A 3½-day immersive workshop exploring how colour and material choices help you build a visual world that feels distinctly your own.

Each year Art Break Through focuses on a different aspect of artistic practice. In this edition, we will explore how artists make decisions about colour—both intuitively and deliberately—and how different materials contribute to the character of the work.

Through guided colour mixing, painting studies, experimentation with materiality and an introduction to gel plate chine collé, you will discover more about what belongs in your work and what does not. You will then have extended studio time to use those discoveries in developing your own paintings.

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 exercises and conversation.

You’ll have the mental and physical space to experiment, follow emerging ideas and develop your work without being interrupted by email or everyday life.

Greater confidence in your colour decisions

You’ll explore how you choose colours, build a palette and make decisions about darks, related colours, neutrals and interruptions.

Rather than following external colour rules, you’ll begin to recognise your own preferences and the relationships that help create a colour world that feels like yours.

New material possibilities

You’ll explore what different materials contribute to a painting and learn a playful gel plate chine collé technique that can be developed in many directions.

You may discover a process you want to take further—or simply gain a clearer understanding of which materials belong in your work and which do not.

Renewed energy and concrete next steps

You’ll generate colour studies, material experiments and new paintings, alongside ideas and directions to take back into your own studio.

You won’t just have a stimulating few days away. You’ll return home with momentum, questions to follow and practical ways to continue developing your work.

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

• want to understand their own colour and material choices

• 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 different focus and theme.

This edition we’ll be paying particular attention to:

• Your personal colour decisions – starting points and where colour choices begin
• The role of darks – the influence of black, brown, blue, green and mixed chromatic darks
• Building a colour world – working with anchor colours, related colours, chromatic neutrals and deliberate interruptions
• What materials contribute – how transparency, texture, absorbency, weight and edge affect the character of the work
• Gel plate chine collé – learning a playful print and collage technique that can be incorporated into painting and mixed-media work

We’ll use:

• short, focused teaching sessions
• practical colour and material exercises
• group looking and discussion around your work
• supported studio time to develop your own paintings or studies

The aim is to help you understand your own colour and material choices more clearly and feel more intentional about what belongs in your work.

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 studies exploring your colour and material choices

• 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.”

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.

2027 Full Price is £420

Early Bird Price £380: available until 1st October 2026

Reserve your place with a £100 deposit, the balance is payable in five instalments of £56 on the first of each month from November 2026 to March 2027.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel more than 28 calendar days before the workshop begins, you will receive a refund of all money paid, minus a £25 cancellation charge.

If you cancel between 28 and 6 calendar days before the workshop begins, you will receive a credit note for the amount paid. This can be used towards another course, coaching session or painting.

If you cancel 5 calendar days or fewer before the workshop begins, or do not attend, no refund or credit will be given.

If I am able to fill your place following a late cancellation, you will receive a refund of the amount paid, minus the £25 cancellation charge.

All cancellations must be made in writing and take effect on the date they are received.

Lin Cheung reserves the right to cancel the workshop if fewer than six people have booked, or if circumstances outside her reasonable control make it impossible to proceed.

If the workshop is cancelled, you may choose either a full refund of all money paid or a transfer to another available date.

If the workshop is rescheduled, you may accept the new date, transfer your booking to another available workshop or request a full refund.

Lin Cheung cannot reimburse travel, accommodation or other costs incurred in connection with the workshop, except where legally required. Participants are advised to book refundable or flexible travel and accommodation wherever possible.

Questions?

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