Wild Botanical Sketchbooks by Rachel Kerslake

Six week course, Thursday afternoons, 1.30-4.30pm, led by Rachel Kerslake.

Wild Botanical Sketchbooks is designed for adults who love to paint, or who want to try painting. This course explores the beauty of botanical subjects in a fresh, creative, and semi-abstract way. Suitable for those that are new to art or more experienced artists looking to try different things, this course encourages you to push the boundaries of creativity, explore new techniques, and express a personal interpretation of nature.

You will work primarily in sketchbooks, using them for experimentation and self-expression, using a variety of media including watercolour, mixed media, and collage. You’ll be inspired by abstract botanical artists whose works celebrate the natural world through colour, texture, and form. The focus is on developing your artistic voice, loosening up your approach to botanical subjects, and creating art that feels personal and expressive, rather than strictly realistic.

Week 1: Botanical forms and abstraction – seeing plants differently, focusing on their shapes, forms, and energy.

Week 2: Focus on watercolour – using watercolour as a medium of exploration and expression, discovering new techniques and playing with colour combinations.

Week 3: Mixed media and texture – exploring how different media can combine to enhance the impact of your botanical compositions.

Week 4: Collage and assemblage – making your own collage papers and layering them with other media to create interesting botanical shapes that have depth and narrative.

Week 5: Personal botanical expression – focusing on what makes your approach to abstract botanicals

Week 6: Reflecting and refining – reflecting on your process, challenges, and discoveries, and working on integrating everything you’ve explored during the course.

This course will encourage you to explore mixed media such as acrylic, watercolour, coloured pencils, paint pens, ink, collage, simple printing, recycled paper materials etc. I will provide basic materials – and please to bring your own materials to explore with as well. A list of recommended supplies will be provided.

Use your love of nature to inspire your paintings

Capture the essence of botanicals

Look at nature in a fresh, creative, and semi-abstract way

Learn to see botanical forms in a new light

Capture florals in a few strokes

Use your love of nature to inspire your paintings