Modern Botanical Monoprints
An Exploration of Nature, Color & Mixed Media
All Levels
Dates: July 12 – 16, 2027 (4 days)
Cost: $475
Discover the beauty of botanical art through an inspiring four-day exploration of printmaking, color, collage, and mixed media.
Drawing inspiration from the natural surroundings of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, we’ll begin with direct observation and botanical sketching, studying the organic shapes, patterns, and textures found in nature. Through a playful and insightful Color Lab, students will explore color relationships, emotional associations, and the development of their own personal palettes.
Using Gelli plates, we’ll transform these inspirations into richly layered monoprints, experimenting with color, texture, pattern, and botanical imagery. We’ll then explore composition, positive and negative space, collage, and mixed-media techniques to develop our prints into finished works of art.
As a bonus creative project, students will use their original artwork to create a beautiful, personalized decoupage glass tray, bringing their artistic discoveries into everyday life.
This workshop balances guided instruction, hands-on experimentation, and generous independent studio time, encouraging each student to develop their own creative voice.
Students will explore:
- Botanical sketching from direct observation
- Color theory, emotional associations, and personal palette development
- Gelli plate monoprinting, layering, and texture
- Composition, positive and negative space
- Collage and mixed-media techniques
- Glass tray decoupage using original artwork
All experience levels are welcome. Students will leave with a collection of original monoprints, finished mixed-media botanical artworks, a personalized glass tray, and fresh inspiration for their continued creative practice.
About the Instructor: Summer Lydick is a Houston-based painter whose vibrant mixed-media works celebrate the poetry of everyday life — sunlight through garden leaves, the rhythm of the seasons, and the quiet beauty of home. Her paintings and collages are joyful meditations on color, texture, and the energy of growing things.
Rooted in her home studio and flourishing garden, Summer’s art reflects a deep love for the natural world that thrives just beyond the back door. What began as an exploration of tropical botanicals has evolved into an intimate study of life in bloom — from wild zinnias to humble houseplants — and the quiet abundance found in tending to both art and earth.
A full-time artist with degrees in drawing and painting, Summer has created large-scale murals, public artworks, and commissions for hospitals, universities, airports, and private collections. Her paintings are collected throughout the United States and abroad, with public collections including Lamar University, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, Bush Intercontinental Airport, Memorial Hermann Hospital, and Google.
Today, Summer’s practice is an ongoing conversation between art, nature, and the living spaces we call home — an invitation to find beauty in the ordinary and let joy take root right where we are.
Learn more about Summer on her website, summerlydick.com.
07/12/2027 – 07/16/2027