You’ve been making work for a while. You’re not a beginner.

But you might recognise some of this:

• You’re comfortable with how you work… maybe a bit too comfortable sometimes.

• You’d love to step away from everyday life and spend a few days immersed in painting.

• You have a sense your work is circling something important, but you can’t quite put your finger on what.

Art Break Through is a three-and-a-half-day, in-person workshop for artists who want to step out of their usual routines, do things they haven’t done before, and come back to their practice with fresh energy and a clearer sense of what their work is about.

Each year the content and focus of the three days is different. This edition focuses on meaning, metaphor and symbolism in your art.

What you’ll get out of these 3½ days

By the end of Art Break Through, you can expect to leave with:

Deep immersion in your work – away from everyday distractions

Three and a half days of focused studio time, structured prompts and conversation.
So you have the mental and physical space to follow threads in your work without being interrupted by email or everyday life.

A shake-up of your usual habits

You’ll work in ways you don’t normally work – new prompts, different scales, varied approaches to mark making and composition.
Opportunities to break out of automatic moves, discover new possibilities, and surprise yourself with what appears.

Clearer insight into what your work is about

We’ll look closely at recurring forms, colours and structures, and the metaphors and symbols that are already present in your paintings.

So you leave with a more grounded sense of the themes running through your work, rather than feeling you “ought” to have an answer when people ask.

Renewed energy and concrete next steps

You’ll generate new studies and paintings, but also ideas and directions to take back into your own studio.
You don’t just have a nice few days away – you return home with momentum, questions to follow and practical ways to keep the shift going.

This workshop is designed for artists who:

• have a fairly regular practice (or want to rekindle one)

• work in abstraction or semi-abstraction

• feel reasonably confident with materials and basic visual language

• are curious about the deeper content of their work, not just technique

• like the idea of three and a half  days away immersed in making, reflecting and talking about art

Typical reasons people come include:

• feeling stuck or flat and wanting to re-energise their practice

• sensing a change is brewing but not knowing what it is yet

• wanting time to focus on their work without distractions

• simply loving the idea of being in a room with other committed artists, painting and thinking together

Each Art Break Through has a slightly different focus.
This round, we’ll be paying particular attention to:

• Recurring forms and structures – the shapes, grids, thresholds and edges that keep turning up in your work

• Colour and emotional charge – the colours that feel necessary, the ones you avoid, and the tensions between them

• Layers, covering and revealing – where you tend to hide, expose, tidy or disrupt

• Symbols you choose vs symbols that emerge – the difference between imagery you deliberately select and images that arrive uninvited

We’ll use:

• short, focused teaching sessions

• group looking and discussion around your work

• practical prompts you can explore in paint (or your chosen medium)

• supported studio time to follow whatever emerges

The aim is not to fix your work or give it a slogan. It’s to help you see more clearly what’s already there and feel more choiceful about where you go next.

Across the workshop you can expect a mix of:

• Guided exercises to open up new ways of working and seeing

• Open studio time to follow ideas in your own way

• Individual support – I’ll spend time with each person and their work

• Group conversations that are specific, constructive and encouraging

You’ll make:

• new paintings or studies

• notes and sketches about meaning, metaphor and symbol in your work

• decisions about what you want to take forward afterwards

Group size is kept small enough that everyone’s work is seen and discussed.

May Beveridge:

“Really excellent short course. Lin encouraged me to pay attention to what intuitively attracted me (and recognise what didn’t). The atmosphere was very relaxed and yet we all learned a lot. At the end of the 3 days I am re-energised and have begun to enjoy making artwork again. There is no higher praise!”

Kate O’Neill:

“There is no doubt in my mind that Lin has a great deal of artistic technical knowledge and knowledge more generally of the art business. Also, being able to demonstrate so ably is really helpful and adds authenticity to her teaching.”

And Sue Carter:

“Lin was very prepared to share her knowledge and experience while also helping us to learn about our own style, likes, dislikes, and helping us to understand what we needed to do if we wanted to make changes to our work. There was a sense of Lin responding to us each individually so that we could develop in our own way.”

How to Join

Lin Cheung is a full-time abstract artist and internationally qualified coach and educator with over 30 years’ experience in teaching and mentoring adults. Her workshops are known for being both gently challenging and warmly supportive, helping artists connect with their creative energy and move their work forward.

2026 Cost is £400

Reserve your place with a £100 deposit, the balance is due by the end of March.

This course can be booked and paid for using PayPal Pay Later meaning by using Paypal you can pay for the course in three interest-free instalments.

Cancellation Policy:

You can cancel with a 100% refund up to 28 days before the start of the programme.

If you cancel after this date and up to 5 days before the event you will be issued a credit note that can be used towards any other course, coaching or painting.

Cancellations made within 5 days of the the date, a no-refund policy applies.

Lin Cheung reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the programme if there are fewer than 6 delegates.

In the event of cancellation or rescheduling,  Lin Cheung is not liable for any pre-booked travel or accommodation or any other costs incurred.

You will have the option to request a full refund or transfer your booking to the next available date.

Questions?

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