Colori Flori: what we've done and what they said...
Here's what's been happening on Colori Flori
The annual Colori Flori Summit started on 18 May, there’s been such positive feedback on all the lessons, I’d like to share a few of them with you.
There are fourteen lessons from fourteen artists (including mine) in the summit, read on to see more information about each of them + feedback from students. If this tempts you to join us click the button below. Don’t miss out, registration is only open until 31 May.
🌼 Janet Skates
@janetskatesart | Pretty in Pink | Monday 18 May
“Lovely atmosphere calm and simple!! I loved it !!” - ES
The first of our fourteen lessons is from Janet Skates titled Pretty in Pink.
An artwork by Janet is featured on the current cover of Flow magazine and in this lesson you will learn how to create a similar piece using mostly gouache and watercolour with details added in dip pen and ink.
🌼 Dar James
@indarsworld | Petals and Pieces | Tuesday 19 May
“I am really enjoying this project! Your video was crammed full of information and I loved your colour mixes. Thank you for a brilliant way of working….keeping me very busy!!” - MJ
Dar James created two artworks using the colour palette to create cool and warm artworks in her lesson on the second day of Colori Flori. In her lesson you will learn how to use a simple grid structure and a spontaneous approach to create botanical compositions that shift between recognisable florals and more abstracted forms. Techniques incorporated include drawing, painting, and collaging to build in layers.
🌼 Julie Sydenham
@julie.sydenham.art | Flowers & a Finch | Wednesday 20 May
“Wow, I really enjoyed watching you paint! I LOVE the patchwork look as well and I loved learning how to mix and to use a limited palette. I also loved all the mark making. And your intuitive movement around the page. It makes me so happy all of this! I can't wait to try it in my sketch – Thank you so much Julie!” - GL
If you like to paint in watercolour, you’ll find so much value in this class!
Jules creates her own magic combining a vase of poppies with an Australian Zebra Finch in this lesson using pen, watercolour and watercolour pencil to create a layered artwork.
🌼 Carrie Smith
@carriesmithart | Mounted Floral Medallion | Thursday 21 May
“So inspiring to watch the flower come alive. I really appreciated all the technique tips for a style I’ve always wanted to try.” - CV
In Carrie's Colori Flori lesson she demonstrates how to paint a bold medallion with layered patterns and intricate details. In her class you will discover how colour, repetition, and simple mark-making tools can transform a design and bring each of those aspects to life.
🌼 Katie O’Shea
@katie_oshea_design | Paint to Pattern | Friday 22 May
“Such a cool technique. I'm looking forward to trying it with other patterns.” - LT
In Paint to Pattern you’ll learn how to create a pattern composition using just paper, pencil and acrylic markers and working with squares to build a repeating design.
Once the layout is set, you’ll explore options to complete the design with acrylic markers. Katie will also show you some easy ways to explore and test the repeat pattern.
🌼 April Howlett
@monkeymintaka | Plants as People | Saturday 23 May
“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! This was so much fun, loved everything about it, especially the colours, the cute images and seeing your process. Was great to see how you carry through even when things are not going as planned. I am going to take this on board and try not be a quitter when things go wrong.” - LH
This sketchbook demo from April aka @Monkeymintaka is so much fan to watch. April combines her love of quirky characters with florals by creating anthropomorphic characters in her lesson called Plants as People.
🌼 Clare Youngs
@clareyoungs | Make Your Mark | Sunday 24 May
“Hi Clare thank you so much for participating in Colori Flori. I have loved your work for a long time and your tutorial certainly didn't disappoint. Great simple sketch book as well, I've never made one like that. Can't wait to give it a go.” - AP
Clare Youngs is an designer maker with an iconic style, she is known for her beautiful stylised collages of animals.
Clare recorded an informative lesson covering some of her favourite techniques including wax resist and creating texture with tools to create beautiful collage papers. Claire will show you how to ideas for cutting and arranging them before gathering the finished pieces and presenting them in a handmade sketchbook.
