In this 45-minute workshop, participants create one to three cards for Valentine’s Day on paper using leaves/flowers (dried or fresh), tea or coffee or pomegranate juice, and a piece of poetry. The workshop is inspired by a 19th c. botanical book from the UCSF Library collection. Participants create their flower/leaf compositions using staining and mark-making techniques on paper. Participants may choose a poem of their choice to include in their compositions.

What Workshop Offers

• Present select images from Asa Gray’s Lesson in Botany and Vegetable Physiology, a 19th c. botanical book from the UCSF Library’s Archive, and a poem by Rumi
• Introduce the mark-making methods and techniques on paper using natural substances and elements
• Complete 1-3 poetic Valentine’s cards

Material List

Since the workshop will be held on Zoom, we are unable to provide supplies. Please have the following supplies for the workshop:

• Paper, preferably watercolor paper (e.g., Strathmore Blank Watercolor Postcards pad of 15)
• One cup of black tea or coffee
• Pomegranate or cherry juice for the color red and any other juice or diluted spice in water (e.g., turmeric) for color
• Dried or fresh leaves, flowers, small branches, and other natural elements of your choice
• 10-15 cotton balls & 10 cotton swabs
• One fine-point sharpie & one pencil
• A portion of a poem to reference (Artist in Residence will provide a piece of poetry by Rumi, the 13th c. Persian poet) 

NOTE: Participants may buy any brand of watercolor paper they prefer from local craft stores. Price varies at each store for different brands. Alternatively, participants may use any paper such as copy paper. The difference is that watercolor paper absorbs the liquid better than regular paper.

This workshop was held on February 9, 2022, and was led by Pantea Karimi, UCSF Library's current Artist in Residence. To learn more about the Artist in Residence program, visit the UCSF Library website.