Liepāja Artist Teaches Tulip Painting More Expensive Than Houses: One Flower in 17th Century Cost as Much as Karosta Apartment

While art schools in Riga are still learning to paint with watercolors and hope, real old masters' workshops are already happening in Liepāja. Artist Ādams Tills invites everyone to painting classes where for 17 euros you can learn to paint tulips so expensively that in the 17th century you could buy an entire house in Amsterdam for one such flower. Or the entire Karosta with its mythical basements, where, by the way, some old Dutch merchant with tulip seeds is definitely hiding.

The workshops will take place on March 22nd and 29th, and participants will be able to create their own painting step by step, starting with a simple drawing and ending with realistic details. As local art enthusiast Valdis says: "I have twenty-year-old acrylic paints at home, but here they teach with real oil paints! It's like the difference between Karosta water and champagne." During the process, Tills will demonstrate various technical tricks and answer questions, such as why a tulip is more expensive than our apartment rent.

Currently, Tills' solo exhibition "Melancholy and Lightness" is also on display at the museum, where the artist reveals the concept of lightness. Not the lightness of forgetting to pay for heating, but a sensitive and nuanced perception. This lightness manifests as inner peace and a desire to retreat from everyday density — which in Liepāja means escaping from the wind to the museum's warm rooms.

The workshops are designed for both beginners and those who want to deepen their knowledge. Previous preparation is not mandatory, but it's recommended that you've seen a tulip at least once in your life. All materials will be provided, so no need to worry that you only have a blue ballpoint pen at home. Registration is mandatory as the number of places is limited — just like the number of tulips in 17th century Holland.