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Botanical Watercolors: Cultivating a Place-Based Palette
In this full-day, hands-on workshop, we’ll explore the local and seasonal plant life of Cedar, Michigan to create unique, functional watercolor paints. Working with both cultivated and foraged plants from the surrounding landscape, this class is a sensory exploration of place, plant knowledge, and sustainable creativity.
Throughout the day, you’ll learn the complete process of making watercolor paint from plants—from identifying and ethically harvesting wild dye plants, to extracting color, to binding pigment into rich, archival-quality paints. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of the ecological and chemical principles behind botanical color, your own handmade set of six watercolor paints, a collection of painted swatches and experiments, and a printed booklet of recipes and instructions so you can continue the practice at home.
Itinerary:
Morning: We’ll start the day with a welcome and some introductions before heading out on a foraging walk where we’ll discuss sustainable, regenerative, and ethical foraging while identifying and collecting plants. We’ll process plants and begin dye baths before pausing for lunch.
Break for lunch
Afternoon: After lunch, we will strain plants, precipitate dye baths, and strain through cloth before making paint. We will spend the afternoon preparing paint and samples before regrouping to close, reflect, and say goodbye!
Meet Your Instructor:
(Photo by Will Brinkerhoff)
Kayla Powers
Kayla Powers is a place-based artist, educator, and naturalist, living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She makes ecologically focused textile art with and about the living world. Through the traditional practices of foraging, dyeing, weaving, and stitching she explores the common threads of our shared humanity with the intention of creating connections – to the earth, to craft, and to each other.
Kayla holds an MFA in Fiber Art from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BA in Art History from Western Michigan University. She has participated in residencies at AiR Green in Noresund, Norway, Breck Create in Breckenridge, Colorado, and The Icelandic Textile Center in Blönduos, Iceland, among others. She has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally including a public art project for Detroit Institute of Arts, 108 Contemporary in Tulsa Oklahoma, Saugatuck Center for the Arts in Saugatuck, Michigan. She was awarded the President’s Award for Sustainability from Cranbrook Academy of Art, a Windgate Fellowship from Arrowmont School of Arts & Craft, and the Hancock Fellowship from Australian Tapestry Workshop.
Drawing from Nature:
At the folk school, we often say that “nature is our greatest teacher.” It’s a reminder of the importance of rhythm, patience, nourishment, and adaptability. Nature also inspires. Wood grain informs the shape of the spoon or the positioning of a certain timber in a timber frame. Hues of the surrounding landscapes are echoed in paintings or the glaze on ceramic pieces. Imagine using the very elements and specimens you find in your natural surroundings not only to inspire your pieces, but to create the pigment you use to express them. This is truly an opportunity to draw from nature, and to create art that connects you to your sense of place.
Green Door classes are immersive and intentionally long. We find that over prolonged time together, students form deeper bonds with each other, the craft, and their instructor for an over all more impactful experience. Even if you are a Traverse City local, the intention is that these classes feel a bit like a retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If you are visiting from afar, the experience can be even deeper.
Class Details:
Where is the class held?: This class will be held at Green Door Folk School in Cedar, MI.
Visiting from out of town?: Surrounding Green Door Folk School is Cedar North of J2 Farms. Cedar North is dedicated to enriching the world through arts and agriculture. Stay in the airbnb…steps from the classroom, art studio, and farm!
Cost includes a $25 materials fee for all paint making supplies (alum, soda ash, gum arabic, vegetable glycerine, and honey) a tin, six pans, and watercolor paint.
Date/Time: October 25th @ 10:30 am – 4:30 pm
Prerequisites/Skill Level/Age Requirements:
- No prior experience required.
- Ages 18+
Booking Information and Policies:
What happens after I book the class?: After you book, we will send you a confirmation email that you are IN! A week out from the class, we will send you an email with more details about our meeting locations and some housekeeping items.
Want to make sure you have all of the information before you dive in? Here’s our cancelation policy: We understand that plans change, and we do our best to accommodate while honoring the time, energy, and resources that go into preparing for each class.
Cancellations made more than 14 days before the class start date Receive a full refund, minus a $25 administrative fee. This fee helps cover the cost of filling your spot. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer refunds for cancellations made less than 14 calendar days before class begins.
At this time, we are not able to offer:
• Course credit
• Transfers to other courses
This policy allows us to keep class sizes small and intimate, while minimizing pressure to increase overall course costs.
If the class is canceled by the school: In the event of inclement weather or other disruptions, we will issue a full refund and do our best to offer a reschedule option.
Policies:
Go for it! If you are a color enthusiast, find yourself curious about the dye properties of surrounding plants, enjoy painting, or simply love a walk in the woods…this is the class for you!