For our February 2026 Saturday Studio workshops, artist and Cove Park’s Curator of Engagement Emma Henderson will introduce you to painting with colour extracted from plants. You’ll learn simple methods for drawing pigment from natural materials and turning them into watercolour paints.

We’ll also experiment with shifting colour by changing the pH of the paint. Many natural pigments respond dramatically to acids and alkalis, allowing a surprising range of colours to be created from a single plant.

This session combines practical making with playful experimentation, offering a gentle introduction to plant-based colour and natural pigments.

The afternoon workshop (2pm – 4:30pm) is free and designed for children and their families. Adults without accompanying children are invited to attend the workshop in the morning (10am – 12:30pm).

We are piloting paid adult workshops to help subsidise our free Saturday Studios programme. Your fee for this workshop covers our costs and enables us to continue providing free creative activities for children and young people.

If you have questions about workshop accessibility, please get in touch with Emma Henderson (Curator of Engagement).