Nature journaling is the art of observing nature and recording what you see using a combination of sketches, words and numbers. It is a great way to encourage curiosity, observation and wonder of the natural world. Nature journaling is an art that sharpens our awareness and deepens our knowledge and relationship with nature.

We’ll cover the basics of getting started, practice techniques for observational drawings, and discuss strategies to deepen curiosity and sense of wonder. As a group we will spend time in nature observing, sketching, asking questions and writing about plants, insects, animals and landscapes we might see.

We will meet at San Carlos Beach in Monterey, CA. We will be outdoors, so remember to bring a hat and wear sunscreen! If you own binoculars or a small stool, you are welcome to bring them!

Nature journaling is for all experience levels.

All materials for nature journaling will be provided.

Ages: 13 - Adult
Date: Sunday, April 21, 2024
Time: 10am-2pm
Location: San Carlos Beach
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $35

Illustrate some of your favorite local marine mammals! Together we will learn about marine mammals that can be found in Monterey Bay including: cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions), and sea otters!

After a brief introduction highlighting their anatomy, behavior, and special adaptations, we will use science illustration techniques to create a personalized field guide. We will focus on scientific accuracy and attention to detail while using graphite, ink, colored pencil and watercolor to create our illustrations.

Each student will take home several sketches and illustrations of their own making!

For all skill levels.

Date: Saturday, March 23rd
Time: 10am - 2pm
Age: 11- Adult
Fee: $35  (includes all materials)
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Class size: Limited to 8 students

This class is for those that want to learn the basics of Procreate and already have their own iPad and Apple pencil, as well as the Procreate application!

We will learn how to choose a canvas size, change backgrounds, create new layers, choose a brush, use a reference, change opacity, utilize the selection tool, use clipping masks, merge layers, use alpha lock, make adjustments, add text, export our work, and more!

Once we get the basics of the application, you will have the time to create some digital art of your choosing.

Don’t forget to charge your iPad the night before the class and bring your charger!

For all skill levels.

*Important note: Participants must bring their own iPads*


Date: Saturday, March 16th
Time: 10am - 2pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Ages: 13- Adult
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $25 

On Random Acts of Kindness Day, a day to encourage and celebrate gestures of kindness, we’ll enjoy making “random collages of kindness!” Collage artist Lisa Handley will provide fun inspiration, guidance and plenty of materials for you to create collage art pieces in small, easy to give away sizes such as bookmarks, artist trading cards or inchies and twinchies (tiny collages in one and two-inch dimensions). You’ll bring home collaged kindness to brighten someone's day in a variety of ways. Tuck a bookmark in a library return. Mail a twinchie inside a letter to a friend. Leave an artist trading card on a park bench to be found. Lisa will share other clever ideas on how to release your art. 

Ages: 11 - Adult
Date: Saturday, February 17th, 2024
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $40 includes materials

Butterflies, moths and other insects are incredibly important pollinators for our ecosystems. Using real-life insect specimens, students will use science illustration techniques to create accurate illustrations of butterflies, moths, and other insects! 

 We will focus on scientific accuracy, attention to detail and color matching. We will use graphite, ink, colored pencil and watercolor to create our insect illustrations.

 Each student will take home several sketches and illustrations of their own making! 

 For all skill levels.

 Ages: 13 - Adult (exceptions made on case-by-case basis for younger students)
Date: Sunday, Dec 10, 2023
Hours: 10am - 2pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $60 (includes all materials)

Students will create marine illustrations by using specimens and other reference materials on hand. If you have shells or any other beach-finds at home, you are welcome to bring them to use as a reference!

We will focus on scientific accuracy, attention to detail and color matching. Students will use graphite, ink, colored pencil and watercolor to create the illustrations.

Each student will take home several sketches and illustrations of their own making!

For all skill levels.

Ages: 13 - Adult (exceptions made on case-by-case basis for younger students)
Date: Sunday, Dec 3, 2023
Hours: 10am - 2pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $60 (includes all materials)

Treat yourself to a wintry morning of creativity! We’ll be handcrafting seasonal notecards and gift tags as well as ornaments that can double as gift wrap embellishments. Collage artist and papercrafter Lisa Handley will share some of her favorite designs to collage with new and upcycled materials.

You’ll learn how to make lovely snowflake mandalas, nostalgic snow globes, cozy mittens and more. Your loved ones will feel extra special when they receive your winter-inspired creations!

Ages: 12 - Adult
Size: Up to 8 participants
Date: Saturday, December 2, 2023
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $25 (includes materials)

Expanding Your Horizons is a STEM Conference for Girls in Grades 5-10

Expanding Your Horizon conferences feature fun and challenging hand-on math, science, and engineering activities led by female mathematicians, scientists and engineers.

This is a FREE event for girls in grades 5-10!

