Art in the Gardens
Painting and Drawing at Ness Botanic
Thursday 26th and Friday 27th June 2025
Ness Botanic Gardens, Neston Rd, Little Neston, Ness CH64 4AY
Painting and Drawing in the Gardens at Ness Botanic
10% discount available for members of Ness Botanical Gardens! Please see prices below
Join artist Hazel Money in the stunning grounds of Ness Botanical Gardens on the Wirral for a two-day workshop looking at the colours, textures and shapes to be found in the garden. If you love gardens but are unsure of how to capture these wonderful places with paint, this workshop is geared to help you get the best out of your time and show you how to develop artwork to reflect your surroundings.
Herbaceous borders are not the easyest subjects to paint, with a large amount of detail to capture and multiple colours to match. So where to start? Beginning with a series of short exercises, artist Hazel Money will take us through the process and explain the steps necessary to choose a good subject and managable outcome.
Day one will focus mainly on form, tones, texture and pattern, using pencils, graphite or pen to pick apart the subject and understand what goes into making a good artwork. We will make sketches on-location and back in the studio, with demonstrations and one-to-one help from Hazel as the day goes along.
Day two will burst into colour and after a short demonstration into colour mixing and mediums, we will use our sketches from day one to work up a painting or series of finished works. As well as pitching tonal values against each other, we will use the magic of the colour wheel to help us make our paintings really pop out from the greenery.
Tutor: Hazel Money
This is not a botanical painting workshop but for those who enjoy a more spontaneous, freer style. No special painting or drawing experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and enjoy the process of making art happen. If you are unsure if this course would be for you, please do feel free to contact us via email or on 07984 887133 to chat about the options.
The course starts at 10:00 am each day and finishes around 3.30 pm each day. The course fee is £170 for two days, or you can pay just £90 for one day, please let us know which you would prefer.
Refreshments and Catering
Light refreshments are included, with participants bringing a packed lunch or visiting the cafe on-site.
Materials:
Hazel will be using pencils, watercolours, soft pastels and acrylic paints. The medium you choose will be entirely up to you but we recommend trying one of those demonstrated by the tutor.
Some basic materials will be available to borrow, including paper and paints, but if you could bring any of the following please that would be very helpful:
Graphite pencils (4B or nearest) eraser and sharpener
Sketchbook and maybe a drawing board
Watercolour set with suitable brushes and paper
Water pot and bottle.
If you have them, a set of acrylic paints (not essential if you’d rather stick to watercolours)
If using acrylics, suitable acrylic brushes and a surface to paint on, i.e. a canvas pad or board.
A small folding canvas chair would be helpful if you can’t find a bench near your subject
The Studio
We will be working in the Carriage House which is situated right down in the gardens themselves, amongst the plants, trees and shrubs which will be your inspiration. In case of rain, there will be photographic reference material available to work from. Please bring suitable clothing and footwear for making short walks/sitting in the garden. On arrival at the gardens please wait in the foyer and we will assemble there before going to the studio. If you arrive late please just ask the staff at reception to show you down to the Carriage House. Parking is on site.
Accommodation
This is a non-residential workshop, but there are many places to stay overnight nearby if you are not local to the area and want to make a holiday of your time. Some recommended places are:
Inglewood Manor House - 3 star hotel very close to Ness
Pollards Inn - 3 star hotel nearby at Willaston
Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel and Spa - 4 star hotel for a little more luxury
The outline programme along with the suggested list of materials will be forwarded 4 weeks prior to the workshop start date.
