Botanical Ceramics with Clare Mahoney
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:This workshop highlights our connection to the natural world, encouraging us to slow down, and look closely at nature.
The intricate structure, texture, and beauty of foraged botany, the hedgerows we drive past every day.
The clay impression is used to form a mould.
The mould is flooded with plaster and Cornish stone, Creating a positive mirror image of the clay piece.
The clay is removed, and the Botanical relief is revealed.
Just like a Botanical monoprint it’s simple and effective, bringing out all the unnoticed detail.
A really enjoying and immediate process.
Materials Required:
All materials will be supplied at a charge of £7.50, paid on the day.
About the artist:
Clare’s ceramics reflect her love of the natural world, capturing its textures, patterns, and rhythms through the malleable medium of clay.
Her pieces are made using porcelain, and traditional hand building techniques.
The surface imagery is created through printmaking, drawing, and low relief inlay.
She draws inspiration from the beauty of human connection, and the everyday world around her. Creating elements, multiples, and small sculptures that are then collaged together.
Places are on a first come first served basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 for non-members
Spring Landscapes with Jonathan Newey
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners Beginners Improvers
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Sketching Spring Landscapes with Pen and Wash is an engaging two-day course designed for artists of all levels. Participants will explore the art of capturing the beauty of spring using pen and wash techniques, combining fine ink lines with delicate watercolour washes. During the course you will learn how to sketch trees, flowers and buildings in a spring landscape with waterproof pen marks and how to add vibrancy with watercolour washes, emphasizing light, shadow, and texture. The course encourages creativity while teaching practical skills in a relaxed, inspiring environment. Perfect for beginners and people with some knowledge of the mediums
Materials Required:
The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £30 (cash) which will be paid to Jonathan by the participants on the day of the course.
Should the students wish to use their own tools and materials rather than buying a set from the tutor then they are welcome to bring them along.
A full list of what is needed can be obtained from the tutor.
About the artist:
Jonathan Newey is an award winning artist with over 25 years of experience in teaching in adult education. He has experience in a wide variety of mediums and subjects including landscapes, wildlife and architecture in acrylic, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
Courses are £59 per day for members, £75 for non-members.
Course Suitability: Beginners – Improvers
Maximum Capacity: 12
Course Description:
On this one-day course, you will make plant climbers, plant supports, trellises and decorative Garden Hurdles, all out of willow and hazel grown in Somerset and Gloucestershire.
Helen will guide you through each stage of the process, whilst introducing you to the different varieties of willow/hazel which you can use to make your creations unique.
By the end of the day you should have been able to make 3-4 items to take home to put in the garden.
Materials List
The tutor will provide the required materials for course participants. The cost per person will be £12, to be paid to the tutor on the day of the course. (Please try and bring the exact change)
Artist’s Profile
Helen Lomberg has been making Baskets and using Willow and other Hedgerow materials for many years now. Twelve years ago she set up The Gloucestershire Arts and Crafts Centre in Westgate Street, Gloucester.
Course Cost:
A £25 non-refundable deposit is required on booking. Full course price is:
Members of Nature in Art: £59
Non-members of Nature in Art: £75
Bee on sea holly with Karen Coulson
Course Suitability: Absolute Beginners Beginners Improvers
Maximum Participants: 12
Please email Hattie at niamarketing@natureinart.org.uk to book
Course Description:
Explore the techniques required to complete this Bumble Bee on Sea Holly using assorted colour pencils. A watercolour pencil is used for the first layer of the background.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members
Rhododendron Flower with Karen Coulson
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Assorted Colour Pencils on Mount Board
Explore the techniques of colour blending and layering required to complete this Rhododendron flower using assorted colour pencils.
A line drawing is supplied.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members
Lapwing with Karen Coulson
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Derwent Coloursoft Pencils on Mountboard
Explore the techniques of colour blending and layering with colour pencils to achieve the many colours of the feathers in this beautiful bird.
No need to worry about drawing freehand as a line drawing is supplied.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session.
