Making Paint

Description

Booking appointments now for 2026 MAY-OCTOBER

Join me to learn how to make handmade watercolor or oil paints from rocks. You’ll learn the skills you need to make fine-quality paint on your own at home.

BEFORE CHECKING OUT: Email me to schedule a date at least 3 weeks in advance for the Deluxe option, 1 week for Basic option (MAY THROUGH OCTOBER, Saturday-Thurs, closed on Fridays) and let me know whether you want to make watercolors or oils. My address is madison@wildozark.com. This workshop is weather dependent and impossible to predict whether or not cancellation will be necessary up to the night before. See weather/cancellation contingency paragraph below.

If time allows, at the end of the workshop, we’ll do some plein air nature paintings with the paint we make.

9 am to 4 pm, bring your own lunch and water

A full day of hands-on learning how to make watercolor paint from rocks. Both packages include the same experience, but with the Deluxe package you’ll take home the full set of tools and materials you’ll use in the workshop (mortar/pestle, muller, mulling plate, pans, gum Arabic media, rocks, and pigment).

Things you’ll need to bring:

• Waterproof boots for wading in the creek
• insect repellent
• water
• lunch
• signed liability waiver (will be emailed, along with directions to Wild Ozark)

You’ll learn:

• what kinds of rocks to collect
• how to test the rocks in the field
• how to crush the rocks
• how to wash the pigment for smooth paint
• how to make the paints with freshly ground rocks
• what supplies you’ll need to do it at home on your own
• what kinds of natural containers/pans you can use for holding finished paints

You’ll take home:

• At least one 4-color set of paint
• suitable rocks to make more paint

The Deluxe package also includes:

• mortar and pestle
• muller
• mulling plate
• 3 vials of powdered Ozark pigments ready to turn into paint
• watercolor media OR linseed oil
• 5 tubes for oil paint or 5 pans for watercolors

Weather or/and Cancellation Contingencies

If the weather makes it hazardous due to possible flooding, I’ll either refund or reschedule your event. If I have to cancel for any reason, I’ll offer to refund or reschedule the date. If you need to cancel for any reason, as long as it is within 4 hours of the time scheduled, I’ll refund or reschedule.

Weather cancellations can happen unexpectedly, but a call will be made whether it will be possible or not within 4 hours of the time scheduled. Always make sure to check your email the morning of the event BEFORE your departure to make sure it is good to go. When it rains here hard enough, our low-water bridges flood and are dangerous to impossible to cross. I’ve been caught between two bridges before while waiting for the water to go down and I don’t want that to happen to you. However, there is always the chance that the rain will appear during our workshop and we’ll have to stop so you can leave, if there’s a chance the water will rise too much.

I realize this makes it difficult to plan to attend from long distances away. There’s lots of lodging available in our area. If you aren’t able to attend this workshop because of rain, there are hiking trails, and things to do that don’t involve crossing the bridges on our road. In the event of a cancellation, I’ll refund the workshop fees, but I can’t refund lodging or travel expense.