MODULE 16 – URBAN JUNGLE - Intuitive Painting with Acrylics
I’m Petty Heisler, an artist, designer, and creative mentor. In my classes, I guide people through intuitive drawing and painting as an artistic method for facilitating the creative process—free from the pressure to be perfect or to perform, and connected to creativity, emotion, and the inner child.
In this workshop, we’ll dive into the lush, vibrant world of the Urban Jungle.
Using acrylic paints, we’ll create a multi-layered painting, layer by layer, through priming, glazing, drawing lines with pastel circles, filling in patterns, adding accents, blending, applying bursts of color, and using a palette knife to scratch lines that give rise to plant forms, textures, traces, and surprising details. I’ll guide you through this creative process—step by step.
Layer by layer. Sheet by sheet. Your very own Urban Jungle.
What exactly is your Urban Jungle?
In this workshop, the Urban Jungle is more than just a world of plants. It can become your own fantasy world right in the middle of the city—a place where the familiar gives way and your imagination takes over.
Perhaps a Monstera suddenly grows over houses and rooftops. Perhaps you’ll encounter cats, tomcats, or stray dogs among the giant leaves. Perhaps plants and creatures will emerge that don’t even exist in reality. Shapes transform, traces become new ideas, and from an initial discovery, your very own personal story gradually unfolds.
Layer by layer, we draw closer to our own imagination. We look at what has already taken shape on the canvas, respond to it, and playfully discover new paths—almost like a child who invents a story and simply keeps telling it.
The individual steps provide guidance and introduce different techniques in acrylic painting. At the same time, there’s plenty of room for intuition, imagination, and your own personal visual language.
“Anything goes—nothing is required.”
This way, your Urban Jungle can become a place of creative liberation: wild, personal, surprising, and maybe even a little crazy.
In the end, each canvas tells its very own story.
Module Content:
This module covers the fundamentals and advanced techniques of the multifaceted art of acrylic painting.
Participants will learn:
- To engage in an intuitive and open painting process
- To let the painting emerge layer by layer from their own feelings
- To select colors intuitively and combine them playfully
- To respond thoughtfully to the shapes, surfaces, and marks that emerge
- To draw inspiration from chance occurrences and develop them creatively
- Freely discovering, simplifying, and reinterpreting botanical forms
- Experimenting with different tools, textures, and painting techniques
- Switch between spontaneous painting and conscious observation
- Listen to your own painting and intuitively find the next step
- To experience overpainting and letting go as part of the creative process
- To develop confidence in your own creative decisions and intuition
- To freely and playfully develop your personal artistic expression
A group review at the end of the session provides an opportunity to observe the different ways the paintings have evolved and to share experiences from the creative process.
No prior experience with acrylic painting is required.
Educational Program:
This workshop module is an educational program in the field of artistic and creative education.
The focus is on teaching and the practical application of the fundamentals of design and painting. Participants expand their knowledge of working with acrylic paints and experiment with various techniques for applying paint, layering, composition, color design, and image development.
Through a structured, progressive painting process, artistic techniques are taught, tested in practice, and further developed individually. At the same time, the module fosters a conscious awareness of design relationships and the development of personal artistic expression.
Please bring:
- Clothing that can get splattered with paint
- perhaps your own apron
- A drink and a small snack
- A protective folder or cardboard box to transport your canvas (30x40 cm)
You’ll be provided with the following materials on-site:
- Acrylic paints
- Pastel paints
- Masking tape for masking
- Various brushes
- Sponges, stamping sponges
- Paint rags
- Water containers
- Putty knives
At the end, I can take home:
1 canvas, 30 x 40 cm
Location:
Bischofskreuz Meeting Room, Bauverein Breisgau,
The entrance is on the left, leading down to the basement as seen from the main entrance.
Am Bischofskreuz 1, 79114 Freiburg.
Date:
Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (4 hours—break times vary by individual).
Please arrive about 15 minutes early so you can settle in and we can start on time.
Number of participants:
Maximum of 10 participants. The limited group size allows for personalized guidance during each step of the process and throughout your individual painting experience.
Certificate of Participation:
After the course, each participant will receive a certificate of participation via email the following day.
Those who complete all 16 modules will receive a certificate from Petty Heisler in the field of intuitive painting and drawing.
Cost:
€60.00, including materials.
You will receive the invoice via email after registration.
Registration:
There are two ways to register:
Click the REGISTER BUTTON to go directly to the booking page on Eventbrite.
Or you can simply send me an email with your booking request for the creative workshop of your choice.
Cancellation by Participants:
You may cancel free of charge up to 7 days before the course begins.
After that, the full participation fee will be charged, as costs for room rental, preparation, and materials have already been incurred by that time. You’re welcome to name a substitute. Please let me know as soon as possible if you’re unable to attend—sometimes a spot can still be passed on to someone else.
Course Instructor:
Petty Heisler
ARTist & Designer
Creative Mentor for Intuitive Drawing and Painting
