiner’s works as a starting point not an ending point.

Watercolour is the primary medium, but other media, including pastels, charcoal, gouache, are used in specific courses or according to participants’ choice.

The schooling package is a combination of:

• six courses (three a year over two years), both foundational and advanced.
• eight lecture webinars (over two years)
• four workshop intensives (two a year)
• an individual project (can be done in conjunction with a course or workshop)
• two individual consultations
• self-directed artistic work

Active engagement is essential in any inner schooling path. You cannot learn this just by listening. Participants are encouraged to share their works-in-process in our digital community space for discussion, review, and reference, as well as take part in regular discussions. Participant portfolios of selected artworks to be made available at the final presented of the training.

Flexible study options
You must complete at least three CORE courses, chosen from either the Foundation and Masterclass levels (or demonstrate equivalence) and three OPTIONAL ones from either level.

Choose from a range of study options, delivery modes and courses to suit your interests, needs and lifestyle. Live attendance in some form is required but for those whose work commitments or timezone prevents them from joining the classes, self-guided study with regular contact via email and/or video conferencing is an option.

Foundational Courses

WORKING WITH COLOUR, OUT OF COLOUR (CORE)
WORKING WITH COLOUR CHORDS (CORE)
WORKING WITH STEINER’S NATURE MOODS (OPTIONAL)
THE LIFE OF THE LINE: 7 WAYS OF DRAWING (OPTIONAL)

Advanced masterclasses

WORKING WITH COMPOSITION: EGO ORGANISATION IN PAINTING (CORE)
WORKING WITH THRESHOLDS (OPTIONAL)
WORKING WITH THE FORMATIVE FORCES OF NATURE (OPTIONAL)
COMPLEMENTARIES AND COUNTERIMAGES: HOW TO KNOW HIGHER WORLDS (OPTIONAL)

Technical Tools videos

The Technical Tools videos provide extra technical support to the training at a separate cost.

Special theme workshops

TBA

Who is the SChooling for?

• Students of Anthroposophy interested in an creative and experiential path to inner work, meditation and understanding Spiritual Science.
  
• Artists trained at conventional art schools who wish to learn about the anthroposophic approach to art.

• Waldorf (Steiner) teachers and therapists who wish to extend their professional practice by deepening their understanding of the anthroposophic impulse in art.

When is it

Join anytime in the first six months
Practical work: You can join the two CORE foundation courses until Easter or join the full course in May. Courses are primarily on Saturday and Wednesday afternoons in the first year.
Duration: Total of approximately 110 hrs contact hours + 400-600 hrs of self-managed creative work at home over two years.

Cost

$2600 AUD/$1750 USD fee for full package
There are three payment options. Please choose one:

• $2400 AUD/$1600 USD full schooling if paid in advance by 16 February 2024
• $1300 AUD/$900 USD a year
• $460 AUD/$320 USD three payments a year

Fee includes courses, lectures, workshops, individual consultations, video/handout resources and certification.

A Diploma is awarded at the completion of the course if attendance requirements are met.
Professional Development certificates are also available for individual courses.

After enrolment, you will be sent the payment details and further information about the training. Once you have paid, the course outline and a list of suggested readings and materials are sent out.

This training is an initiative of the Visual Arts Section