Studio Painting and Drawing & Sketching and Small DrawingsI originally came to Budapest to study social sciences at an English-speaking graduate university, but after discovering Barbara's school and enrolling in Studio Painting and Drawing, I found myself more engaged in art than any of my academic work. Barbara is, hands down, one of the strongest, well-balanced art teachers that I have ever had, giving equal weight to technique and self-expression in her teaching. During our sessions, she was particularly sensitive to the individual wishes and needs of her students, letting us decide which direction we wanted to pursue in our work while still maintaining an air of purpose and structure. She also paid keen
Sampo Peltola, Finland/Hungary
(Jan. 2014)
Creative Self-Expression & Introduction to Conteporary Art
Edit: I opened to express a lot more insight (myself in a way) than I thought was possible before
I heard about ASIB almost 3 years ago now, when I was searching through the internet for some sort of course that would give me insight on art generally but not on a greater scale as I was not interested in applying to any university, I only love arts as it is. So when I found ASIB, I especially liked that it was downtown and for small groups, during weekdays, very flexible. Since then I have applied to two different courses as well, all very exciting and innovative.
The first course I took was Flow (now Creative Self Expression) which was amazing in many aspects, one of them being that while working with the small assignments each day I learnt that making art was really not so far from me as I thought, and that one way or other I opened to express a lot more insight (myself in a way) than I thought was possible before.
Last fall I applied to Introduction to Contemporary Arts course, which took me again to a new level of understanding art. I loved the lectures – so much depth in them – and the home assignments too. This time it was a real self-discovery, which needless to say had an effect on
my work as well, although seemingly my work has nothing to do with arts, as I work as a Business Coach.
my work as well, although seemingly my work has nothing to do with arts, as I work as a Business Coach.
Finally, I must mention the teas and snacks that I also loved at Barbara’s heart driven school, the small talks with other team members, fresh minds… real community!
Edit Horváth-Pelejtei, Executive & Business Coach, (Jan. 2014)
Edit Horváth-Pelejtei, Executive & Business Coach, (Jan. 2014)
Creative Self Expression
Paola: Supportive, open, enlightening, fun, moving, sensitive, knowledgeable, non-judgemental
"Thursday afternoons with Barbara (and my co-student) at ASIB quickly became
one of my favourite times of the week - a safe and peaceful place where I could
play and try out whatever I felt like at that moment in time. The course
not only helped me to practise what it meant for me to be creative, it also
helped me to become more comfortable with my own feelings and needs and to
learn how
fundamental this is to creative expression. Barbara was a
wonderful teacher, with her considerable artistic knowledge along side her deep
interest in us as students, her warmth, integrity and professionalism. I found
the lessons to be supportive, open, enlightening, fun, moving, sensitive,
knowledgeable, non-judgemental, and they brought a little bit of magic into my
life."
Paola, Budapest
(Jan. 2014)
Timót: One of the best choices I made
"Taking lessons at Barbara's (Drawing&Painting in my case) was one of the best choices I made when I came to live in Budapest. This experience, rich and full of colors, helped me to find what was lying in me and I met wonderful people. I even decided to take another semester. I definitively recommend this artistic experience to anyone."
Timót Mechler, Brussels, Belgium
(Jan. 2014)
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| Micha Ullman: Bibliotek Memorial Babel Platz, Berlin, Germnay, 1995 |
Introduction to Contemporary Art
S.P. : Eye opening
"Feeling helpless in modern art galleries, I joined the course out of curiosity. Lectures on art history broadened my knowledge and open discussions deepened my way of thinking then understanding. It helped me to understand art evolution through the 20th century and to be able to relate to contemporary art works. Real eye-opener, I recommend this course to anyone needing guidance in the modern art world."
S. P.
(Jan. 2014)
Creative self expression
Victoria: Welcoming environment that enabled me to work with real freedom
"Having taken more traditional art classes in the past, I was on the look
out for something a bit different and was delighted when I came across the ASIB
Creative Self-Expression course via Google. For more than two hours every week
I felt like I was a child again, creating things without boundaries or anyone
passing judgement. Barbara provides an incredibly welcoming environment that
enabled me to work with real freedom and produce things that even surprised
myself! I would thoroughly recommend the course to anyone who needs to bring a
new perspective to an aspect of their life, or who is simply curious to try
something different and great fun."
