Botanical Paint & Print
In Sarasota, where palms, orchids and flowering trees often seem to compose the landscape themselves, the garden is an especially generous place to begin making art.
By Edit Sarasota Staff
In Sarasota, where palms, orchids and flowering trees often seem to compose the landscape themselves, the garden is an especially generous place to begin making art. Botanical Paint & Print invites participants to look closely at that living vocabulary, then translate it into color, texture and pattern through an afternoon of hands-on printmaking.
Inspired by the vibrant collection at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, the workshop pairs two expressive processes: loose watercolor painting and the more deliberate craft of linocut carving. Participants will begin by creating an abstract watercolor background on paper, allowing washes of color to move and mingle. As the painted surface dries, they will carve a chosen botanical image into a rubber block, learning how to create a relief-print stamp with the provided tools. Inked and pressed onto the watercolor, the handmade design becomes a layered multimedia composition—part garden study, part personal interpretation.
The appeal is in that balance between spontaneity and control. Watercolor rewards a willingness to let go; carving asks for patience, pressure and attention to the smallest line. Together, the techniques offer a welcoming introduction to printmaking without requiring previous experience in either medium. Instructor Bianca Clyburn of Art on Fire, LLC, will guide guests through the process, from selecting a reference image to inking and transferring the finished stamp, with additional watercolor details and hues available to enrich the final piece.
The class also reflects Selby Gardens’ broader role in Sarasota: a place where horticulture, science and the arts meet in ways that invite public participation. Rather than simply viewing the garden’s collection, attendees will use it as a source of visual research, carrying its forms into an original work they can take home. General admission is included in the course fee, and guests are encouraged to arrive early to spend time among the Gardens before class. Because the experience moves between indoor and outdoor settings, comfortable clothing and weather-appropriate items are wise companions.
Botanical Paint & Print takes place Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at Selby Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota campus, 1534 Mound Street. All materials and supplies are included in the tuition; questions may be directed to programs-classes@selby.org.