Upcoming Learning Opportunities

ONLINE

Plant Potential

For Dye and Pigment
1:00 - 3:00pm EST
Sunday, November 15
& Sunday, December 6

The rainbow of colors produced by plants is myriad and alluring. How can artists working with plant dyes and lake pigments classify these colors, conceptualize their chemistry, and anticipate their behavior in the studio? Understanding the potential of color constituents allows artists to choose application-appropriate plants based on a personal rubric of priorities. In two online sessions, Natalie shares six characteristics important to the behavior of plant color, and aligns those characteristics with colorants’ chemical families. Uncover the relationships between plant colors, solvents, mordants, substrates, pH, and light. Learn DIY chromatography to plumb the depths of familiar and strange plants, and imagine new expressive potentialities of plant color!

FULLY BOOKED

ONLINE

Plants for Artists

Natural Materials in Practice
A yearlong learning community from Plants & Colour

Join a community of artists and practitioners exploring plants for paints, inks, dyes, pigments, and other uses. 12 Monthly Online Meet-ups share ideas, explorations, and questions. Each session opens with a guest artist diving in to a plant they work with, followed by group sharing and discussion facilitated by Natalie Stopka and Issy Denton. Sessions begin in January 2027.

Welcoming members at all stages of experience from experienced makers to those starting their learning journey.

ONLINE

Minerals for Artists

Natural Materials in Practice
A yearlong learning community from Plants & Colour

Join a community of artists and practitioners exploring naturally available minerals for paints, pastels, pigments, and beyond. 12 Monthly Online Meet-ups share ideas, explorations, and questions. Each session opens with a guest artist deep diving into their practice with minerals, followed by group sharing and discussion facilitated by Lucy Mayes. Sessions begin in January, 2027.

Welcoming members at all stages of experience from experienced makers to those starting their learning journey.

ONLINE

Plant Potential

For Dye and Pigment
1:00 - 3:00pm EST
Sunday, February 7 & 21, 2027

The rainbow of colors produced by plants is myriad and alluring. How can artists working with plant dyes and lake pigments classify these colors, conceptualize their chemistry, and anticipate their behavior in the studio? Understanding the potential of color constituents allows artists to choose application-appropriate plants based on a personal rubric of priorities. In two online sessions, Natalie shares six characteristics important to the behavior of plant color, and aligns those characteristics with colorants’ chemical families. Uncover the relationships between plant colors, solvents, mordants, substrates, pH, and light. Learn DIY chromatography to plumb the depths of familiar and strange plants, and imagine new expressive potentialities of plant color!

ONLINE

Making Natural Paints & Inks

an in-depth online course with Plants & Colour
March - June, 2027

Using botanical and earth pigments with natural binders, this series of online demonstrations shares how to make natural paints and inks for paper, canvas, wood panels, leather, plaster, and other surfaces. Weekly talks and demonstrations are presented by Natalie Stopka, Caroline Ross, Greta Facchinato, Carolyn Sweeney, Lucy Mayes, Caroline Nicolay & Elise Wagner. Topics include Dye Based Inks, Refillable Markers, Watercolour, Egg Paints, Oil Paint, Casein Paint, Encaustic Paint, and more.

A closing session September 7th invites participants to share their reflections & outcomes. Recordings available until June, 2028.

IN-STUDIO

Origins of Color: Natural Dyes and Lake Pigments

Penland School of Craft
Bakersville, NC
June 20 - July 2, 2027

Dye plants are remarkable factories of color, biosynthesizing a rainbow of hues for natural dyers, inkmakers, and lake pigment lovers. How do we make the most of these natural resources, eliciting the broadest range and maximum yield of color? Inspired by recipes from historical dye works and pigment manufacturing, we will undertake a case study of four extraction methods: decoction, fermentation, alkaline extraction, and tincture. We will delve into the underlying chemistry of color, learning which methods are suited to which plants, and how extraction influences dyeing and laking processes. Students will leave with a laboratory notebook (provided) full of documentation, swatches and vials of dye, ink and pigment, and a personal project. They will also take with them the knowledge to extrapolate our methodology and findings to other dye sources in future. All levels.

Scholarships available; apply by November 16.

ONLINE

Natural Paper Arts

an in-depth online course with Plants & Colour
June, 2027 - April 2028

Sharing the skills to make artists books from scratch, with each element handmade from natural materials! Incorporating colour, pattern, paper, natural threads, and cordage. This online series of demonstrations includes modules focused on:

• Papermaking

• Fibers to Threads

• Paper Dyeing and Mono Printing

• Book Arts

• Printing on Paper

  Join the whole series, or select modules individually.

Sign up to receive announcements of upcoming learning opportunities.

Contact Natalie with queries about remote private instruction on intermediate and advanced topics.