Saturday morning regular group tuition - 8 students maximum
Brackenwood Plant & Garden Centre, Pill Rd, BS8 3RA
2026 - 2027 prices: 10am - 3pm £45.00 per session (option to stay until 1pm £27)
Beginners & experienced welcome

This is a small friendly group that works on different projects on Saturday mornings. Helpful individual tuition and demonstrations are on hand during the session. Learn watercolour techniques and improve your skills with expert advice and assistance (Max 8 students). Amazing cafe and we can borrow the garden centre plants to work on. New students, please contact me to join.
All 2026 dates are below. These may be subject to change so please check the website before confirming your attendance. All students are added to a Whatsapp student group and will be notified of any changes. Students must inform me via Whatsapp message or text to let me know they are attending as there is a minimum of 4 students per session. Should there be less than four confirming, I will need to cancel the session. You do not have to attend all sessions but you are always welcome!
2026
Full day, all welcome - in bold pink, full days 10am -3pm, £45 (Option to stay until 1pm £27).
Weekend Workshops, in bold blue, see 'Weekend Workshops at Brackenwood' below - 10am - 4pm, £80 (Book online, pay by bank transfer or pay cash on the day. Please ask me for the bank details). If not booking online, please ensure you book a place to avoid disappointment, contact me.
May 30th
June 13th
July 4th, 11th & 12th, 18th, 25th
August 8th, 15th, 22nd
September 5th, 12th
October 10th, 17th & 18th, 24th, 31st
November 7th, 14th, 21st & 22nd, 28th
December 5th, 12th
To join the Saturday morning sessions (there may be a waiting list), please email me
or call me.
Themed workshop days at Brackenwood
One-day workshop with a specific theme.
10am to 4pm, £55.
These are listed yearly in January.
NEW 2027 session times at Brackenwood
In 2027 I will be planning my usual Saturday sessions every other week, twice a month. There will also be sessions on Thursday every other week between these. That is, alternate weeks. Dates will be on my website later in 2026.
2027 sessions: 10am - 3pm, £45.00 (10am - 1pm, £27)
Beginners and experienced welcome
Weekend Workshops at Brackenwood
2026 prices: 10am - 4pm £80.00
Watercolour and drawing experience needed
To book please visit the Book Online page.
Please download the materials list with the link on each of the workshops below.
February - Saturday 21st - Sunday 22nd - Painting Beetles
Learn how to paint the beautiful colours and shine of beetles. Colour vibrance, smoothness, extreme highlights and texture are the painting techniques I will teach to help you paint these interesting creatures. You will be painting from a photograph or a specimen. My helpful tuition will be on hand all through the workshop. Book online. Download the materials list.
April - Saturday 25th - Sunday 26th - Pen with watercolour wash
This media is so therapeutic and fairly fast compared to pure watercolour painting. Using Uni-pin fine liners, we will make drawings of plants or nature subjects, learning how to apply texture using dots or lines to create form. Watercolour will be applied as washes of toned colour afterwards to create a beautiful painting. You will be able to make a series of studies on a page or concentrate on one special subject. Bring along some interesting natural history subjects; dried leaves, seed heads, fungi, wood/bark, wood with lichen, pinecones, acorns, walnuts, seaside treasures, bones/skulls etc. You will receive my helpful tuition all through the workshop. Book online. Download the materials list.
July - Saturday 11th - Sunday 12th - Botanical Composition and Layout
As we know composition is a crucial part of botanical illustration. This two-day course will guide you on how to study a plant, prepare line illustrations of the plants important features and compose them into a botanical piece. If there is time, you will make colour swatches of the colours found in your plant. My helpful tuition will be in hand throughout the workshop. Book online. Download the materials list.
October - Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th - Woodland Treasures, Fungi and Lichen
Fungi is all about fine detailing, blemishes, patterning, gills and sometimes very subtle colour tones. Lichen is a most interesting twisted and gnarled subject too. Book online. Download the materials list.
November - Saturday 21st - Sunday 22nd - Painting Gourds
Painting gourds! Funny shapes, patterns and bobbles make these very interesting subjects to paint. Join me to capture the essence of these wonderfully gnarled vegetables! My helpful tuition will be on hand all through the workshop. Book online.
Please read the terms and conditions



Student drawing shells

