COST: $300 AUD /$195 USD
WHEN: 3-5 pm AEST, 13 September – 6 December 2025

An exploration of the role of composition in painting in relation to the ego or “I”as the organiser of our soul life, through painting, drawing and art history observation.

The health-giving effects of working consciously with the principles of the fourfold human being underpin this Schooling course. 

What is composition?

Historically, artists have always drawn on the laws of perception to arrange the elements within a work of art, to create balance, focus, unity or harmony in the work. This need for the visual ordering of colour, line, form and space is essential to our feelings of connection to or our aesthetic enjoyment of a work of art. But why is this so?

Why do we experience harmonious peace when contemplating a Raphael Madonna yet feel uplifted by the dynamism in a Turner stormy sea? 

Do the elements of a work need to be arranged in a balanced compositional way to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye? Or can we also find satisfaction in chaos and unstructured movement? and what is happening within us when we experience this sense of enjoyment with a painting? 

Simply, what is the role of our “I” when creating or contemplating an art work? How do bring presence to our paintings?

What will we do?

In this online course, we explore the principles of composition and learn how to leverage these principles to bring the multiple elements of our painting together into unified wholeness. We learn how perception influences our ego organisation and our experience of harmony and balance when viewing both the great masters and our own work. 

First, we explore some classic laws of visual organisation, such as the rule of thirds and the golden ratio, by observing how these laws are inherent in famous artworks. 

We then learn how these principles relate to the role of our ego as organiser of our soul forces; then how to apply such principles to our own work. Thus, the art work becomes a reflection of the activity of the ego on the fourfold human being, according to the anthroposophic approach to painting. 

Who is the course for?

• For Steiner teachers, artists, art therapists and art students seeking to understand the human being and the forces that beset us today.

Painting skills and understanding of core anthroposophic principles recommended to get the most out of this course.

When

Saturdays fortnightly, 13 September – 6 December 2025
3.00-5.00 pm AEST

Cost

$280 AUD/$190 USD for continuing participants.
$300 for PD certificate or for new participants enrolling only in this course.
Video recordings included in the fee, available for private study for three months

^{Feature image: Indigo and Umber Study I © Fiona Campbell}

Please complete this form to book for this course. You will be sent the payment details and a list of suggested materials and readings after booking. 

The Zoom link is sent one (1) day before the workshop begins.