Discover the hidden textures and forms of plant life in this hands-on studio session that blends botanical foraging, collage and gelli plate printing on Saturday, May 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. In this workshop, you’ll experiment with leaves, grasses and other natural elements as printing tools. No prior printmaking experience required. Led by photographer and writer Shelley Kirkwood, this class is perfect for artists, gardeners, nature lovers, and curious makers alike.

The workshop begins with a brief guided walk through BBG to collect and observe botanicals, focusing on structure, pattern, transparency, and shape. Back in the studio, you’ll learn to use a gelli plate, applying inks, layering compositions and manipulating negative space with your botanical finds. By the end of the session, you’ll take home a small suite of original prints reflecting your direct engagement with plant forms and creative exploration. Beyond the finished pieces, this process offers a chance to slow down, notice nature’s intricate patterns and engage in a tactile, meditative dialogue with the natural world.

Shelley Kirkwood is an American photographer and writer whose work explores memory, place, and themes of transience depicted through the landscape. Deeply rooted in observation and attuned to the natural world, her practice blends fine art photography, literary sensibility, and curatorial insight to create images and essays that invite reflection on the intersection of the ephemeral and the enduring. Kirkwood earned a BA in photography from Hampshire College and an MFA from the University of Arizona. She has exhibited her work extensively both in the US and internationally. Recent accolades include a Gold Medal and Best in Show at the Royal Horticultural Society’s International Portfolio Exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery, an Honorable Mention in the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards, and several features in award-winning art and environmental publications.