Wild Ink & Pen

A natural ink-making workshop with Wild Revival

Gather, make, and draw with the living world in community.

I’m Jo, a foraging artist and ink-maker.

Join me for a relaxed, hands-on workshop exploring the art of natural ink-making. Together, we'll discover how to gather suitable materials, transform them into beautiful, usable ink, and craft a simple dip-pen from Elder wood for drawing, sketching and writing with our inks.

We'll spend time exploring the garden at Palace Green Pavilion, learning to look at familiar plants with fresh eyes, before settling into the creative process together. Weather permitting, we'll work outdoors around the campfire, with hot drinks, friendly conversation and plenty of room for experimentation.

This is a chance to slow down, get your hands involved, and discover the quiet alchemy of turning natural materials into something you can draw and write with. Whether you're an established artist, a sketchbook enthusiast, or someone who's simply longing to make things with their hands again, you're welcome here!

Tickets are £65 per person for this day workshop, which includes all your materials and hot drinks, and helps support my artistic practice and small business. I love teaching, but this is more than that; it’s community-forging and nourishing too. There are only 8 places for this gathering, so book your place now!

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Slow Down and Experiment

reconnect to the land through creativity

What we'll do together

Forage for Colour

We'll explore the venue garden and learn about plant pigments and harvesting.

Make your own natural ink

I'll guide you through making an artist-quality natural ink, and we will look at other natural inks I've made, so you can discover the different colours and qualities that you can create at home.

Craft an Elder-stick dip-pen

We'll make a simple dip-pen from Elder wood and put it to use with our handmade ink. You'll have time to experiment with lines, marks and writing, discovering the character of a tool you've crafted yourself, perhaps using ink in a way you haven’t before.

Spend time around the campfire

Learning in community is fun, and this session will be intimate, informal and immersing.

Bringing a landscape connection into your creative practice

More than just making ink and something to draw with, this workshop offers a doorway to building on your own connection to your landscape, the more-than-human beings around you, and the seasons. As we descend into the darkest part of the year, this practice could be a muse and encouragement for your creativity this Winter.

A creative gathering with Wild Revival

My workshops are friendly, practical and easy-going. I love sharing the skills I've gathered through my own explorations of natural materials, and creating space for people to learn by doing, ask questions and follow their curiosity.

We'll aim to spend our time outdoors around the campfire, weather permitting. If it's particularly cold or wet, we'll use the indoor space instead.

Hot drinks will be provided, and we'll take a break for lunch, so please bring a packed lunch with you. You'll also receive a printed guide to take home, helping you revisit the process and continue your experiments.

I'll have a selection of my own handmade natural inks available to purchase/order on the day, too, if you'd like to take home more colours for your creative practice.

What you'll take home

Your own handmade natural ink.
A handmade Elder-stick dip-pen.
A printed guide to the process.
New skills and ideas for exploring natural art materials.
Fresh inspiration for your own creative practice.
A closer connection to the plants and materials around you.

Workshop details

Date: Saturday 14th November

Time: 10am - 2pm

Duration: 4 hours

Location: Palace Green Pavilion, Palace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Price: £65 per person

Age: 16+

Booking: Buy your ticket on the webshop here

Group size: max 8 participants

Booking offers

Bring a friend — £110 for two

Come along with a friend and enjoy the workshop together. Book two tickets in the same transaction for £110, saving £20 compared with two standard-price tickets.

A community concession place

I want these creative experiences to be accessible to people with different circumstances and budgets. I'm therefore offering one place at half price (£32.50) for someone on a low or no income.

If this would make the workshop possible for you, please email me at woodland-jo@outlook.com to enquire. You're very welcome to get in touch privately; there's no need to explain your circumstances to me at all, simply ask if it’s still available and I’ll let you know.

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What's included?

All materials needed for the workshop activities.
Materials for making your natural ink and Elder-stick dip-pen.
Paper for experimenting and mark-making.
A printed take-home guide.
Hot drinks.
Use of indoor space if the weather makes working outdoors uncomfortable.

What to bring

A packed lunch.
Your sketchbook, if you'd like to use one.
Warm layers and weather-appropriate clothing (also that you don’t mind smelling of woodsmoke from the campfire!)
Sturdy footwear suitable for the season.
An apron or clothes you don't mind getting a little messy.
A cushion seat/seat pad to keep your bum warm outside!

Getting here and accessibility

The workshop will take place at Palace Green Pavilion, Palace Green, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The venue is accessible, with a disabled loo but a small lip at the front door, though everything is on one level/with a slight slope. The garden grass may be muddy depending on the weather. Please choose footwear accordingly.

Parking nearby is limited, so please allow a little extra time to find a space, or park at nearby Foul Ford, Quayside or Bridge Street car parks (parking disk needed). Toilets are available at the venue.

We'll spend time in the garden gathering suitable materials, so expect some time outdoors even if we move the main activities inside.

The Pavilion is about a 20 min walk from Berwick Train Station, 15 mins from the bus stop on Golden Square.