An Introduction to Botanical Art in Graphite and Watercolor

Saturday, April 11, 2026
9am-3pm (6 hours)
San Francisco County Fair Building — Recreation Room

About the Program

A materials list will be provided. Bring your own lunch for an optional 30-minute lunch break.

How do you begin to create a botanical artwork? Sally Petru will guide you through the fundamentals of drawing and painting in this one-day workshop. Through careful observation you will learn how to approach a life-sized drawing in perspective through discovering the form, structure, and detail of your subject. Students are invited to draw a portion of their plant to allow time to also learn basic watercolor techniques. Sally will demonstrate each step so that students will have the tools to continue beyond the classroom.

All levels are welcome! Students will get individual attention throughout the day.

About the Instructor

Sally Petru has been creating botanical artworks for 25 years, specializing in watercolor. Her passion for plants began with a career in landscape architecture while her love for art was always deeply seated. Much of her work is inspired by the gardens and parks in her native California Bay Area. She takes great pleasure in teaching and serving both the American Society of Botanical Artists and her local chapter. Sally has been admitted to several Florilegia collections, including UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley, Filoli, Mt Tamalpais and Alcatraz. Most recently, she was juried into exhibitions with the American Society of Botanical Artists, ASBA 27th Annual International and Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field, a traveling exhibition.

—

Gardens of Golden Gate Park Members are entitled to a 20% discount for this program. To secure your discount, please enter the Member Discount Code in the “Promo Code” field when checking out. For the Member Discount Code, please contact membership@gggp.org. Discount codes do not apply to the “Pay What You Will” price level.

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable