Creating a Garden Journal in Gouache

Instructor: Susan Sward
Mondays, 5 weeks
September 14 - October 12
10am - 1pm
Members $180
Non-Members $205

Join artist and instructor Susan Sward for a five-week exploration of flowers, leaves, seedpods, and seasonal treasures through the art of garden journaling.

Working in gouache, students will learn how to observe and record plants in a sketchbook while developing skills in drawing, color mixing, brushwork, and page design. Each week we will focus on flowers and plants that are blooming in our gardens during September and early October.

Inspired by the traditions of nature journaling, botanical illustration, and personal sketchbooks, students will create pages that combine painted studies, handwritten observations, dates, plant information, calligraphy, annotations, color notes, and personal reflections. Like a gardener's diary, each page becomes a visual record of the season and a celebration of the natural world.

Throughout the course, we will explore ways to thoughtfully combine images and words on the page. Students will experiment with titles, labels, scientific and common plant names, seasonal notes, weather observations, garden memories, quotations, and decorative lettering to create journals that are both informative and artistic.

Topics include:
• Drawing flowers, leaves, buds, seedpods, and berries
• Mixing vibrant and naturalistic colors in gouache
• Incorporating dates, notes, and botanical observations
• Basic calligraphy and expressive hand lettering
• Creating attractive journal page layouts that combine text and image
• Developing a personal visual diary of our gardens

No previous experience with gouache, botanical illustration, or calligraphy is required. Demonstrations and individual instruction will be provided throughout the course. Students are encouraged to work at their own pace and develop a journal that reflects their own interests, artistic style, and gardening experiences.

Whether you are a gardener, artist, nature lover, or sketchbook enthusiast, this class will help you slow down, observe closely, and create a beautiful keepsake journal filled with the flowers, colors, and stories of the season.

All skill levels are welcome. A $55 supply fee, payable to Susan, will cover the cost of all materials.