Frida’s Front, 11” x 8.5”, print on acid-free paper, Seamus Berkeley
11″ x 8.5″, print on acid-free paper
Print of the painting for the Frida Fractured show in Taos, NM, Frida’s Front.
Print is ready for your framing.
$30
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Dignity, 11″ x 8.5″, print on acid-free paper, Seamus Berkeley
11″ x 8.5″, print on acid-free paper
Print of the popular portrait painting Dignity painting.
Print is ready for your framing.
$30
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Meditationoil on canvas, 36″ x 24″
April 21-25, 2014
“I want to know one thing. What is color?” Picasso
This five day retreat will be a contemplative experience at my studio in Taos, New Mexico, where participants will have time to seriously refine the act of seeing. The many painting and meditation sessions will focus on painting from real life, where you will have the time to cultivate an awareness of what it is, exactly, that you want to put on the canvas.
The benefits of a meditation practice can influence not only your painting, but can also affect your mindset and countenance on a daily basis: from calming your mind, to lowering blood pressure and affecting how you interact with people. By combining guided meditations with painting sessions, you will have time to create a calm, restorative space in which to meditate. Establishing this intentional practice will help facilitate a clear, rejuvenated mind before embarking on a new painting experience for the day. In this way, you will discover how taking the time to contemplate what you are seeing can have a profound effect on what you depict on the canvas.
Picasso once asked, “I want to know one thing: what is color?” While this retreat may not answer this for you, what it could do is help you take that which you see, and better transfer that to the canvas without letting preconceptions prevent you from fully expressing the reality of a subject. By introducing mindful contemplation into your painting experience, you can emphasize the beauty and simplicity of seeing without words.
Each day will include a morning meditation, followed by painting sessions as well as contemplative walks in order to see how the previous sessions might affect your perception of the world around you.
Locally prepared vegetarian lunch included.
Details:
Outline of a typical retreat day:
8:30-9:00 Optional yoga
9:15-9:45 Morning meditation
10:00-10:30 Perception Exercise
10:30-12:30 Introduction and beginning of day’s Painting Intention
12:30-1:30 Lunch Break
1:30-2:00 Walking meditation
2:00-4:30 Studio Painting with Individualized Instruction
4:30-5:00 Wrap Up & Reflection
*Some timing & topics might be adjusted to meet participant needs
Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.
Taos, New Mexico is a unique locale considered by many for its deep spirituality. The Taos studio is located within walking distance of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram.
Seamus Berkeley has practiced meditation for almost as long as he has been painting. At a young age, his interest was spiked by mentors exposing him to self-awareness practices which include meditation as a compatible, grounding routine. Berkeley has regularly continued a self-guided practice and study of conscientiousness and contemplation as well as non violent communication. Currently, he attends talks given by Anam Thubten through the Dharmata Foundation at Point Richmond Station.
Special rates for retreat participants can be found at Taos Lodging. Please contact Lovey Jo Supple at 575.751.1771 or info@taoslodging.com.
Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.
For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.
November 7-9, 2014
Painting from life is a key to successful painting and a skill to practice as much as possible. While working from life is essential, it is not always possible, so it is also useful to know how to work from photograhs when necessary. We will then learn how to integrate life painting skills into studio paintings from photographs in order to maintain the aliveness that comes from working from life.
We will cover topics such as how to:
This workshop is useful for both intermediate and advanced painters. Prior painting experience necessary. Group and individual instruction provided, with demonstrations throughout; emphasis on oil painting, all media welcome. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.
Instructor: Seamus Berkeley is an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.
Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.
Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.
For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.
“Seamus has the gift of artist and instructor and is able to project his experience for the student to understand. He is patient and funny and it is a pleasure to be in his class.” ~Amy W.
October 10-12, 2014
In this workshop Seamus will be working individually with each artist, helping you to set up your own composition and to work toward a finished painting. With demonstrations throughout, group instruction will focus on topics such as using thumbnails and composition, as well as beginning, reaching a mid-point, and finishing a work. Each phase can provide different challenges but also refreshing insight to your work; how each of these phases affect and transform the final product will be discussed.
This workshop is for you if you are looking to concentrate on:
This workshop is useful for painters who have some confidence in their abilities and are looking for direction with their ongoing work; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.
Instructor: Seamus Berkeley is an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.
Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.
Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.
For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.
“Seamus’ classes are fun and conducive to learning and wanting to succeed. He encourages the students to learn from each other and there has been a lot of good will and friendship built up among the students.” ~Patricia B.
August 15-17, 2014
Perspective is important for everything you paint because in every subject, there is a point of view and a horizon line. At this workshop, learn simple techniques for identifying and capturing a perspective that adds great interest to your paintings. Seamus will cover how to identify the vanishing point, horizon line, create perspective in foreshortening, shadows and ellipses. This is an opportunity to approach your paintings in a whole new way.
As with all classes instructed by Seamus Berkeley, the intent will be on learning the fundamentals, leaving you, the artist, to develop your unique expression and vision. Focal points of this workshop will be:
Join Seamus Berkeley in order to learn from a lifetime of painting, and to better orient yourself in front of the canvas; Seamus’s skillful advice and delight in teaching might just push you toward surmounting hurdles within your work which have been (knowingly or not) holding you back from accelerating to the next level.
This workshop is useful for painters at all levels; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.
Instructor: Seamus Berkeley as an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.
Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.
Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.
For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.
“He gives good attention to each student and the individual work during the class, as well as occasional painting technique demonstrations. The location is convenient with plenty of parking. The other students have a range of abilities, and they add to the overall class atmosphere.” ~Gina P.
July 18-20, 2014
How do you transfer the composition that you envision onto your canvas? This is one of the trickiest skills to learn, without which, your painting will not materialize according to your expectations.
In this workshop, you will learn how to correctly measure, transfer measurements to the canvas, use vertical and horizontal drop lines, and to relate shapes to each other in order to maintain the original composition. By applying these useful techniques, your paintings will get closer to coming alive in the way that you want them to!
Join this workshop in order to:
This workshop is useful for painters at all levels; emphasis on oil paints, other media welcome. Some painting experience necessary. Please see materials list for suggested supplies – some easels are available.
Instructor: Seamus Berkeley as an international award winning painter and portrait specialist with studios in Berkeley, CA and Taos, NM.
Seamus has mastered the tricks necessary for his compositions to achieve desired results, and he thrives off of sharing his knowledge with eager artists. As a lifelong student and enthusiastic teacher, he looks forward to enriching your painting expression, which his workshops can bring to you.
Please register online now—class is limited to 12 students.
Convenient bicycle friendly Berkeley location, bus stops within 2 blocks and available street parking.
For more information, call 510.984.1850 or email.
“With gentle coaching, he empowers each student to fully express their inner vision. Don’t miss The Fundamentals of Painting video produced by Seamus! You’re gonna like the way you paint!”
~Maggie C.
Where:
Sawtooth Building
Studio 40, 933 Parker Street
Berkeley, CA [map]
Dates:
July 18-20, 2014
Time:
Friday, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Saturday and Sunday, 9:30am – 4:30pm
Tuition:
$325; ($295 paid in full by June 30, 2014)
Use any card, PayPal optional
