April Floral Design Workshop Report
This past Sunday we held our first seasonal floral design workshop in our new space! I breathed a huge sigh of relief to finally be opening our doors to old and new faces, interested in a hands-on experience with flowers.
In January, I signed a 7 year lease (GULP) on the premise that we would begin to hold workshops here. I could see it immediately when I first walked into the space in December. The natural light pouring in - perfect for designing and seeing the colors and textures you’re working with. The view of the harbor and of the Manhattan skyline… the kitchen for hosting… it had everything we needed.
It was a no-brainer to me to bring workshops back into our offerings in a regular way, but also a necessity given the increased square footage and rent.
So, nearing the end of our third month here, I finally held a workshop! And it was as dreamy - if not more so - than I had envisioned. Just a few participants, but that was great for a first run.
The attendees enjoyed lots of personal space to design, a colorful flower bar, and delicious snacks we grabbed at the Park Slope Food Coop. Coffee, tea, seltzer, wine, prosecco - all the treats. It was a Sunday - and we had really decent weather. A couple of participants even took the ferry (the yellow line to the Brooklyn Army Terminal!) to arrive. The mood was very relaxed, and it was bright and comfortable in the studio. It felt like just the right kind of energy to get creative with flowers.
While we worked with a handful of varieties, our April workshop focused on two flowers in their prime – hellebore and ranunculus. We were lucky to work with the last of the hellebore from a local producer, Hau Tau & Sons in New Jersey, and their ranunculus as well which is at its peak, and will be around for another month or more. We were extra lucky to enjoy working with some of the first lilac of the year!
We have planned a seasonal workshop for nearly every month of the year in 2024, with a focus on a different flower each session. Our next seasonal workshop will be held from 1-3pm on Sunday May 19th, and we’ll be working with peonies, along with a variety of other blooms. Once again, I’ll be your teacher!
Floral design workshops will also happen in July, August and October. See here for details.
Botanical Drawing and Painting Workshops Begin in June!
I’m so excited to report here that we’re also offering workshops in botanical drawing (link here to page for those) and painting, led by longtime Brooklyn artist and naturalist Jessica Dalrymple!
Jessica and I met in 2018, when I moved into my previous studio in Gowanus. I loved being her studio neighbor for 7 years, and got to observe the incredible work she does to bring the natural part of New York City to life on canvas.
Dalrymple’s studio practice includes painting, mixed media, photography, nature journaling, and botanical drawing. She has taught all of the above for Trestle Workshops, The Old Stone House Brooklyn, The Gowanus Dredgers, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, and elsewhere. She also leads “Mindful Nature Journaling Hikes” through New York City parks. Jessica studied fine art at Hamilton College, trained as a painter at The Art Students League, and earned a certificate in horticulture from Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
Jessica will be leading our first botanical drawing workshop on Sunday June 23rd. We’ll follow that up with a Paint and Sip session in August, a Botanical Drink and Draw and Seasonal Flower Painting - both in September.
I am personally so excited to approach flowers via a new medium. I grew up around painters, and was quite into oil paints as a teenager but have long been out of practice.
I am really looking forward to taking a quiet Sunday afternoon to just take in and appreciate flowers, from a new perspective, practice drawing, and learn from such a talented artist.