Victoria, United Kingdom
(Jan. 2014)
Studio Painting and Drawing course:
"I enjoyed going to the drawing and painting class. We were introduced and reintroduced to composition studies, color theories, to be more sensitive in what we see and what we're feeling. Barbara really fosters community and connecting to one another. The experience in the studio was overall enriching personally and artistically. "
Judith, an architecture designer from California, (Jan. 2014)
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| Marianna working on her first painting |
Mariana: Excellent atmosphere and good learning
"I dicovered ASIB through internet, a normal google search. I took one course of 3 months in total hoping to open my mind , deepen artistic techniques and develop my own art further. I work as Artistic Graphic Designer and I very often can apply knowledge I gained during the lessons into my work. I use some of the exercises Barbara had taught us to help me release my creativity and I apply them to my own art - so that my clients get better artistic results. I also started to make my personal space for my art and my work as well.
I enjoyed the energy in the classes, skills I learned, self-improvement, ongoing support, meeting great people, learning from professionals. I liked the personal attention and the energy of the group, the peace I got from the teacher and her dedication to each student at each class.
I recommend this course to anyone who wants to grown! It has an excellent atmosphere and good learning."
Mariana Gil Salaberry
Artistic Graphic Designer from Uruguay, South America
(January 2013)
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Creative Drawing course:
L.S.: After every class, I felt energized and satisfied.
"The Tuesday Night Creative Drawing class was very enjoyable, and I always looked forward to coming to Barbara's class. After every class, I felt energized and satisfied. I enjoyed the welcoming environment, the various creative exercises and getting to know other students. The class really helped me connect both to my own essential, creative self and to others. It also allowed me to practice deep honesty and self awareness without judgement. In this sense, it was so much more than an art class! I hope to continue practicing and exploring this knowledge I gained in my work and everyday life. I recommend this class to anyone who would like to dedicate time to expanding their creativity in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Thank you Barbara!"
L.S. from Canada/Serbia
(December 2012)
Introduction to Contemporary Art course:
(former Weekly Contemporary course)
(former Weekly Contemporary course)
Vato Urushadze: delicate
approach towards students ... no readymade ideas, clichés and thinking
patterns
"There is no need to search for creativity and empathy because they are omnipresent in the lovely studio/school in Dob utca (street in Hungarian).
It was Barbara’s delicate
approach towards students which amazed me, no readymade ideas, clichés and
thinking patterns. Every lesson is a kind of meditation in which each of us,
are students and teachers at the same time. On every lesson, after pushing all the
juices from our brains – the miracle happens, we open to each other, to the
world, to creative ideas. Fear of being wrong disappears and faith in oneself restores.
We became more sensitive and
sensible, ready to open our eyes and hearts to the world outside, learn to
listen carefully to our inner voice, to dream BIG and make this BIG dreams
happen! REBORN in Art School in Budapest is daily
joy of students."
Vato Urushadze from Georgia
(December 2012)
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S.E. working on her charcoal
study of still life
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S.E. : The classes were a period of peace for me in my busy life and I managed to open up my own creativity
"I came across ASIB on the Internet at the end of the summer when I tried to find art classes in English for my American husband (I am from Hungary). I did not even hope there would be any, but thanks to Barbara there are! In the autumn I started to attend the classes with my husband to gain back my long forgotten art skills.
At the first lesson we observed that the lines are alive... and they have emotions, they may be sad, happy, bored or hopeful... Then we learnt how to answer the big question, how you are supposed to hold your drawing-paper, horizontally or vertically. (That is called composition in art circles.)
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S.E. working on her charcoal study
of a still life
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Then we learned how to draw cubes, fortunately disguised as old suitcases and tea boxes. Working by music we practised how to depict perspective, how to measure angles and proportions, how to shade, and how to hide the bacground and emphasize the foreground. Our efforts produced their fruits in the form of a detailed still life in charcoal that we spent a few weeks working on.
In the course of time we worked in pencil, pen and ink, charcoal, brush and ink and even some colorful oil pastel. (It was interesting to see how to stain your cloths in a tasteful way using different media.)
