Xmas Special - Natural Foraged Art Material Making Workshop

Make your own natural art materials at this unique workshop in Edinburgh.


Libby Mitchell
Libby Mitchell
5.0 (3)

4 hours Class size 1 to 6 guests       £65 (PayPal Pay in 3 available)

Join this inspiring art materials workshop in Edinburgh with a Christmassy twist! In this half-day activity, you'll learn simple, eco-friendly processes and discover how to create your own botanical non-toxic inks, sustainable watercolour paints, and liquid charcoal. You’ll work with locally sourced organic materials like garden plants, ethically foraged items, and food waste. This twist on the Natural Foraged Materials workshop will include mulled wine, mince pies, and drawing games!
This workshop stems from a commitment to minimal environmental impact and transparent art supplies. Bypass vague commercial paint labels and forge a deeper connection to your materials and nature, removing toxins from your creative flow.
In this hands-on session, you will learn to make:
  • Reed pens – Craft drawing and writing tools by shaping reed or bamboo.
  • Botanical inks – Produce eco-friendly, non-toxic inks for drawing, writing, and painting from natural sources.
  • Liquid charcoal – Create a versatile, dust-free, and vegan medium from charred plants, offering various tones and a gouache-like consistency.
  • Watercolour paint – Mix paints using natural earth pigments and a binder like gum arabic.
  • Homemade charcoal – Make drawing charcoal from organic matter and explore its uses.
All materials and refreshments are provided. Please make contact directly regarding any allergies (e.g., peanuts).
There is one space available at a reduced rate for a student or low-income participant. Please get in touch to enquire about this.
You’ll leave this session with your own handmade art supplies and the knowledge to continue this rewarding practice, cultivating a more sustainable and connected approach to your art.
What you'll get
Everything we make, you will be able to take home! These will include some samples of the inks we make, charcoal, liquid charcoal, and some homemade watercolors.
Knowledge required
This class is perfect for beginners—no prior experience is needed.
This class is great for individuals and couples, as well as for a date idea, birthday, or hen do.
This experience would also be a creative gift for her, a gift for mum, or a gift for couples.
What to bring
You may wish to bring your own sketchbook.
Suitable for

This class is great for individuals and couples as well as for a date idea, birthday or hen do.

This experience would also be a unique gift for her, gift for mum, Father's Day gift or gift for couples.


FAQ

How do I get here?
The class will run straight from my studio on Level 6 of WASPS Riverside House, which is accessible via a lift. Public transport is plentiful and takes about 20mins from the city centre. There is free parking available on site should you wish to drive.
Location

Wasps Riverside House, Gorgie Road, Edinburgh

Xmas Special - Natural Foraged Art Material Making Workshop location
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Your teacher

Libby Mitchell
Libby Mitchell

5.0 (3)
female Women-owned

Hi everyone!
My name is Libby and I have been a travelling artist/ curator for the last several years, now happily settled in a beautiful studio in Edinburgh overlooking the Pentland Hills. My studio is my sanctuary and it thrills me to be able to welcome you to my nest for half-day workshops with emphasis on building a sustainable Art practice :)
I studied Visual Art in Melbourne, Australia at a wonderful family-run college and my teachers and fellow pupils became my family away from home for two of the best years of my life. It was in Australia I began experimenting with homemade paints, using Ochres I would gather on my walks. Since then, the goal of my studio and my practice is to have as little impact on the environment at possible - which includes eliminating toxins/chemical run off when I wash my brushes. Did you know acrylic paint contains plastic? :(Well obviously, the clue is in the name! But every time you wash your brushes, all that plastic runs straight into our rivers and oceans, and as artists whose inspiration so often comes from nature, I feel we have a duty to be proactive in sustainability.
The labels on store-bought paints produced on mass never provide us with information about how something was made, the origin of raw materials, who produced it and under which conditions, what it contains, and what impact it had on our environment during the manufacturing process! I constantly found myself questioning the ethics behind my materials which is why I started making my own and really hung to the connection I was making to my surroundings in the process.
These classes are designed not only as a wonderful opportunity to socialise and build connections with fellow artists following the aftermath of social-distancing, but they are also ideal for those wanting to build a more environmentally friendly practice. I always wish to encourage teachers who work with children to attend, or anyone with the ability to spread the knowledge! Everyone is welcome here and my studio will always be a safe haven to myself and the doors always open to other artists from all walks of life
My studio is located on the 6th floor of WASPS Riverside House, EH11 3AF. There is elevator access, but if you would like to book onto the course and have any questions about any accessibility before doing so, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
It is worth noting that private sessions for Hen-dos, birthday celebrations or baby showers are available for parties of up to six, please message me to enquire!

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2026-06-26 15:00:00
class 1E57MXLBSX b30fa37a8c654059964d2a78c24cea95 production edinburgh Edinburgh Scotland GB edinburgh