Watercolour workshop: Wild Meadow

Ione Harrison is leading a full-day watercolour workshop at Castle Howard Arboretum on Monday 3 August, with the theme Wild Meadow. Harrison is a North Yorkshire-based landscape artist and watercolour tutor, and she'll be guiding the session throughout the day. It's set up as a friendly, supportive space for adults, so it works as well for complete beginners as it does for experienced painters looking to try something new. The focus is on creativity and relaxing out in the open, rather than anything too formal.

The session is built around the Wild Meadow theme, and you'll spend the day painting from the surroundings. The booking covers everything you need for the day: Harrison's expert guidance, all your materials, and a lunch of soup and a sandwich, with tea, coffee and water on hand throughout. You also get access to the Arboretum and, of course, the piece you paint to take home with you.

It's worth having a sense of where you'll be spending the day. Castle Howard Arboretum is a 120-acre site in North Yorkshire, established in the 1970s and now home to over 7,000 trees from around the world, alongside lakes and wildflower meadows. It's run by the Castle Howard Arboretum Trust, a charity dedicated to conservation and education. While the Arboretum is family-friendly and welcomes children, this particular workshop is aimed at adults.

This is one of three themed sessions running at the Arboretum: Wild Meadow on 3 August, Autumn Trees on 19 October, and Christmas Cards on 30 November. The cost is £110 per person, with a reduced rate of £100 for Castle Howard members. You'll need to book your place in advance.