Places are limited and each course is carefully prepared. We encourage you to review our Terms & Conditions before booking. By booking, you agree to them and to the principles that shape our courses.
Seated lunch | Afternoon tea | Small-group
Led by Kate Charlton, Botanical Illustrator and Greeting Card Artist, with heritage context from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Create your own botanical Christmas card inspired by winter foliage and seasonal tradition.
Learn how to sketch, compose and paint festive plants with confidence in acrylic.
Take home a professionally printed set of 100 personalised Christmas cards featuring your own artwork.
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Spend the day surrounded by winter greenery, colour and seasonal creativity in this immersive botanical painting masterclass at The Old Vicarage.
Working from freshly gathered foliage harvested from the gardens and surrounding landscape, you’ll explore holly, ivy, berries and evergreen forms through sketching and acrylic painting. Guided by Kate Charlton’s detailed yet characterful approach to botanical illustration, you’ll learn how to simplify natural forms, balance composition and build colour through careful observation and layering.
The emphasis throughout is on creating a piece that feels personal, expressive and festive rather than overly formal. Whether you choose a simple sprig of berry-laden holly or a fuller arrangement of winter foliage, Kate will support you through each stage of the process with demonstrations and individual guidance.
Asterion & Co. will open the day with a short Heritage-Inspired Learning™ session exploring the symbolism and cultural history of Christmas greenery, from evergreen traditions and winter rituals to the enduring use of foliage as a symbol of renewal, continuity and light during the darkest months of the year.
Following the workshop, your finished artwork will be professionally printed by Pennybatch Gallery, the Somerset printmaker responsible for Kate Charlton’s own card collections. Within one week, you’ll receive 100 printed cards with envelopes, personalised with your chosen text and your name printed on the reverse as the artist.
What you will learn
Develop confidence sketching and painting botanical forms
Understand how to build colour, texture and detail using acrylic paint
Explore composition and balance within card design
Learn how to simplify foliage while retaining character and atmosphere
Create a finished artwork suitable for professional print production
Design a personalised Christmas card with your own chosen text
How the day unfolds
Warm welcome and introduction
Contextual session on Christmas foliage and winter symbolism
Introduction to sketching, composition and acrylic techniques
Morning drawing and observational studies from fresh foliage
Seated seasonal lunch and time to pause
Afternoon painting and refinement session
Final preparation of artwork for professional printing
Discussion of personalised card text and presentation
What you’ll leave with
A completed original botanical Christmas card design
100 professionally printed Christmas cards with envelopes
Personalised reverse text featuring your family or business name
Greater confidence in botanical painting and composition
A festive and restorative day of creative making
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Workshop Details
Date: Wednesday 18th November 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £225 per person
Includes: Full tuition, all painting materials, professional printing of 100 Christmas cards with envelopes, personalised card-back text, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, and hand delivery of cards to your home
Additional card quantities can also be arranged following the workshop.
Booking terms
By booking, you are entering into an agreement with Asterion & Co. in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, including our cancellation policy and course guidelines.
This masterclass combines Kate Charlton’s botanical illustration practice with Asterion’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™ philosophy, creating a festive day of careful observation, craftsmanship and seasonal creativity.
About Kate Charlton
Kate Charlton is a Somerset-based botanical illustrator and greeting card artist known for her detailed yet characterful paintings of plants, flowers and seasonal foliage. Her work balances careful observation with warmth, colour and a strong sense of atmosphere.
Through her teaching, Kate encourages guests to paint with confidence and enjoyment, helping them simplify complex forms while capturing the beauty and personality of the natural world.
Learn more about Kate in The Asterion Journal.
Places are limited and each course is carefully prepared. We encourage you to review our Terms & Conditions before booking. By booking, you agree to them and to the principles that shape our courses.
Seated lunch | Afternoon tea | Small-group
Led by Kate Charlton, Botanical Illustrator and Greeting Card Artist, with heritage context from Neil Crump, Founder of Asterion & Co.
