art

Join artist Emma Brittain as she guides you in discovering the art of identifying subtle colors and enhancing the vibrancy of your drawings. In this class, participants will learn to use artist-grade colored pencils to sketch a great blue heron. The primary emphasis will be on refining colored pencil techniques and honing the ability to perceive the myriad of colors hidden within the feathers of a common bird. A sketchbook or drawing grade paper and 24 or more pack of Prismacolor brand colored pencils is recommended.This program takes place online Thursday, May 29, 2025. About the Instructor: Emma Brittain is

Cyanotype, also known as sun prints, is a camera-less photographic printing process that allows the artist to explore shape, light, and an appreciation of nature. In this class, students will learn the history of this process, use the sun as a UV light source, and create cyanotypes using plant materials harvested from Mt. Cuba. No prior experience is necessary, and all supplies will be provided. This class includes walking in and out of the classroom to expose prints to sunlight and using chemicals that may stain clothes. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, May 31, 2025

Create a table runner or a set of napkins made using dyes extracted from natural sources like indigo. Diane Keesee discusses historic uses of dyes and how to identify and responsibly harvest local dye-producing plants. Preparation and dyeing techniques using natural mordants and modifiers are presented. Try your hand at these heritage skills and share them with your friends and family this year. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, June 7, 2025. About the Instructor: Diane Keesee has a passion for creating interesting signature cocktails, spirit infusions, shrubs, and bitters, using unique seasonal ingredients. She has

Create stunning silk scarves using leaves and other natural materials in this one-day workshop. Learn how to bundle and wrap fabric and plant materials so that prints come out clearly and with maximum color. Discover how color-shifting occurs in the dye bath, how mordants assist the dye process, and how different fabrics and techniques affect the resulting color. Students will complete two full-length silk scarves. Bring your lunch. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Friday, October 3, 2025. About the Instructor: Sara Setzer is a fiber artist who specializes in the art of felt work. Inspired by

Do you have art supplies that you no longer need, but are still in working condition? Would you love to find free materials that you do need? Then come to Lansdowne’s Fall Art Supply Exchange! At this event, you can bring art supplies you no longer want (but are still usable) for others to take, and pick up new supplies for yourself from what others have brought. The event will take place on October 18th at Utility Works. Drop-off of supplies will open at 11 am and end at 2 pm, and the “shopping” period for supplies will last from

Create your own beautiful wood-burned artwork in this one-of-a-kind workshop. Discover different woodburning techniques, compare how different types of wood burn, and explore your artistic side by creating various textures, shapes, and designs with a simple to use wood burning pen! Leave this workshop with unique ornaments or a set of four wood-burned coasters that will make the perfect holiday gift or addition to your tree. Woodburning supplies, gift wrapping materials, and festive holiday snacks are provided! This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, December 13, 2025. About the Instructor: Nicole DeLizzio is an Arborist at the Mt.

Create your own beautiful wood-burned artwork in this one-of-a-kind workshop. Discover different woodburning techniques, compare how different types of wood burn, and explore your artistic side by creating various textures, shapes, and designs with a simple to use wood burning pen! Leave this workshop with your own wildflower-themed project. Woodburning supplies are provided. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, January 31, 2026 (Rain Date: Saturday 2/7). About the Instructor: Nicole DeLizzio is an Arborist at the Mt. Cuba Center. She holds a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources with a minor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

Create a one-of-a-kind, no-knit, durable tote bag, ideal for carrying a bottle of wine and more! Using merino wool and other fun fiber accents, Sara Setzer walks you through the ancient craft of wet felting, from selecting and arranging your wood fibers to the finished product. Expand your knowledge of fiber arts and go home with a truly unique hand-crafted tote. Please bring your lunch. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, March 21, 2026 (Rain Date: Saturday 3/28). About the Instructor: Sara Setzer is a fiber artist who specializes in the art of felt work. Inspired

Capture the essence of nature while learning the beginning steps of 3-dimensional needle felting. Local textile artist Sara Setzer shows you how to create beautiful floral designs using wool and other natural fibers in this relaxed session of crafting. Leave with your own hoop-framed piece of original art, ready to hang and admire. No experience needed! Bring your lunch. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Sunday, March 22, 2026 (Rain Date: Sunday 3/29). About the Instructor: Sara Setzer is a fiber artist who specializes in the art of felt work. Inspired by nature, she creates eco-dyed and

Mt. Cuba’s unique collections of native plants are a natural fit for the art of botanical drawing. Using specimens from Mt. Cuba’s gardens, learn how to draw flowers, foliage, and stems realistically in this entry-level program. Start with the elements of line, shape, and form, and progress to developing your own personal drawing style. Begin with Learning to Draw Spring Wildflowers or dive into the upper-level courses if you already have the basics. $165 per course or enroll in the entire series | $446 A detailed list of required materials is provided with registration. Learning to Draw Spring Wildflowers: Four

