Printmaking Workshops on the Isle of Bute — Book a Place
Browse the workshops below and book directly online.
All sessions take place in my garden studio in Rothesay, with views across Rothesay Bay. Groups are small — a maximum of four, with three being the sweet spot — so you'll get plenty of individual attention whatever your level.
Some weekend workshops can be extended by one or more days for independent practice, with additional input from me if you'd like it. This is particularly suited to intermediate and more experienced printmakers who want to keep the momentum going. You can arrange this when you book or, if I'm free, while you're here.
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Summer Printmaking Workshops 2026
You don't need to be able to draw.
Two techniques, two days, one growing pile of pattern to play with. This workshop brings gelli plate printing and linocut together, so each one feeds the other — and by the end, you'll have a body of work that's entirely your own to build on.
Rather than aiming for a single finished piece, you'll spend two days building up a stock of prints, marks and textures — then start combining them in ways you might not expect. It's playful, hands-on, and a great way to see how far a small set of simple techniques can stretch.
Format
This runs as a two-day workshop, structured to move you from mark-making through to combining techniques:
Day one, morning: Gelli plate printing — building up a series of prints to work with
Day one, afternoon: Linocut carving — exploring marks and patterns with the blades
Day two, morning: Collage using your gelli plate prints, with blind embossing
Day two, afternoon: Over-printing, layering linocut onto your collaged and embossed work
Because the two days build on each other, this workshop is run over two full days rather than as a shorter session.
Choose your dates
There are no fixed dates for this workshop — it runs when there's enough interest, shaped around the people coming. If it sounds like something you'd enjoy, get in touch and let me know:
Would you rather it ran over a weekend or during the week?
Do you have a few dates in mind? A short list is helpful.
Will you be coming on your own, or bringing a friend (or friends)?
I'll use this to shape the next available session — so the sooner you get in touch, the more say you have in when it happens.
Kitchen Table Printmaking
Who says you need a studio, an etching press or even much space to try printmaking! All you need is a kitchen table and a bit of curiosity.
Printmaking doesn’t have to be complicated. Monotype is the most accessible form of printmaking there is, and it's exactly where this workshop begins. You'll leave with a genuine feel for the process, and — just as importantly — the ability to keep going at home.
Format
This runs as a two-day workshop, giving you time to properly settle in, build up a body of experiments, and see how far you can push the technique. If you can only spare one day, that's absolutely fine — just let me know when you get in touch — I’m quite flexible — the course can be adapted for a one-day session instead.
Choose your dates
It’s quite deliberate that there are no fixed dates for this workshop — if you express your interest I shape it around the people coming. Get in touch and let me know:
Whether you would prefer a one-day or two-day workshop?
Whether you would want it run over a weekend or during the week?
Do you have a few dates in mind? A short list is helpful.
Will you be coming on your own, or bringing a friend (or friends)?
I'll use this to shape the next available session — so the sooner you get in touch, the more say you have in when it happens. For more details read ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW. Once we’ve arranged agreed dates you will return to this page to make your booking.
Early Bird Offer: Book before December 31st to be eligible for a 10% Discount for mailing list subscribers.
Sign up here to receive your discount code.
Linocuts Made Simple
You don't need to be able to draw. You don't even need a finished picture in mind. All you need is curiosity about what a blade can do.
Linocut has a reputation for precision and patience — careful lines, a clear image, hours of careful cutting. This workshop takes a different route in. Instead of starting with a picture, you'll start with the tools themselves: two V-blades, two scoop blades, and one wildcard, each capable of a completely different mark. Play with them long enough, and you'll discover a whole vocabulary of pattern and texture you can call on whenever you need it — at home, in your own work, at your own pace.
Format
This runs as a two-day workshop, giving you time to move from mark-making into blind embossing and colour inking. If a day is all you can spare, that's fine — a one-day session focuses on mark-making alone, and I'll happily arrange it that way.
Choose your dates
There are no fixed dates for this workshop — it runs when there's enough interest, shaped around the people coming. If it sounds like something you'd enjoy, get in touch and let me know:
Would you prefer a one-day or two-day workshop?
Would you rather it ran over a weekend or during the week?
Do you have a few dates in mind? A short list is helpful.
Will you be coming on your own, or bringing a friend (or friends)?
I'll use this to shape the next available session — so the sooner you get in touch, the more say you have in when it happens.
Workshop Details
Dates:
Saturday and Sunday,
May 8th and 9th 2027
NB: This is a proposed date. If you would like me to run the same course on different dates get in touch. Let’s see what we can organise!
Time: 10:00 am - 16:00 pm
Location: 16 Academy Road, Rothesay, PA20 0BG
Materials: All included.
Early Bird Offer: Book before December 31st 2027 to be eligible for an exclusive subscriber 10% Discount.
Sign up here to receive your discount code.
A Summer Workshop in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute
Discover the spontaneous and expressive world of monotype printmaking in this immersive monotype workshop, held in my lovely garden studio in Rothesay. This unique printing media—often described as "painting with ink"—produces one-of-a-kind prints that combine the directness of painting with the distinctive qualities of printmaking.
Workshop Details
Dates:
12th and 13th June 2027
Date doesn't suit?
Get in touch — I'd rather find a date that works for you than leave a good workshop unbooked. Read more about how I plan my workshops →
Core Workshop:
2 days (Saturday & Sunday)
Time:
10:00am – 4:00pm daily
Location:
16 Academy Road, Rothesay, PA20 0BG
Materials:
All included
Extend Your Stay:
Add one or more extra days to keep experimenting — a great option for more experienced printmakers wanting to push the technique further. Ask for details.