By using local volunteers to lead workshops, you’ll meet with industry professionals who live and work in your community and who may serve as your future mentor.

• Takes place November 4th, 2023 at Hartnell College

• Event is FREE but participants must be registered!

ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE:

• Participation in 2 hands-on STEM workshops

• Career Fair access to meet women in STEM (with some goodie giveaways!)

• Lyceum EYH T-shirts!

• Lyceum Tote Bags with goodies!

• Light breakfast snacks (muffins, granola bars, etc.)

• Lunch (sandwiches, chips & a cookie)

• Raffle prizes announced at end of day

• This is a FREE event for girls in grades 5-10

Illustrate some of your favorite local nocturnal animals. Together we will learn about nocturnal animals that can be found in Monterey County including bats, owls, raccoons and opossums!

After a brief introduction to these animals, we will use science illustration techniques to create a personalized field guide for some of these misunderstood creatures of the night.

We will focus on scientific accuracy while drawing our nocturnal friends. Students will use graphite, pen & ink, colored pencil and watercolor to create the illustrations.

Ages: 13 - Adult (exceptions made on case-by-case basis for younger students)
Date: Sunday, October 29th, 2023
Hours: 9:30am - 1:30pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Kristen Burroughs
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $45 (includes all materials)

Spend a Saturday with us creating beautiful and unique Cyanotypes! Use the sun to make blue photo-based pictures, using a 19th century old photographic process called the Cyanotype Process. This process involves using UV light (the sun!) to expose your photograph or photogram. We’ll also explore the use of salt-water and even tea in the process to modify color and texture.

Students will learn a brief history of the process, learn chemical safety, and then take a short walk to the lake and beach to collect items and make photograms from contact print in the sun.  No camera needed!  All materials will be provided.

Bring a lunch and walking shoes. 

Ages: 11 - 16
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2023
Hours: 9:30 - 1:30pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Dina Santos
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $45 (includes all materials)

Discover the enjoyment of collaging in miniature! Collage artist Lisa Handley will provide guidance, plenty of inspiration and a fun assortment of materials for you to create inchies and twinchies, “small, but mighty" collages in one and two-inch dimensions. These tiny art pieces can be displayed in interesting ways, designed into or tucked inside notecards and used as gift tags. Lisa will share these ideas and many more with you. 

Ages: 11 - Adult
Date: Saturday, March 18th, 2023
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $45 includes materials

The Japanese art of kokedama, literally translates to moss ball, and is a ball of soil covered in moss, which holds an ornamental plant. Also referred to as the 'poor man's bonsai," kokedama is a combination of nearai bonsai meaning 'no pot' and kusamono meaning 'grass-like' planting styles. These living art objects are popular in Japan adorning small spaces hanging or nested on a table. They are generally made with shady-loving plants and require regular watering.

Learn how to make your own drought tolerant succulent kokedama for your home or garden, taught by artist, Cecelia Azhderian of Succulent Tea. These garden sculptures are made up of an individual succulent artfully wrapped with twine to create a pot-less plant. This Japanese form of bonsai has been appropriated to include succulents and thrive in our California climate. With proper care the kokedama will last for months or even years (care instructions will be included). All materials are natural and will deteriorate and biodegrade over time. The kokedamas look appealing hanging or nested. They do well inside the home or outside in a sunny or shady spot depending upon the plant and climate.

In this 2.5 hour workshop each participant will choose their own succulents and twine from options provided, learn how to put the piece together, as well as finish it with a couple of different wrapping techniques. Each participant will take home 3 succulent kokedama creations of their own making.

Ages: Teen to Adult
Dates: Saturday, Dec 3, 2022
Hours: 9:30 - noon
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Cecelia Azhderian
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $65 (includes all materials to make 3 kokedama)

Enjoy the art of gift wrapping! Collage artist and papercrafter Lisa Handley will share some of her favorite ideas for handcrafting unique boxes, bags and tags with new and upcycled materials. Learn how to make your own bags, collaged tags and origami boxes, transform a mint tin into a box that is also a gift in itself and turn everyday ephemera into creative embellishments. Make a special impression on your gift recipients this holiday season or any time of the year!

Ages: 11 - Adult
Date: Saturday, Nov 5, 2022
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $45 includes materials

Collage your own Halloween treats to keep or to give…fun and “sugar free!” Enjoy a pumpkin spice color palette, a ghostly greeting and more! Collagist and paper-crafter Lisa Handley will share her favorite collage “tricks” and provide guidance on creating paper mosaic collage art, cut and torn paper notecards and festive garlands in Halloween and Autumn themed designs.

Ages: 11 - Adult
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022
Hours: 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $45.00 (includes all materials)

Illustrate one of the most charismatic groups of megafauna found in the Monterey Bay, marine mammals! Students will be led through a visual exploration of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions), and sea otters highlighting their anatomy, behavior, and special adaptations to the marine ecosystem.

