A Weekend Collagraph Printmaking Workshop | Explore Rothesay Promenade In Print
A Weekend Collagraph Printmaking Workshop | Explore Rothesay Promenade In Print
Rothesay's Victorian seafront is one of the most visually rich stretches of coastline in Scotland —
Art Nouveau ironwork on the Winter Gardens, a working ferry terminal, fishing boats and yachts in the marina, found materials on the beach, and the kind of incidental detail that only a town that peaked in the 1890s can offer. This workshop puts all of that directly into your hands.
On the first morning we'll head down to the promenade together and spend a couple of hours gathering inspiration — sketching, photographing, collecting textures and found materials. No drawing skills needed; the point is to look and respond, not to produce finished drawings. Back in the studio after lunch, you'll turn what you've gathered into up to three collagraph plates — small enough to proof print the following morning and move into colour in the afternoon.
By the end of the weekend you'll have worked through a complete collagraph process, from location to finished print, rooted entirely in one extraordinary place.
Workshop Details
Dates: Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 August 2026
Time: 10am – 4pm both days (meet at Sithean Studio at 9am on Day 1 for a 9.30am walk to the promenade)
Location: Sithean Studio, 16 Academy Road, Rothesay, Isle of Bute PA20 0BG — garden studio overlooking Rothesay Bay
Maximum 4 participants
What's Included:
£200 per person for the two day weekend workshop, including all materials, inks, cleaning supplies and a basic paper allowance.
What to Bring:
This workshop involves time outdoors on the promenade. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring waterproofs — this is Scotland and the weather can change quickly. If it's wet we'll make the most of the Caddies Rest shelter and other covered spots along the seafront, or head back to the studio earlier with phone photos and a hot drink, and work from those instead. The prints will be just as good.
Optional Extras — Extend Your Stay
The weekend gives you a solid introduction to the full collagraph process. Staying on for one or two extra days opens up what's possible considerably — adding colour in a more nuanced way, combining your plates in multiple layers, or introducing viscosity inking techniques that bring a completely different quality to the surface.
Before booking any extension, please email me first to check availability.
Monday and Tuesday places are limited and depend on my schedule at the time. The closer you are to the workshop start date, the less likely I am to be free — so if you think you might want to extend your stay, it's always worth getting in touch early.Additional tuition days (Monday and/or Tuesday) — £100 per person per day, materials included: Once you've confirmed availability with me by email, you can book extra tuition days here
Day 3 focuses on multi-plate and layered printing — combining your plates from the weekend, printing them together in jigsaw configurations, or building up layers to create more complex images.
Day 4 introduces viscosity inking — a technique that uses inks of different consistencies to create striking colour and tonal effects in a single pass through the press, and can be combined with monotype layers for something genuinely unexpected.
Independent studio days (Monday and/or Tuesday): If you'd like to work independently in the studio — with or without occasional input from me — please email me to check availability and arrange this directly. Rates start from £15 for a half day. Full details are on the Studio Hire page.
Half day, no support — £15
Half day, with support — £30
Full day, no support — £25
Full day, support for half the day — £40
Full day, support throughout — £50
All independent studio day options include a £5 charge covering inks, cleaning supplies and equipment. Paper is charged at cost — from £1.80 (Fabriano Unica) to £6.50 (BFK Rives) per full sheet depending on what you choose — or bring your own
Subscriber Discount Mailing list subscribers receive an exclusive 10% discount. To claim it: sign up to the mailing list first, then email me to request your discount code before booking.
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How to gather and respond to visual inspiration from a real location
How to translate sketches, photographs and found materials into collagraph plate
Plate-making techniques using a range of materials — card, PVA, texture materials and found objects
Proof printing — testing and adjusting your plate before committing to the final print
Colour printing — building up layers and making decisions about ink and paper
How to work with multiple small plates, either separately or combined
No prior printmaking experience needed. You'll be guided through each stage at your own pace.
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Day 1 — Morning (from 9.30am): Meet at the studio at 9am and walk down to Rothesay promenade together. We'll spend up to two hours gathering inspiration — sketching quickly, photographing details, and collecting textures and found materials from the beach and seafront. No drawing skills required; the aim is to look carefully and respond, not to produce finished artwork. If the weather is against us we'll use the Caddies Rest shelter or other covered spots along the front, or head back earlier with our phone photos and work from those over a hot drink.
Day 1 — Afternoon: Back in the studio after lunch, you'll work on up to three small collagraph plates inspired by what you gathered in the morning. Three is the right number — enough to give you choices, few enough to leave time to print them properly the following day.
Day 2 — Morning: Proof printing — pulling test prints from your plates, assessing what's working, and making any adjustments before the final session.
Day 2 — Afternoon: Printing in colour. You'll explore different inking approaches and colour combinations to bring your plates to life.
Please make sure you read the small print before booking.
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Mountboard, card and PVA as base materials for plates
A range of texture materials, found objects and collected materials from the promenade walk
Hawthorn Stay Open inks in a range of colours
Hawthorn 545 etching press with A2 capacity
A basic paper allowance is included. A wider range of specialist papers is available to purchase in the studio — Somerset Satin, Fabriano Rosapina and BFK Rives among others — from £1.80 to £6.50 per full sheet. You're also welcome to bring your own preferred papers.
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Complete beginners — no drawing or printmaking experience needed
Experienced printmakers looking for a fresh source material and a new way into collagraph
Anyone who wants to combine creative exploration with time in a genuinely inspiring location
Small group format — maximum four participants, sweet spot is three — for focused individual attention throughout
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Rothesay's seafront is one of those places that rewards close looking. The Winter Gardens building is a rare surviving example of Art Nouveau cast iron architecture. The Victorian fountain, the harbour ironwork, the ferry terminal with its constant comings and goings — all of it is rich with printable detail. The beach offers flotsam, jetsam, feathers and seaweed. Even the textures underfoot are worth picking up.
It's the kind of location that gives you more than you expect, and the collagraph process — built from layered textures and materials — is ideally suited to translating it into print.
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This workshop celebrates the journey rather than the destination. You'll be encouraged to:
Respond quickly and intuitively to what you find on the promenade
Experiment with materials and let the process surprise you
Build technical confidence through doing rather than planning
Release expectations and embrace happy accidents
No pressure to produce finished artwork — the aim is to build a set of plates and prints that capture your own response to a particular place on a particular day. That's something nobody else can make.
How to Book
Select the weekend workshop from the options and click Add to Cart
If you'd like to add extra days, contact me first to check my availability. Once you have established I’m still available follow the link from this page to the Extended Tuition Day Product page and add it to your cart. When you're ready, click the cart icon at the top of the page and follow the steps to complete your booking
You'll receive a confirmation email once your booking is complete
Not sure what to select, or prefer not to book online? Just email me at carol@carolnunan.co.uk and I'll take your booking directly and send you a payment link. I'm happy to talk through the options with you first if that would help.