My favourite exercise was to draw little sketches during one or two minutes of objects or of each other. Because of lack of time one has to concentrate on the essence of the sight and you do not think so much, but just let your hands draw the lines.
At every occasion Barbara waited for us with snacks and hot tea and candle light on a well-laid table so we always started the lessons in a jolly and relaxed atmosphere. (The taste and fragrance of jasmin tea will remind me of her art classes henceforth.)
The drawing lessons at ASIB with Barbara`s tactful and expert corrections and interesting exercises helped me to stop judging myself negatively while drawing. Thus I learned to enjoy the process of creating. The classes were a period of peace for me in my busy life and I managed to open up my own creativity. The presence of likeminded students was also useful and it was inspiring to work together.
I suggest this course with all my heart to people who want to improve their drawing skills or start learning from any level, who want to discover their talents, who want to dig into their psyche more deeply and last but not least who like to have a good time! "
S.E. (January 2012)
S.E. (January 2012)
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Sveta at her last FLOW lesson
wearing her creation
titled "Protector"
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Creative Self Expression:
(former FLOW)
(former FLOW)
Svetlana Sapelova: I found out I wasn't that incapable as I had considered before: I just had some blocks which didn't allow me to start being creative, and this course helped me to get rid of them.
"I was a student in Art School in Budapest for one semester which was full of pleasant suprises. I applied for FLOW because I was lacking art in my life and was looking for opportunities to try something new, and in the same time I didn't have any idea how to start or if I'm able to do something creative.
This course is really perfect for those who feel like having some potential to do art or to create something but they don't have any skills, knowledge, practice in this field. That was my case. Being an IT person I thought I was completely skill-less and unimaginative to do any kind of art so I chose the course which didn't require any special art abilities to start. And the time of my studies was perfect. Due to Barbara's individual approach to students and friendly and relaxing atmosphere I got perfect results. I found out I wasn't that incapable as I had considered before: I just had some blocks which didn't allow me to start being creative, and this course helped me to get rid of them.
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| Sveta's works made on FLOW lessons |
When you stop thinking about the results or someone's opinion about your work, and just listen to yourself and "let it go" you get the best result and discover that apparently you have a lot of skills to do art, they just needed to be released. You know how to be creative, you just need to ask yourself and this is the point of the course: to help people to start listen to themselfs and release their creativity. I may say I did it, and what is more suprising is that this knowledge help me not only to do art but in my work, studies and even everyday life as well. I'm sure that if you stop getting worried about the result and ask yourself what is the best way to do things you will find the best answer and get the best result. That is the point of creativity. "
Svetlana Sapelova from Russia
(December 2011)
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| Marta's work made at FLOW lesson |
Creative Self Expression :
(former FLOW)
(former FLOW)
Marta: I finally found that place where I go every week and just let my feelings flow side by side with my imagination
"I had been looking for a long time for a place like this art school. Having lived in 3 different countries in the past 3 years, really made me feel the need to express myself creatively and put down in more than words everything I have lived and felt throughout this time. In Budapest I finally found that place where I go every week and just let my feelings flow side by side with my imagination.
The good energy of the school, the big smiles I always get when I arrive, the opportunity to share experiences but also jump personal obstacles on concentration and mind-sets: all this together has made my 3 weekly hours spent at the school with my teacher Barbara Guttmann and my colleagues an amazing experience which has enriched me and helped me get over a time of intense self healing and self comprehension.
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| Marta's work made at FLOW lesson |
Whether you have curiosity on developing your creative side, or if you are simply so creative you feel the urge to express it somewhere, this experience is for you. It’s for every human being in this World actually… because as Alan Alda said, “The creative is the place where no one else has ever been. You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.”
Marta, 25 years old from Portugal
June 2011
(former FLOW): (July 2011):“I remember being struck by the depth of the insight Barbara's art workshop gave me last summer in Budapest . I see her honesty and vulnerability as Barbara's deepest strength in creating an atmosphere where I feel welcome, accepted and authentic in all deep connection. Thank you for this unique experience Barbara, a real gift to me.”
Susana Rusch Garcia from Netherlands