Places are on a first come first served basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, and £75 for non-members
Linocut Printmaking Inspired by Botanical Forms with Jo Biggadike
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
In this beginner-friendly workshop, you will learn how to create lino print designs using nature and botanical forms as your inspiration. Linocut is a fantastic way to explore printmaking without the need for expensive equipment.
During this workshop you will learn to create an effective linocut design, how to transfer your ideas onto the lino block, and safe techniques for using cutting tools. We will also explore simple printing methods that you can continue to use at home. By the end of the session, you will know how to print your linocut effectively and will take home a selection of prints along with your newly created linocut block, which can be reused in the future.
We will be using washable printing inks, but please be aware that they may still stain clothes. We recommend wearing old clothes or bringing an apron. All materials needed to create your linocut will be provided.
Please bring along any photos, sketches, dried or fresh plants that you would like to use as inspiration. Additional materials will also be available.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session at a cost of £10, to be paid on the day.
About the artist:
Jo Biggadike is a full-time artist and printmaker based in Cheltenham. She studied Textile Design at Chelsea School of Art and worked as a designer in furnishing fabric prints. Seeking a more handcrafted and personal approach, she now specialises in hand inked, limited edition linocut prints, inspired by her walks in the surrounding countryside. In 2020, she completed a Master’s in Illustration from the University of Gloucestershire and now sells her work internationally and regularly exhibits across the Southwest, Wales, and Midlands.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 for non-members
Otter in Graphite with Jamie Boots
NOW FULLY BOOKED
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
Join artist Jamie Boots for a three-day exploration into the nuanced world of graphite pencil art. This workshop delves beyond basic sketching, offering insights into the subtle techniques that breathe life into your creations. Participants will discover the art of manipulating pencil sharpness, pressure and tones to convey the fine details such as skin textures and expressive eyes.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session.
Places are on a first come first basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 for non-members.
Garden Views with Ros Wise
Course Suitability: Suitable for all
Maximum Participants: 12
Course Description:
During this course you will be taught how to paint a garden view. This can be based on a magazine type photo or ones own work. The view can be your garden or somewhere you have visited. You can include garden borders, bird tables, sheds, a quiet corner or just a few of your favourite plants.
Materials Required:
A canvas or board to paint on
Acrylic or oil paint
A selection of paintbrushes and some paper to sketch out ideas on.
About the artist:
I have been painting the natural world for decades. I am most notably known for the Cycle of Flowers which usually hangs above the staircase in Nature in Art. I paint gardens and wild spaces.
Places are on a first come first served basis.
To secure your place on this course a £25 non-refundable deposit is required.
All courses are £59 per day for members, £75 per day for non-members.
Monoprinting with Carole Bury
Course Description:
Come and experiment with the lovely medium of monoprinting, as Carole Bury guides you through the process at Nature in Art!
Famously, the painter Degas used mono-print, creating some wonderful examples of the process. He used mono-printing as a way to make base layers for his paintings, showing how versatile it is. There are several ways you can approach mono-printing and Carole will talk you through the options before you get creative in the studio. You might choose to paint directly onto the plate, or maybe you’ll make negative marks by inking up the block with printing ink and wiping areas away. You will use leaves and objects to create marks in the ink film… the list goes on! You’ll have a wonderful time getting hands-on and will create prints to be proud of.
At the end of this fun day experience, you’ll leave with a selection of prints that you have made during the workshop.
Materials Required:
All materials supplied within session for a charge of £5 to be paid on the day. Please also bring:
- An apron
- A folder or spare paper, suitable to carry wet prints away at the end of the day.
- Notebook and pencil
About the artist:
Carole Bury is an experienced textile artist with a sound background in drawing and monoprinting. Using stitched blocks to print from, she employs multiple print layers, and will embellish with stitch and gilding.
Her enthusiasm and knowledge in the Studio is infectious, and will gently encourage, ensuring potentials are met. Carole lives in Gloucestershire and is a regular artist-in-residence at Nature in Art. In June 2025 she will take part in the popular Cheltenham Open Studios. Her textile practice researches landscape and our part in it, as pilgrim routes are explored. They are quiet, thoughtful pieces providing calm and space.