Session 1: The Science of Color Vision: Understanding How Our Eyes Perceive Color

Description: We’ll begin with a gentle introduction to how light interacts with the eye, including the role of cones in color perception and why we see red, green, and blue as the foundation of vision. Participants will learn why colors change under different lighting conditions, why shadows are rarely just “gray,” and how context influences the way a color appears on the page. Through simple visual demonstrations and guided observation exercises, we’ll connect science to practice.

By the end of the session, participants will:

1. Understand the basics of how the eye and brain perceive color
2. Recognize how light, environment, and contrast influence color appearance
3. Develop stronger observational skills for nature journaling

No science background is required—this session emphasizes curiosity, clarity, and creative application. Participants leave with a deeper appreciation of color as both a physical phenomenon and a personal, perceptual experience, enriching the way they see, paint, and record the natural world.

January 12, 2026 – 10:00 - 12:00 am

Session 2: Light and Optics: Exploring How Light Influences Color and Appearance

Description: Light is the foundation of everything we see, paint, and record in our nature journals. In this hands-on workshop session, participants explore how light behaves and how it shapes the colors, values, and moods we observe in the natural world. Designed for adult learners interested in watercolor and nature journaling, this session blends accessible science with creative practice to strengthen both observation and artistic decision-making.

We’ll begin by looking at how different qualities of light—direction, intensity, and color temperature—affect the appearance of objects. Participants will explore why morning and evening light feels warmer, why colors shift in shade versus sunlight, and how reflection and transparency influence what we perceive. Simple optics concepts are introduced in clear, intuitive ways, always connected back to what you see outdoors.

The session then moves into guided watercolor exploration. Participants will create a set of color swatches to observe how pigments change when diluted with water, layered, or placed next to one another. Using natural objects or reference images, you’ll practice mixing and matching colors from nature—leaves, bark, sky, stones, and shadows—learning how light alters each hue and value. Emphasis is placed on seeing subtle shifts rather than matching a single “correct” color.

Through observation exercises, swatch-making, and reflective journaling prompts, participants will:

1. Understand how light direction, quality, and color affect appearance
2. Explore basic optics concepts relevant to seeing and painting
3. Build a personal library of watercolor color swatches
4. Apply color vision concepts to watercolor mixing and layering
5. Practice mixing and matching colors directly from nature
6. Develop confidence in interpreting, not copying, what they see

No prior science or watercolor experience is required. This session encourages curiosity, experimentation, and close looking. Participants leave with practical tools for seeing light more clearly, mixing color more intentionally, and capturing the living qualities of light in both watercolor paintings and nature journals.

January 19, 2026 – 10:00 - 12:00 am

Session 3: The Color Wheel and Color Relationships: Learning About Color Harmony and Contrast

Description: Color can feel overwhelming until we understand how colors relate to one another. In this workshop session, participants explore the color wheel as a practical, creative tool for building harmony, contrast, and visual interest in watercolor painting and nature journaling. Designed for adult learners, this session focuses on seeing color relationships in the natural world and translating them into confident, expressive color choices.

We’ll begin with an introduction to the color wheel, looking at primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and how they interact. Participants will learn how complementary, analogous, and split-complementary color relationships influence mood, depth, and emphasis. Rather than memorizing rules, the emphasis is on using the color wheel as a guide for observation and experimentation.

Hands-on practice is central to the session. Participants will create their own watercolor color wheel and a series of color swatches, exploring how pigments mix, neutralize, and shift in value when combined. Using natural objects or outdoor observation, you’ll practice mixing and matching colors from nature—greens in leaves, earth tones in bark and soil, blues in sky and water—discovering how subtle adjustments create harmony or contrast.

You’ll explore how complementary colors affect vibrancy, why certain pigments appear more luminous, and how understanding color perception can help you mix more accurate and expressive watercolor palettes. Short nature-based observation prompts will help you translate what you see into intentional color choices in both painting and journaling.

Through guided exercises and journaling prompts, participants will:

1. Understand the structure of the color wheel and basic color relationships
2. Recognize harmony and contrast as they appear in nature
3. Create personalized watercolor color swatches and mixing charts
4. Practice mixing and matching natural colors with intention
5. Apply color relationships to watercolor sketches and journal pages

No prior experience is required. This session encourages exploration, play, and close observation rather than “perfect” results. Participants leave with a deeper understanding of color relationships, a set of practical mixing tools, and greater confidence using color to express what they see and feel in the natural world.

January 26, 2026 – 10:00 - 12:00 am

Session 4: Artists, Pigments, Design, and Emotion: A Historical Look at How Artists Have Used and Created Pigments, How Color Affects Emotions and Perceptions, And the Application of Color in Art and Design.

Description: Color carries history, craft, and emotion. In this workshop session, participants explore how artists across time have discovered, created, and used pigments and how those color choices shape emotional response, storytelling, and design. Created for learners interested in watercolor and nature journaling, this session connects the past to present-day creative practice in an accessible, hands-on way.

We’ll begin with a brief historical journey through pigments: how artists once sourced color from minerals, plants, and insects, how trade and technology expanded palettes, and how watercolor pigments evolved into the materials we use today. Participants will learn why some colors were rare or symbolic, how limitations shaped artistic styles, and how pigment properties—transparency, granulation, staining—affect expression.

The session then turns to color and emotion. Through guided discussion and visual examples, we’ll explore how colors influence mood, perception, and meaning, and how artists and designers intentionally use color to evoke calm, energy, tension, or harmony. Participants will reflect on their own emotional responses to color and how those responses can inform nature journaling and watercolor work.

Hands-on activities anchor these ideas in practice. Participants will:

1. Create watercolor pigment swatches to explore transparency, texture, and intensity
2. Experiment with limited palettes inspired by historical color use
3. Mix and match colors found in nature, noticing how emotional tone shifts with color choices
4. Apply color intentionally to a small nature sketch or journal spread

No prior art or history background is required. This session encourages curiosity, experimentation, and personal reflection. Participants leave with a deeper appreciation of color as a bridge between science, history, emotion, and creative expression—enriching the way they see, paint, and journal the natural world.