Workshops

Botanical Art in France

Join Giacomina Ferrillo in drawing and painting week the seasonal flora of Atelier Clos Mirabel in the France Pyrenees

23- 30 MAY 2026

CLOS MIRABEL - JURANCON - PYRENEES ATLANTIQUES - SW FRANCE

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“Little botanical treasure collection”

From sketchbook drawing to botanical watercolor.

Through ink drawing in a dedicated sketchbook, small elements of essential botany up to the basic notions of botanical watercolor, we will portray different seasonal subjects.

Wild flora from the Pyrenees, flowers, leaves and seeds from the Clos Mirabel garden and vegetables from the kitchen garden to create a personal "cabinet" of botanical treasures.

This workshop is designed not only to provide basic technical notions and the main tools of botanical art, but also to approach various botanical subjects. We will learn how to keep a sketchbook and make it a study tool through the observation of Nature and the practice of drawing. We will learn to use the ink pen with specific exercises, shadows, colour and how to compose pages. We will tackle the botanical watercolour technique by mixing colours, organizing the palette and studying the control of the brushstroke. Thus, over the course of the week, we will create a composition with various botanical subjects different in species, shape and colour, respecting their character and scientific data. Our personal collection of treasures, drawn and painted.

“Piccola collezione di tesori botanici”

Dal disegno nello sketchbook all'acquerello botanico.

Attraverso il disegno a inchiostro in un taccuino dedicato, studieremo elementi di botanica essenziale e nozioni di base dell'acquerello botanico, ritraendo diversi soggetti stagionali: flora selvatica dei Pirenei, fiori, foglie e semi dal giardino di Clos Mirabel e verdure dall'orto per creare un personale "cabinet" di tesori botanici.Questo workshop è pensato non solo per fornire nozioni tecniche di base e i principali strumenti dell'arte botanica, ma anche per avvicinarsi a vari soggetti botanici. Impareremo a tenere un album da disegno e a renderlo uno strumento di studio attraverso l'osservazione della Natura e la pratica del disegno. Impareremo a usare la penna a inchiostro con esercizi specifici, le ombre, il colore e come comporre le pagine. Affronteremo la tecnica dell'acquarello botanico mescolando i colori, organizzando la tavolozza e studiando il controllo della pennellata. Così, nel corso della settimana, creeremo una composizione con vari soggetti botanici diversi per specie, forma e colore, rispettandone il carattere e i dati scientifici. La nostra collezione personale di tesori, disegnati e dipinti.

past workshops

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Drawing in the Park

Introductory Workshop to Botanical Sketching

2024 November 2, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Society of Illustrators, New York

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Workshop Highlights:

Introduction to Botanical Sketching: Discover the joy and benefits of sketching plants, both professionally and personally.
Techniques and Tools: Learn how to work with ink pens and cold-pressed paper, ideal for capturing fine botanical details.
Elements of a Sketch Page: Master the components of a well-composed page—balancing drawings, color, writing, shadows, and geometric details.
Composing a Page: Create harmonious and balanced pages while sketching from autumnal specimens.

After a brief studio introduction at the Society of Illustrators, we will walk to Central Park (a 10-15 minute walk, with additional walking throughout the park, so participants must be comfortable walking) to observe and draw autumnal flora.

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AUGUST 28, 29, 30

OR SEPTEMBER 1, 2, 3

2023

Three artists gathered in a three-day workshop to share their passion for botanical sketching.

Learning, telling and playing with nature through the pages of a sketchbook. 

A unique event to approach or enrich one's knowledge of botanical drawing immersed in the nature of New York’s Catskill Mountain foothills.

 With Wendy Hollender, Lara Gastinger and me to learn our techniques and fill a custom made sketchbook that will tell your experience of this beautiful event.

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Botanical Art in France

Drawing and painting week in France

16 - 23 MARCH 2024
CLOS MIRABEL - JURANCON - PYRENEES ATLANTIQUES - SW FRANCE

Cultivating Amazement – Join me in the Pyrénées, South West France for a week of Botanical Drawing and Botanical Watercolour Techniques. Throughout this workshop we will keep a sketchbook using the ink pen and watercolour technique. We will collect and sketch specimens of the local flora en plein air (as much as possible) testifying and recording our experience.

Morning sessions will be devoted to selecting specimens and drawing them in our sketchbooks. We will be in the park or in the studio. In the afternoon classes we will paint subjects as they have been approached in our sketchbooks, developing our personal choices and style and using the botanical watercolour technique.

The lessons will be in Italian and English.
During the course of the week we will explore various concepts to inform our illustrations and practice.

All details and information atelier.clos-mirabel.com

Coltivare lo stupore – Unisciti a me nei Pirenei, nel sud-ovest della Francia, per una settimana di disegno botanico e tecniche di acquerello botanico. Durante questo workshop terremo uno sketchbook usando la tecnica della penna a inchiostro e dell'acquerello. Raccoglieremo e disegneremo esemplari della flora locale en plein air (per quanto possibile) testimoniando e registrando la nostra esperienza. Le sessioni mattutine saranno dedicate alla selezione degli esemplari e al loro disegno nei nostri taccuini all'aperto o in studio. Nelle lezioni pomeridiane dipingeremo la flora locale utilizzando la tecnica dell'acquerello. Le lezioni saranno in italiano e inglese. Durante il corso della settimana esploreremo vari concetti per approfondire e ispirare la nostra pratica.

Ma sarà anche una magnifica vacanza con deliziosi pasti e buon vino.

Tutti i dettagli e le informazioni su atelier.clos-mirabel.com