Found and Ground: Making Natural Art Materials Level One - 5 Days With Caroline Ross
22nd – 26th June 2026
You can also join ‘Drawn From the Wild: Making Natural Art Materials Level Two - 5 Days With Caroline Ross’ which will take place from the 29th June - 3rd July 2026. These two courses have been scheduled back-to-back in June to allow participants the opportunity to attend both for a richer, more in-depth exploration of natural material making.
Times: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday
Location: Brentor Village Hall, Brentor, Tavistock, Devon PL19 0LW
Course Fee: £530 (includes all raw materials, lunches, and refreshments)
Join Caroline's signature five-day workshop, Found and Ground, nestled in the scenic surroundings of Dartmoor. This immersive course, which has been running successfully for over four years in Devon, UK, will teach you the essential skills to create your own art materials from natural resources. You'll leave equipped with a personal art kit and the confidence to gather and process pigments, make paints, pastels, inks, and more; anywhere your creative journey may take you.
What You Will Learn
How to forage for natural materials: such as gums, fibres, and fixatives
Creating your own paints: watercolour, gouache, egg tempera, and veglair
Making pastels and natural fixatives
Craft charcoal and sketchbooks: Making your own drawing tools and sketchbooks
Try reverse-wrap cordage: A simple but fascinating technique for making string from natural fibers.
Insights from Caroline’s books, Found and Ground and her upcoming release Drawn From the Wild
This course offers hands-on experience, with each day dedicated to a different aspect of natural art materials. Caroline will guide you through each step of the process, encouraging creativity and experimentation. By the end of the week, you will be able to confidently source and make your own art materials from natural and urban environments.
What's Included
All raw materials needed for the course
Vegetarian lunches and refreshments each day
A week or two after the course, you will receive a tailored PDF resource file with all recipes, methods, and additional learning materials to take home.
Capacity: 16 participants
Who Is This For?
This course is ideal for artists, art teachers, and anyone interested in sustainable art practices. Whether you’re an experienced artist or new to natural materials, you’ll gain valuable skills and knowledge.
Refreshments:
Vegetarian lunches, teas, coffees, and biscuits will be provided.
Accessibility:
Car: There is plenty of car parking at the hall.
Train: The nearest train station is Okehampton with an hourly service from Exeter. This is a half hour drive from the hall.
Bus: 118 hourly service will take you from Okehampton, Tavistock, or Gunnislake to Brentor.
There are likely to be some local field trips during the week which will involve driving to one or two different places, we will organise some car-sharing within the group for these excursions.
Here is our local accommodation guide
Testimonials:
An enlightening, comprehensive course - highly recommended. Caroline is an enthusiastic, generous teacher. I learned a lot about working in an environment-conscious manner. It was fun playing with so many different materials.
Taking part in the Found and Ground Level 1 course with Caroline Ross has been an incredible and deeply fulfilling experience. Caroline’s generosity in sharing her vast knowledge, skills, and carefully gathered resources was nothing short of inspiring. She creates such an open and encouraging environment, where every question is welcomed and every curiosity nurtured. What made the course truly special for me was how it beautifully wove together all of my passions — foraging, geology, nature, and creativity — into a single, cohesive journey. It felt like coming home to myself. Each session offered a new way to see the natural world, not just as inspiration but as active material in the creative process. Caroline’s approach is thoughtful, grounded, and filled with wonder. She doesn’t just teach — she invites you into a deeper relationship with the land, the elements, and your own artistic voice. I’m so grateful for the experience and would wholeheartedly recommend this course to anyone looking to reconnect with both nature and their creative spirit.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time learning with Caroline. She is enthusiastic, funny and very knowledgeable. The topic of natural pigments was on my mind for a long time and I am very glad I finally took the chance and booked. Best 5 days ever!
A week of connecting with earth, creativity and a small group of intentional artists. Caroline is a gifted teacher who makes her depth of knowledge accessible to learners at all stages. She teaches with a reverance for ethical sourcing and wisdom of age old practices. This course has forever transformed my artist lens and practice.
Really interesting course, based on Caroline’s book. She brought it to life, and it has made me very confident in moving forward with my practice.
I was so excited to be on the course. Outstanding teaching and such a wonderful group to share it with, so happy to be there! Can’t wait for part 2.
