Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $150
Scholarship available; click here to apply.

This is an in-person workshop. As of January 2023, masks are strongly encouraged but not required unless otherwise indicated. 

In this mixed-media workshop, join artist and plant enthusiast Latifat Apatira to learn a centuries-old printmaking technique that combines plant-pressing, botanical printing, and hand coloring.

We’ll first look at the rich history of nature printing as a functional tool for botanists, physicians, and apothecaries dating back to the 16th century. After a printing demonstration, participants will experiment with creating hand-pressed compositions with ink and paper, using fresh flowers and foliage found in our community. We’ll conclude with hand-coloring our prints with watercolor paints.

The botanical nature printing process is unassuming and approachable; no previous art experience is necessary to achieve fulfilling results—only a love of plants. Capturing the various forms of flora from your own community can be relaxing, meditative, and heart opening. By the end of the workshop, you’ll not only have several prints of your neighborhood plants and the tools and techniques to continue printing, but also a greater awareness of the botanical world around 

>> Prerequisite: None <<

Materials to Bring: A few leaves/plant cuttings to experiment with.

Date & Time: Sunday, August 13, 2023 :: 9am-1pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

NOTE: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. 
 

About the Instructor | Latifat Apatira (she/her)

Latifat Apatira is a plant enthusiast and artist. Raised in San Mateo County, California, she spent her youth exploring the expansive rural areas of the Peninsula. Her fascination with the natural world directly results from the wonders produced by observing the Peninsula’s oak woodlands, coastal scrublands, and redwood forests. As a second-generation, Nigerian-American, visibly Muslim woman, Apatira is proud to bring an element of diversity to the botanical art landscape.

She is a member of the international Nature Printing Society, the California Society of Printmakers, and the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her work has been exhibited throughout northern California including solo exhibitions hosted by the San Francisco Botanical Garden’s Helen Crocker Russel Library of Horticulture, the Caldwell Gallery, and the Redwood Shores Library Gallery. She recently participated in an artist-in-residency program at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation.  Apatira’s prints are held in private collections throughout the United States and since 2019, she has served the community through plant and garden print commissions. Learn more about Latifat and about her artistic journey at titilayola.com or on Instagram @titilayola.

Past Student Reviews:

“Engaging, extremely well-prepared instructor who shared botanical printing and watercolor techniques and provided historical context as well as resources.”

“Everything about this workshop was wonderful!”

"Latifat Apatira's Botanical Nature Printing may have been the best workshop I've ever attended at SFCB, which is saying a lot!  This instructor was extremely well-prepared in terms of presentation, materials, and time management.  She really communicated the joy of working with botanical materials.  I left feeling inspired about using the techniques we learned in the session!"

“This was one of the best workshops I've ever taken.  Latifat is such a talented artist, and so informative and encouraging. Truly, a delightful experience.”