Join printmaker Craig Burkhalter and herbalist Patricia Kyritsi Howell for an immersive three-day workshop that combines learning about native plants with documenting them with drawings in a handmade book and printing using live plant specimens. Patricia will introduce you to various native herbs and wildflowers found in the lush forests and fields of the Hambidge Center. You’ll learn about their historical and current uses as food and medicine as Craig shows you how to record your observations through drawings. We’ll also gather plant specimens to create prints once we return to the studio. We will explore two methods for documenting the plants we encounter: creating handmade books using standard Japanese stab binding, and printmaking with the actual plant specimens. Each student will produce a small book of botanical illustrations, field notes, and prints made from the plants we collect.
Both techniques suit beginners and those interested in exploring new methods of creating botanical journals. The weekend’s activities will include moderate hikes along Hambidge trails to observe plants in their native environments, lectures about the plants we see and their uses, sketching plants on the trail, and collecting specimens for printmaking. Studio activities will encompass bookmaking and printmaking techniques to create personal botanical journals.
Workshop Botanical Illustration and Printmaking with Native Herbs and Wildflowers
Leader Craig Burkhalter and Patricia Kyritsi Howell
Fee $450 for just the workshop. $1125-$1275 (These prices include lodging and meals. Special pricing is available for our Local Community members.)
Experience Level All levels are welcome. Ages 21 & over only.
Supplies: Art supplies will be provided. Students may want to bring clippers, garden gloves, basket for gathering herbs, clothes suitable for hiking, rain gear, shoes with good tread, anything else needed to be comfortable in the woods for the day.
Please note: It is recommended attendees be comfortable walking a mile at a moderate pace on uneven ground.
About the Leaders
Patricia Kyritsi Howell is a renowned herbalist, educator, and author with a deep connection to the medicinal plants of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Early in her herbal career, Patricia moved her life and practice to North Georgia to surround herself with the centuries-old knowledge of Southern Appalachian plants. She has built her practice around her dedication to preserving and sharing Appalachia's rich herbal traditions. Patricia is known for blending traditional and modern practices while promoting the sustainable use of regional herbs.
Patricia is the founder and director of the BotanoLogos School of Herbal Studies in Clayton, Georgia. For the past thirty years, she has imparted her extensive knowledge of herbal medicine to many students, serving as a mentor and leader in the exploration of the medicinal plants of the Southern Appalachians.
Inspired by her Greek heritage, Patricia owns and operates Wild Crete Travel, a small travel company that offers trips to Greece to study Mediterranean herbs and enjoy traditional Cretan cuisine. Whether in the Appalachian Mountains or the rugged landscapes of Crete, Patricia aspires to empower others to embrace herbs as an essential part of their heritage.
Craig Burkhalter was born in Macon, GA in 1956. Except for his college years he spent the first 60 years of his life in Macon. He graduated from Central High School in 1974, earned an art and teaching degree from Georgia Southern College in 1979 and a Masters of Fine Arts degree in 2002. He has a daughter who teaches in Macon and a son who is an environmental lawyer in Washington, DC. He now lives in the southern Appalachian mountains with his partner, Helen Meadors.
Craig’s career was in arts education, first on the high school level, and later as a professor of printmaking and art history at Middle Georgia State University. While teaching he continued to produce art and has shown in over 300 group and solo exhibitions. He was also the chairman of the Contemporary Arts Exchange/Macon for 30 years.
After 60 years of living in Macon Craig moved to the mountains. His studio was in downtown Macon, and now it’s surrounded by mountains, and the nearest neighbor is a half mile away. Such a great change in life brought about great changes in his art. He now spends his days in his garden, his studio, and taking long solitary hikes in the woods.