In this three-session class with Sarah Roche, learn the dry brush techniques used to paint on the archival surface of calfskin vellum. Plenty of demonstrations and tutorial time will make this class an ideal introduction to this archival art form. Aromatic spices – cinnamon, cloves and star anise – share a subtle palette as well as an evocative aroma and are perfect to capture in a watercolor study on vellum.
Length: 3 days
Dates: March 6, 11, & 13, 2026
Time: 9:30 am - 1:30 pm ET
Get color confidence. Susan T. Fisher teaches you a system for combining colors consistently so you won't have to settle for the ones you end up with through trial and error. Lots of exercises, discussions, individual attention, and demonstrations will show you how to achieve the broadest possible spectrum. You'll get answers to many of your questions as we discuss the various properties of paint. Familiarize yourself with the codes to quality paint and choose pigments that will endure.
Length: 5 days
Dates: Daily, March 16 –20, 2026
Time: 10 am - 1 pm ET
This three-day workshop with David Morrison emphasizes using colored pencils and watercolor to describe the surface and textures of botanical subject matter. We will focus on creating small drawings. The methodology we will use is a grisaille technique to define the surface and textures. Afterward, we will apply transparent layers of watercolor and colored pencils to develop the richness of the drawing.
Prerequisite: For our more advanced, Techniques-level artists
Dates: March 24 - 26, 2026
Time: 10 am - 4 pm ET
In this mixed-media botanical illustration class with Tara Connaughton, students will put their collections of watercolor, colored pencil, ink, and other favorite materials to work while exploring how different media can be combined to achieve a wide range of expressive effects. The course will focus on best practices for mixing media on the page, including how to thoughtfully select, layer, and sequence materials for a given subject, and how to render varied visual and textural effects using different tools.
Date(s): April 9, 14, & 16, 2026
Time: 10 am - 2 pm ET
Through discussion, demonstration, and hands-on practice, learn to navigate the special characteristics of vellum with Carol Woodin. Artists will transfer their compositions, lay out a color roadmap, and apply controlled layers of color to build lifelike color, form, and value.
Carol will guide artists through effective watercolor layering by regulating the quantity of liquid in the brush and managing brush carriage. Artists will address and repair the most common glitches that arise when working on vellum.
Length: 3 Days
Dates: April 30, May 1 & 2, 2026
Time: 10 am - 4 pm ET
Purple pansies, primulas, pulsatillas, (pasqueflowers) and poppies. All of these will be flowering in Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s Garden at Elm Bank in May. In this four week focus with Sarah Roche, we will be exploring the world of purple and all the spring flowers that display these vibrant hues. Expand your palette and its mixing potential and celebrate the season! This course may be taken at the Foundations (104) or Techniques (204) level.
Date(s): May 5, 12, 19, 26, 2026
Time: 10am - 1 pm ET
Botanist & landscape designer, Lauren Meier, introduces botanical artists to the diversity of New England plant life through a combination of lectures, plant identification, and field sketching. We will cover New England plant communities, distinguishing native/invasive/cultivated plants, tools for plant identification, and field documentation.
Date(s): May 11 & 18; June 1, 8 & 15, 2026
Time: 10 am - 1 pm ET
Join Tara Connaughton for a hands-on botanical art class inspired by Maria Sibylla Merian, the renowned botanical illustrator and naturalist, celebrated for depicting plants alongside their pollinators. Through demonstrations and guided practice, participants will strengthen observation, drawing, and painting skills while creating pollinator-focused illustrations.
Previous drawing and watercolor experience is helpful, but all levels are welcome.
Length: 2 Days
Date(s): Wednesdays, May 20 & 27, 2026
Time: 10 am - 2 pm ET
This beginner-friendly course is the perfect place to start for aspiring botanical artists! All experience levels are welcome—no prior art training required. Sarah Roche will guide students through structured exercises, demonstrations, and hands-on projects that introduce the foundational techniques of botanical drawing and watercolor painting. Participants will learn how to observe plants closely, translate those observations into accurate drawings, and build confidence working with watercolor.
Length: 4 days
Date(s): May 29, June 1, 3 & 4, 2026
Time: 9:30 am - 2:30 pm, Final Day 9:30 am - 12:30 pm ET