🌼 Betsy Walton
@betsywalton | Finding Range within a Limited Palette | Monday 25 May
“What wonderful paintings you create, Betsy. So original and imaginative and technically perfect. Authentic artist.” - MO
Week two of Colori Flori started with a very informative lesson by Betsy. She produces something quite remarkable whilst also showing us how to mix a beautiful range of colours including warm neutrals by using a limited palette. She demonstrates how shifts in saturation, value, and hue can create depth by using just the colour palette of four colours. Watching the techniques used to create a floral posy is a real treat.
🌼 Miriam Bos
@_miriambos | Strokes of Sunflower |Tuesday 26 May
“Great lesson! I usually paint with watercolour so it was very interesting to learn more about gouache and watch you paint with it so expertly. It was a learning process to watch someone paint who is also an illustrator. Thank you for the excellent lesson.” - KL
Miriam’s lesson is about observing the shape of a sunflower before sketching and playing with their shapes. She shares how to make a composition and work in layers to create fun textures to paint these beautiful flowers. Miriam shares helpful tips and technical details about painting in gouache.
🌼 Rowan Sivyer
@littlerowanredhead | Faux Chine Collé Poppies | Wednesday 27 May
“Thank you so much for this lesson! Just can say wow! Thanks for sharing this secrets of gelli printing!🩷💛🧡” - JK
In Faux Chine Collé Poppies Rowan demonstrates expertly how to combine block printing and gel printing to achieve eye-catching floras.
Rowan demonstrates a number of interesting printing techniques and layering processes beginning with designing and carving of a floral rubber stamp! It’s used for gel printing before using she uses a reverse collage method to ‘colour in’ the poppies with textured papers. A fascinating mono printing process to explore.
🌼 Claire Desjardins
@claire_desjardins_art | Color Notes from Sicily | Thursday 28 May
“Thank you Claire, I love how you see beauty in all the small things. I feel that when you see like an artist sees, you have another layer of joy!” - AM
If you’re familiar with Claire’s work, you’ll know she normally works in a very large scale. This lesson was recorded on location and it’s interesting to see how she adapts and works to a much smaller scale from a kitchen table in Sicily.
This lesson reflects a more intuitive way of working - responding to surroundings, simplifying materials, and letting each mark guide the next.
🌼 Estee Zales
@estee.zales | Imagined Flowers | Friday 29 May
“Oh wow, such an interesting module - materials experimentation, landscape instruction, some ephemera, fabulous collage ideas, dark moody colours, permission to be a bit messy (hands, paper). THANK YOU:)” - AS
In Estee’s lesson you will learn how to create interesting textures and marks with landscapes as inspiration that’ll then become elements of a stylised floral collage artwork.
Rather than aiming for realistic botanical illustration, she encourages you to explore imagined floral forms through playful mark-making, material experimentation, and intuitive composition
🌼 Tansy Hargan
@palimpsestparade | Freesia Facets | Saturday 30 May
Tansy explains: “I’m a colour synesthete, which means that everything I encounter, consider, or undertake is spontaneously experienced as a colour. In my Freesia Facets lesson, I use a limited colour palette and, starting with a single square lozenge of colour, I progress into an exploration of the way colours merge when dropped in to one another. Tansy’s lesson will be shared on 30 May.
🌼 Esté MacLeod
@estemacleod | Doodle Bloom | Sunday 31 May
To end the summit on 31 May we revisit ideas from the two B is for Bloom warm up sketchbook projects shared over the weekend before Colori Flori started. Here’s the first one:
And here’s the second one:
In my Doodle Bloom lesson you will create imaginary botanicals in mixed media. Explore ways to create stylised florals and plants using printouts of shapes that have been part of the weekly Coloricombo prompts this year. The various cut out shapes are the starting points for sketchbook drawings and bigger layered floral paintings on watercolour paper.
Remember, registration for the Colori Flori Summit 2026 closes this weekend. You can join us until 31 May. The summit comes with lifetime access to all the lessons so you can work at your own pace and revisit projects later.