Early Bird Offer:
Mailing list subscribers get 10% off. Sign up here to receive your discount code.
Course Description:
A collagraph is a printmaking technique where texture, not just image, takes centre stage — and there's no better way to learn it than by building your own puzzle of interlocking plates. Join me for a weekend of hands-on exploration in my garden studio on the beautiful Isle of Bute, off Scotland's west coast.
Over the weekend you'll build your own set of collagraph plates — each one a distinct shape filled with its own texture, built up from materials like PVA glue, tile grout, sealant, fabric, carborundum, tissue and textured wallpaper. The twist is that every plate is designed to interlock, like pieces of a puzzle. Print them individually, layer them, or arrange them side by side, and you can build an almost limitless range of compositions from one small collection of plates. Along the way you'll also learn inking techniques to bring out the texture and depth in every print.
Whether you've never touched a printing plate before or you're an experienced artist looking for a fresh way of working, this workshop is built to meet you where you are. Beginners will leave with new technical skills and a body of work, while more experienced printmakers may want to stay on a little longer — optional extra days are available to keep experimenting and push the technique further. And then there's Bute itself: easy to reach from the mainland, easy to disconnect in, and the perfect backdrop for a few days of slowing down and making things with your hands.
Product Description:
These extension days are available to participants who have completed one of Carol's weekend collagraph workshops and want to go further. Each additional day builds directly on what you've made during the weekend — your plates, your prints, and where your work has taken you.
Important — please check availability before booking.
Extension days are subject to Carol's availability on the Monday and Tuesday following your workshop. Email carol@carolnunan.co.uk before booking to confirm your preferred day is free. The closer you are to your workshop date, the less likely a space will be available — so get in touch early if you think you'd like to extend.
What's included:
£100 per person per day, including inks, cleaning materials and a basic paper allowance. Additional or specialist papers are available to purchase in the studio from £1.80 to £6.50 per full sheet, or bring your own.
What the extra days cover:
Each extension day is shaped around where you are in your work and what will be most useful to you individually. Techniques covered across Day 3 and Day 4 include:
Multi-plate and layered printing — combining your plates from the weekend, printing them in jigsaw configurations or building up layers to create more complex images
Viscosity inking — using inks of different consistencies to create striking colour and tonal effects in a single pass through the press
Monotype integration — combining collagraph with monotype layers for something genuinely unexpected
Colour development — exploring more nuanced approaches to colour, tone and layering beyond the introductory colour session on Day 2 The exact focus of each day will be agreed with you on the morning, based on your work and what you'd like to achieve.
How to book:
Email carol@carolnunan.co.uk to confirm availability for your preferred day
Once confirmed, return to this page and select Day 3 or Day 4 from the options below
Add to cart and 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 and I'll take your booking directly and send you a payment link.
Please make sure you read the small print before booking.
Collagraph Printmaking with Fire — Weekend Workshop
Learn a technique I discovered through master printmaker Peter Wray that transformed my practice. Using a blowtorch and controlled burning, you'll create organic textures, burnt edges and dramatic marks that give your prints an immediate, powerful presence. This is collagraph like you haven't seen it before.
Workshop Details
Dates: Monday 12 – Tuesday 13th Ocotber 2026 Time: 10am – 4pm both days
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.
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 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.
Day 4 focuses on multi-plate and layered printing with monotype — combining your plates from the weekend, printing them together in jigsaw configurations, or building up layers to create more complex images.
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.
Workshop Reviews
““I’ve enjoyed such an informative and enjoyable weekend beginning to understand the techniques and effects possible with monoprinting with stencils. What an amazing setting, your purpose built studio, house with outstanding view on a beautiful island. Thank you for the time and help” ”
Beyond Weekend Workshops: Additional Creative Opportunities
Tailored Creative Retreats
Want something designed entirely around you? I offer bespoke retreats for individuals and small groups — from a weekend intensive to a week-long immersion, built around your techniques, your pace, and the Isle of Bute as your inspiration.
Studio Hire for Local Artists
Based on Bute and want access to a professional press without travelling to the mainland? My studio is available to hire for independent sessions, with or without tuition.
Print your own fabric, then stitch it into something you'll actually use.
Print & Stitch brings together gelli plate printing and embroidery over two days, taught by two artists, and finishes with a sketchbook or journal cover made entirely from fabric you've printed and stitched yourself.
This workshop works equally well whether you're an experienced maker or trying both techniques for the first time. There's no need to have printed on fabric before, and no need to have used a sewing machine — hand embroidery is just as welcome.
Format
This runs as a two-day workshop, taught by two tutors:
Day one — I'll teach gelli plate printing on fabric, building up a collection of printed pieces to work with.
Day two — Textile artist Alison Stein takes over, guiding you through hand and/or free machine embroidery to bring your printed fabric to life.
By the end, you'll have turned your printed and stitched fabric into a finished sketchbook or journal cover.
The workshop takes place at Alison's studio, which allows us to welcome up to 8 participants.
Choose your dates
We have two possible weekends pencilled in for 2027, and which one goes ahead will depend on which gets the most interest:
29–30 May 2027
26–27 June 2027
Both are still to be confirmed. If you'd like to come, get in touch and let me know:
Which weekend suits you — 29/30 May or 26/27 June?
Would you be able to make either, if it helps us decide?
Will you be coming on your own, or bringing a friend (or friends)?
Once we can see which date has the strongest interest, we'll confirm it and let everyone know.