The Fundamentals of Botanical Art

On the 5th October 2019 a group of 10 students joined me at the Italianate Glasshouse in Ramsgate, Kent, for a one-day workshop focusing on the Fundamentals of Botanical Art.

I previously ran this workshop this time last year, which was my first workshop at the Glasshouse, and it was such an enjoyable day I was really keen to run it again.

We were mostly a group of local budding artists, but some travelled down from London! It was such a lovely group - with a few students bringing friends and family members, which bought a relaxed and fun atmosphere to the day!

The weather was perfect (always a bit of a gamble hosting a workshop in a Glasshouse in October!) We had a cloudy morning transform into a beautiful warm sunny afternoon. As always, we were joined by some creatures during the day - including a robin and a little mouse!

We were treated to pastries, tea and coffee when we arrived, and enjoyed a lovely leek and potato soup for lunch, with delicious homemade quiches - and not to forget the coffee and walnut cake (and vegan brownies!) to fuel us in the afternoon. We were able to sit outside in the Glasshouse Garden for lunch. So important to take breaks when concentrating hard.

Our subjects for the day were pansies - a perfect choice for a beginner to practice lots of watercolour techniques. We spoke about materials used, drawing techniques, how to stretch and look after our watercolour paper, as well as the different ways to best use watercolours for botanical art.

I am already looking forward to my next workshop at the Glasshouse, but in the meantime (whilst the Glasshouse is closed for the Winter), I am planning some workshops at Mt Ephraim House & Gardens in Faversham, Kent. Head over to the workshops section of my website to have a look at upcoming dates!

It’d be lovely to see you at a future workshop.