Create your own botanical Christmas card inspired by winter foliage and seasonal tradition.
Learn how to sketch, compose and paint festive plants with confidence in acrylic.
Take home a professionally printed set of 100 personalised Christmas cards featuring your own artwork.
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Spend the day surrounded by winter greenery, colour and seasonal creativity in this immersive botanical painting masterclass at The Old Vicarage.
Working from freshly gathered foliage harvested from the gardens and surrounding landscape, you’ll explore holly, ivy, berries and evergreen forms through sketching and acrylic painting. Guided by Kate Charlton’s detailed yet characterful approach to botanical illustration, you’ll learn how to simplify natural forms, balance composition and build colour through careful observation and layering.
The emphasis throughout is on creating a piece that feels personal, expressive and festive rather than overly formal. Whether you choose a simple sprig of berry-laden holly or a fuller arrangement of winter foliage, Kate will support you through each stage of the process with demonstrations and individual guidance.
Asterion & Co. will open the day with a short Heritage-Inspired Learning™ session exploring the symbolism and cultural history of Christmas greenery, from evergreen traditions and winter rituals to the enduring use of foliage as a symbol of renewal, continuity and light during the darkest months of the year.
Following the workshop, your finished artwork will be professionally printed by Pennybatch Gallery, the Somerset printmaker responsible for Kate Charlton’s own card collections. Within one week, you’ll receive 100 printed cards with envelopes, personalised with your chosen text and your name printed on the reverse as the artist.
What you will learn
Develop confidence sketching and painting botanical forms
Understand how to build colour, texture and detail using acrylic paint
Explore composition and balance within card design
Learn how to simplify foliage while retaining character and atmosphere
Create a finished artwork suitable for professional print production
Design a personalised Christmas card with your own chosen text
How the day unfolds
Warm welcome and introduction
Contextual session on Christmas foliage and winter symbolism
Introduction to sketching, composition and acrylic techniques
Morning drawing and observational studies from fresh foliage
Seated seasonal lunch and time to pause
Afternoon painting and refinement session
Final preparation of artwork for professional printing
Discussion of personalised card text and presentation
What you’ll leave with
A completed original botanical Christmas card design
100 professionally printed Christmas cards with envelopes
Personalised reverse text featuring your family or business name
Greater confidence in botanical painting and composition
A festive and restorative day of creative making
𐡷𐫱𐡸
Workshop Details
Date: Wednesday 18th November 2026
Time: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: The Old Vicarage, Leigh-on-Mendip, Somerset
Price: £225 per person
Includes: Full tuition, all painting materials, professional printing of 100 Christmas cards with envelopes, personalised card-back text, refreshments throughout the day, a seated seasonal lunch, and hand delivery of cards to your home
Additional card quantities can also be arranged following the workshop.
Booking terms
By booking, you are entering into an agreement with Asterion & Co. in accordance with our Terms & Conditions, including our cancellation policy and course guidelines.
This masterclass combines Kate Charlton’s botanical illustration practice with Asterion’s Heritage-Inspired Learning™ philosophy, creating a festive day of careful observation, craftsmanship and seasonal creativity.
About Kate Charlton
Kate Charlton is a Somerset-based botanical illustrator and greeting card artist known for her detailed yet characterful paintings of plants, flowers and seasonal foliage. Her work balances careful observation with warmth, colour and a strong sense of atmosphere.
Through her teaching, Kate encourages guests to paint with confidence and enjoyment, helping them simplify complex forms while capturing the beauty and personality of the natural world.
Learn more about Kate in The Asterion Journal.
Image 1 of 20
Image 2 of 20
Image 3 of 20
Image 4 of 20
Image 5 of 20
Image 6 of 20
Image 7 of 20
Image 8 of 20
Image 9 of 20
Image 10 of 20
Image 11 of 20
Image 12 of 20
Image 13 of 20
Image 14 of 20
Image 15 of 20
Image 16 of 20
Image 17 of 20
Image 18 of 20
Image 19 of 20
Image 20 of 20
