Immerse yourself in the beauty of Vancouver Island’s lush coastal forests in this serene mixed-media class.

Using the sky, forest and riverways as our muses for colour and texture, we will capture the essence of the forest. This class features a unique watercolour printing technique  utilizing ferns, pine needles, cedar branches, leaves or other botanicals.


Throughout the class, we'll focus on mastering fundamental watercolour techniques while exploring innovative methods such as using found brushes, experimenting with salt techniques, incorporating Neocolor II pastels, adding iridescent paints, and refining pieces with pen work. Learn how to combine these techniques to create beautiful forest paintings that radiate with vibrant colour, rich texture, and coastal ambience. 


Nicole will share her story of how the forest has been a realm for exploration and inspiration, as well as a source of healing. She’ll encourage you to connect with your landscape through your art making.

Course curriculum

    1. Welcome to class

    2. A forest welcome

    1. Supplies

    2. Reference Photos for Colour Inspiration

    3. Watercolour and Mixed Media Techniques

    4. Botanical Printing Techniques

    1. Intro to Forest Layers

    2. Making Prints 1

    3. Making Prints 2

    4. Making Prints 3

    1. Cedar and Pine Needles

    1. Lichen and Cedar

    1. Thank you

About this course

  • $67.00
  • 13 lessons
  • 2.5 hours of video content

Supporting your learning

  • Videos

    The heart of art lessons are the videos! Professionally lit, filmed and meticulously edited to show you how to create the projects step-by-step.

  • Community

    Share your work in our online community. Ask questions and get feedback on your projects from Nicole and her community.

Meet your teacher

Nicole Warrington

Nicole Warrington is an artist and educator on Vancouver Island. She has an extensive background in art and education. Nicole earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria and a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. She has worked in public education, the non-profit arts sector, and community recreation. Nicole values teaching both concrete art skills and expressive art processes. She teaches workshops and online courses in watercolour painting, art journaling, and acrylic and mixed media painting.

Forest Impressions

Self-paced video class

Step into the forest:

Watch the class trailer