Free painting*
August 3 – August 9, 2025
Course leader: Susanne Bonja
The course is for those who want to spend a week painting, be inspired and find their own artistic expression. Whether you are a beginner or have a little more experience, this course can give you inspiration to develop your painting. You get tutoring that is adapted to your level. We work with painting techniques, composition and visual storytelling. The course leader tells you how colour, form and content can work together and you get professional support in your creative creation. Joint briefings are held every day, where we share experiences and support each other in the process.
You can work in any painting technique. During the course, a basic selection of water-based paints such as acrylic paint and watercolor is provided. We paint on canvas, board material or watercolor paper. If you have paint, brushes and canvas/paper at home, feel free to bring them. You choose your motif yourself. As support, the course leader shows inspirational pictures and suggests themes to start from. We expect that there will be at least as many motifs as course participants and that the variety will be great, with both representational and abstract images. You can prepare by bringing your own sketches and pictures, but it's just as well to start from scratch. At Capellagården there are plenty of fantastic motifs.
Course fee
The course fee is SEK 5100
The course takes place in collaboration with the Authority for Vocational College, Art and Culture, which means that the course fee can be kept lower than other courses.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to get back the course fee you have paid. If you need to withdraw your offer due to obstacles or illness, a refund will be made with 50% of the course fee.
Please note that board and lodging are not included in the course fee, but are booked and paid for separately after admission. Material costs for individual works may be added and paid on site.
Application and admission
Who can apply for the course?
No previous knowledge required.
You who search Capellagården's summer courses must be 18 years of age, except for the children/youth courses.
How do I apply?
Link to application form.
ATTENTION! When you have submitted your application, you will only receive a confirmation on the screen. You will not receive an automatic confirmation of your application via email, but you have the option to fill in that you would like a copy of your application via email in the application form. After you have submitted your application, you will be redirected to Capellagården's website.
How is the selection of course participants done?
We apply continuous admission. When a course has enough applicants to fill course and reserve places, we close the possibility to apply for the course. Some courses quickly receive a large number of applicants. The selection for the course is based on your motivation in the application and the desire to have a spread in the group.
When will I receive a response to my application?
We will provide feedback on an ongoing basis. That is, the time it takes to receive notification can vary. Notification is sent via email. The first e-mails with notifications will be tentatively sent out during the month of February. Upon admission, information is given about payment and confirmation of course place. In case of non-payment, we offer the course place to the next person in line. In connection with admission, it is possible to book and pay for board and lodging.
Why is there a delay in answering my question?
Send your questions and concerns to sommarkurser@capellagarden.se. We will reply as soon as we can, so please be patient if it takes a few days. No previous knowledge required.
Board and lodging
In connection with admission, you are offered possibility to book and pay for board and lodging during the course week. There are about ten different houses on the "storgården" with close proximity to workshops and the Vingårdsalen. The rooms are varied with a simple standard. The houses have access to a shared kitchen, shower and toilet. Many houses/rooms thus have shared bathrooms. Full board is included for everyone who lives at Capellagården and our shared meals are largely based on vegetables from our organic garden.
Cost of board and lodging in a single room:
Board and accommodation for one week: SEK 5,300
Bed linen is included in the fee.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to recover all fees for board and lodging. In case of cancellation, we charge an administrative fee of SEK 500.
We are usually able to offer rooms to anyone who wishes, but unfortunately cannot give any guarantee. If we are unable to offer you accommodation during your course period, you will receive information about this in your acceptance letter.
If you have arranged your own accommodation and want to eat together with your coursemates, it is fine to buy individual meals. The price is then:
Breakfast SEK 85, Lunch or dinner SEK 130, Cheese tray (end) SEK 160.
Coffee and shared coffee are included in the course fee
Bring to the course
Bring a pencil and sketchpad. If you already have paint, brushes and canvas/paper, feel free to bring it. During the course, a basic selection of water-based paints such as acrylic paint and watercolour, not oil paint, is provided. Board material, simpler canvas and watercolor paper are provided as a substrate. You can prepare by bringing your own sketches and inspiration pictures, but it's just as well without.
Course start and end
Sunday, course start
On Sunday, the course starts for everyone. Arrival time and check-in takes place from 15.00 – 16.45. Meeting place in the school courtyard in front of the yellow mangård building. Afterwards, a simpler dinner is served in the Vingårdsalen. Roll call and joint start together with everyone on your course takes place at 18.00, also in the courtyard.
Course week
The course day starts at 8.30 and ends at 16.30. On certain days, you may be invited to a joint meeting/lecture in the morning or evening. Work in workshops and the garden is also permitted outside of teaching hours according to our workshop policy, which you will get well in place.
Friday, the last day of the course
During the day, workshop cleaning and course evaluation are included, followed by a joint tour of the workshops. The course ends with a joint final evening in the courtyard.
Saturday, the return day
Breakfast is served and uCheck-out takes place no later than 11.00.
Language
The language of instruction on the course is Swedish. However, summaries in English may appear.
Susanne Bonja
Susanne Bonja is an artist and has her studio in Kalmar. She is educated in Gothenburg at HDK-Valand, Hovedskous painting school and Dômens art school. Susanne works with paintings in large formats and stages her motifs with various events where she mixes fantasy, dreams and fiction. She has been awarded several scholarships from the Norwegian Artists' Board and participated in a large number of exhibitions. In the summer of 2022, her solo exhibition "Her name is June" at the Kalmar Art Museum received a lot of attention. Since 2014, she has been working as an art teacher at Capellagården.