Previous Workshops, Courses & Talks

Previous Workshops, Courses & Talks

2026

Earth pigments of Derbyshire Workshop at Cromford Mill, Derbyshire May 2026

West Dean College, Pigment Making: The Craft of Colour for Artists 15–19 February 2026. A week-long, in-person course exploring the art and science of pigment making, held at West Dean College.

Pigment & Paint Making, Colours Inspired By John Ruskin, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield Museums, 31st January 

Sheffield Museums, Millennium Gallery Sunday 1 February 2026, 10:30am–4pm. A full-day workshop introducing natural and synthetic pigments, dyes, and water-based paints, including hands-on paint and ink making.

Sketching With Soil II, Earth Day Takeover, 17th March Somerset House

Online

Plants & Colour Programme Visit plantsandcolour.co.uk for more information.

Verdigris with Lucy Mayes April–May 2026. A specialised workshop delving into verdigris pigment, its historical significance, and methods of creating this unique colour. 

Making & Working With Natural Art Materials Begins April 2026. A comprehensive course on crafting and using natural art materials, with Lucy teaching and mentoring throughout the programme. 

Lake Pigment Making: A Deep Dive Begins January 2026 A monthly online series offering an in-depth exploration of lake pigments, taught by Lucy alongside other specialists. 

Botanical Colourants from Local Plant Pigments West Dean College, London Campus - 29th August. A practical workshop focused on sourcing and creating botanical colourants from local plants, with dates to be confirmed.

2025

BOTANICAL COLOURANTS FROM LOCAL PLANT PIGMENTS West Dean College, London Campus, 29 Nov 2025

An introduction to pigments workshop, via zoom for V&A Academy, as a complimentary workshop to Leo Crane's watercolour course, V&A Academy, 17th October 2025

Pigment & Paint- Making- Colours Inspired By John Ruskin, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield Museums, September 27th

Botanical Pigments, Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, London 21st May 2025

Sketching With Soil, Somerset House, 22nd March 2025

An introduction to pigments workshop, via zoom for V&A Academy, as a complimentary workshop to Leo Crane's watercolour course, V&A 14th February 2025

2024

Craft Festival 2024, The Heritage Craft Association, Bovey Tracey 7th-9th 

Waste Stream Mineral Project for Cornwall Museum, The Slade, UAL, May 31st.

Waste Stream Mineral Project for Cornwall Museum, Live Talk for reopening of Cornwall Museum  11th July 2024

Deep Dive into Pigments and Binders, Plants & Colour (online) 

London Pigment Workshop, The Intrepid Collective, Leadenhall Building, London, April 2024

Pigments from Plants, Cotesbach Educational Trust, Lutterworth, 13th April  2024

Ochres for Ceramic Paints, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth, April 2024

An introduction to pigments workshop, via zoom for V&A Academy, as a complimentary workshop to Leo Crane's watercolour course, V&A January 14th  2024

Making Colour Pigments From Plants, two day workshop for The V&A, London, March 16th-17th 2024

Ochres Of Great Britain, An online course hosted by Plants and Colour, 23rd January 2024

An Introduction to London Pigment, online Zoom workshop for customers who bought items during December 2023-January 2024, 28th January 2024

Ochres & British Folklore, Talk as part of Colour & Poetry Symposium 2024, The Slade, UCL

2023

Botanical Inks from Kew, one day workshop at Kew Gardens, London, 27th November, 2023

Lake Pigments from Kew Gardens, one day workshop at Kew Gardens, London, 1st December, 2023

An introduction to pigments, online lecture, How to paint in watercolour course, V&A October 2023

A tour of a pigment maker's studio, online session hosted by Plants and Colour. 2023

How to make cochineal lake pigments, The Slade, UCL, May 2023

An introduction to pigments workshop, via zoom for V&A Academy, as a complimentary workshop to Leo Crane's watercolour course, V&A May 2023

Making Colour Pigments From Plants, two day workshop for The V&A, London, March 2023 

Lake Pigments from Kew Gardens, one day workshop at Kew Gardens, London, 1st May, 2023

Urban Pigment Foraging, An online course hosted by Plants and Colour. Two sessions, both two hours long, 11th & 25th April 2023.

London Pigment Talk, The Slade, UCL for Colour & Poetry: A Symposium V, 21st/22nd March 2023.

2022

London Pigments and the history of hair dye, workshop event for L'Oréal, London   October 2022

An introduction to pigments, online lecture, How to paint in watercolour course, V&A June 2022

Lucy Mayes & London Pigment, Artist talk via zoom for Beyond the Brush by New England Society of Botanical Artists (NESBA), May 2022

Colour From the Mines Presents: London Pigment Project with Lucy Mayes, Watercolour paint making with earth colours & talk about iron oxide pigments, Six Bells, Wales.  May 2022

Q&A's with 6 notable pigment people, Artist talk via Zoom For nonprofit organisation Pigments Revealed International, March 2022

London Pigment, online talk for Pigments Revealed International 

Grit, Artist talk via zoom, Colour & Poetry: A Symposium 2022, The Slade, UCL, March 2022

Traditional Inks & Calligraphy techniques, Instagram Live with Paul Antonio, L.Cornelissen & Son, February  2022

London Pigment, artist talk and paint making workshop, The Slade, UCL, February  2022

In conversation with Lisa Eldridge: An Introduction To Pigments & Historical Makeup Recipes  at her store in Covent Garden, December 2022

London Pigment Talk, The Slade, UCL for Colour & Poetry: A Symposium III, 21st/22nd March 2022 with contribution to publication (by the same name) produced by UCL

2021

Cornelissen Pigment Archive, a film introducing the archive held by L. Cornelissen & Son of their pigments and art materials since their establishment in 1855. For Pigments Revealed Symposium 2021

Pigments & Sustainability, talk via Clubhouse, for Cosmetics designer David Horne 2021

2020

London Pigment, Reflective paint making workshop, Tate Britain as a part of their well being series, 2020

Russian Colour Theory & Paint Making with Lucy Mayes, Pushkin House, February 2020