Printmaking Workshops on the Isle of Bute — Book a Place

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.

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.