Learn techniques using different lighting to your advantage to express emotion in your photos, tell stories through your photos using varying angles, and more tips to further develop your skills in the art of capturing nature with a lens. Students should bring a smartphone or other camera they are comfortable using to practice the techniques learned. If you have a tripod and are interested in learning how to better utilize it, bring it along. Please dress for the weather. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, April 11, 2026 (Rain Date: Sunday 4/12). About the Instructor: David

Mt. Cuba’s premier collection of native trilliums provides a spectacular floral display each spring. Capture the ephemeral nature of trillium in this unique paper botanical workshop. Learn basic botanical components of trilliums while creating a realistic paper replica of two pedicellate trillium species – one erect and one nodding, Trillium grandiflorum and Trillium erectum. Join instructor Cynthia Woodsong, a North Carolina Master Naturalist whose work focuses on making paper replicas of US native flowering plants as botanically accurate as possible. No previous experience is needed but good finger dexterity and steady hands are helpful. All materials will be provided for

Create your own beautiful wood-burned artwork in this one-of-a-kind workshop. Discover different woodburning techniques, compare how different types of wood burn, and explore your artistic side by creating various textures, shapes, and designs with a simple to use wood burning pen! Leave this workshop with your own wildflower-themed project. Woodburning supplies are provided. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Saturday, April 25, 2026. 🥬 Gift or take home About the Instructor: Nicole DeLizzio is the Stewardship Manager at the Willistown Conservation Trust. She holds a BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources with a minor in Wildlife Ecology

Bring yourself to the next level with drawing native wildflowers from Mt. Cuba’s unique collections. Continue to learn basic botanical drawing skills, such as composition, scale, and perspective, while introducing simple color techniques that add another dimension to your work. A series of step-by-step exercises, instructor demonstrations, and one-on one feedback sessions provide a strong foundation in botanical drawing. Students may work in watercolor or colored pencil. A detailed list of required materials is provided with registration. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Four Thursdays: 4/30 through 5/21. About the Instructor: Margaret Saylor is a working studio

Among the most cherished of Mt. Cuba’s plant native wildflowers collection, Trillium graces the spring forest floor with quiet elegance. Its three-petaled form, unfolding in shades of white, pink, and maroon, signals renewal and the awakening of our woodlands. Revered for its simple symmetry and deep ecological roots, Trillium invites us to slow down and notice the beauty that endures. In this workshop, transform that fleeting moment of spring into something everlasting. Inspired by specimens from Mt. Cuba’s native gardens, you’ll shape, texture, and connect copper to create a lifelike Trillium adornment—an homage to the forest’s gentle bloom. Learn traditional

Continue to refine botanical drawing and composition skills, using color theory and exercises that reinforce botanical accuracy. Explore painterly techniques such as dry brush or watercolor washes that enhance individual style while remaining true to the tenets of botanical drawing. Sketch, compose, and execute a finished piece, applying the skills learned in all three sections of the Spring Botanical Art Series. A detailed list of required materials is provided with registration. This program takes place in-person at Mt. Cuba Center Four Thursdays: 5/28 through 6/25 *no class on Thursday 6/18. About the Instructor: Margaret Saylor is a working studio artist

At Mt. Cuba, the stately Wye oak stands as a living symbol of strength, beauty, and connection to our native landscape. This stately tree along with our bur oaks, our Upper Oak Allee, and the many more oaks found on property bring shade, support wildlife, and dazzles each autumn with foliage in shades of purple and wine-red. Oaks form embodies both resilience and grace, making them a timeless source of inspiration. In this jewelry workshop, join artist Hattie Weselyk to transform that natural elegance of the oak into wearable art. Drawing inspiration from Mt. Cuba’s magnificent Wye oak, you’ll design

Join us for a hands-on workshop where you’ll create a beautiful scarf using dyes extracted from natural sources such as indigo—one of the most historically significant dyes in early American craft. As the nation marks its 250th year, this class offers a unique opportunity to connect with the skills, materials, and traditions that shaped daily life in the 18th and 19th centuries. Instructor Diane Keesee will explore the historic uses of natural dyes in early America, from the role of indigo in colonial trade to the ways communities relied on local plants for color long before synthetic dyes existed. You’ll

Cyanotype, also known as sun prints, is a camera-less photographic process that uses light, chemistry, and nature to create striking blue-and-white images. In this hands-on class, explore how this historic technique invites close observation of plants while celebrating form, texture, and the fleeting beauty of the natural world. Begin with a brief introduction to the history of cyanotype, then use the sun itself as a UV light source to create your own prints using plant materials harvested from Mt. Cuba’s gardens. As you arrange leaves, stems, and flowers, you’ll learn how composition, exposure, and light interact to produce unique and

September is the moment — the woodland floor at its most generous, brackets and boletes and chicken-of-the-woods each a small architectural event. This workshop is about learning how to look, to see, and to draw. Drawing is how you truly document what you found — a study that required you to look long enough to understand what you were seeing. Cap shape, gill structure, the particular heft of a stipe — these are the things a sketchbook captures and a memory loses. The morning begins with a guided fungi walk on Mt. Cuba’s grounds, where you’ll make field notes and