Current traditional science illustration techniques will be the focus of this workshop, with attention to detail, accuracy and identification being the emphasis of the day. We’ll concentrate on graphite, ink, colored pencil, and watercolor. Each student will take home several sketches and drawings/paintings of their own making! For all skill levels.

Ages:  Teen - Adult
Date: Saturday, May 16, 2020
Hours: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Cecelia Azhderian
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $50

Learn the Japanese Notan concept of composition and balance with positive and negative shapes to create beautiful collage art. “Notan” refers to the arrangement and harmony of light and dark, and Japanese artists have traditionally used black and white paper or paint to create their designs.

In this 2.5-hour cut paper collage art workshop, local artist Lisa Handley of Plumeria Papercraft will provide inspiration and guidance as you enjoy experimentation with different papers, colors, shapes and placements of your choosing. You can also choose to collage your unique Japanese Notans as artwork, notecards or both. All materials included.

Ages:     Teen to Adult
Dates:     Saturday, April 25, 2020
Hours:     1:00 - 3:30pm
Location:     The Lyceum
Instructor:     Lisa Handley
Class size:     Limited to 8 students
Fee:     $35

The Japanese art of kokedama, literally translates to moss ball, and is a ball of soil covered in moss, which holds an ornamental plant. Also referred to as the 'poor man's bonsai," kokedama is a combination of nearai bonsai meaning 'no pot'  and kusamono meaning 'grass-like' planting styles. These living art objects are popular in Japan adorning small spaces hanging or nested on a table. They are generally made with shady-loving plants and require regular watering.

Learn how to make your own drought tolerant succulent kokedama for your home or garden, taught by artist, Cecelia Azhderian of Succulent Tea. These garden sculptures are made up of an individual succulent artfully wrapped with twine to create a pot-less plant. This Japanese form of bonsai has been appropriated to include succulents and thrive in our California climate. With proper care the kokedama will last for months or even years (care instructions will be included). All materials are natural and will deteriorate and biodegrade over time. The kokedamas look appealing hanging or nested. They do well inside the home or outside in a sunny or shady spot depending upon the plant and climate.

In this 2.5 hour workshop each participant will choose their own succulents and twine from options provided, learn how to put the piece together, as well as finish it with a couple of different wrapping techniques. Each participant will take home 3 succulent kokedama creations of their own making.

Ages: Teen to Adult
Dates: Saturday, Apr 18, 2020
Hours: 9:30 - noon
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Cecelia Azhderian
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $65 (includes all materials to make 3 kokedama)

Although drafting film was originally created for technical drawings, artists have discovered that it makes an excellent surface for colored pencil—it's velvety, erasable, and translucent enough to use on both sides. In this class we'll experiment using Duralar drafting film with Prismacolor pencils—learning to apply the pencil to the film, back-painting the film for brighter color, erasing and scraping the pencil, and laying the film over toned paper.

No experience with colored pencil is required! Drafting film will be supplied; please bring Prismacolor pencils if you have them, but a large class set will be available for all students' use. 

Ages:     Teen - Adult
Date:    Sunday, April 5, 2020
Hours:    12:30pm - 4:00pm
Instructor:     Erin Hunter (website)
Location:    The Lyceum
Class Size:     Limited to 8 students
Fee:     $55

Access your inner wisdom and the wisdom of spirit animals through the creative, contemplative process of SoulCollage®.  During this 2 1/2-hour workshop, SoulCollage® facilitator and artist Lisa Handley will provide materials, inspiration and guidance as you gather images and collage cards in honor of animals with whom you feel a special connection. You will also have an opportunity to contemplate the personal significance of each card and animal, combining your own reflections with animal characteristics and symbolism. The SoulCollage® process founded by Seena Frost, author of SoulCollage® Evolving, takes you on a wonderful journey of inner exploration, self-discovery and personal growth. Enjoy this Fall afternoon journey with your spirit animals!

 Ages: Teen - Adult
Size: Up to 8 participants
Date: Sunday, November 10, 2019
Hours: 1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: The Lyceum of Monterey County
Instructor: Lisa Handley
Fee: $30 per participant

Explore our backyard and the rich environs of Monterey Bay by illustrating marine subject matter. Students will hone their observation skills and create drawings and paintings by using specimens and other reference materials on hand.

Current traditional science illustration techniques will be the focus of this workshop, with attention to detail, accuracy and identification being the emphasis of the day. We’ll concentrate on graphite, ink, colored pencil, and watercolor. Each student will take home several sketches and drawings/paintings of their own making!
For all skill levels. Bring your own beach-combing finds to class if you already have something you would like to draw.

Ages: Teen to Adult
Date: Saturday, Oct 26, 2019
Hours: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Location: The Lyceum
Instructor: Cecelia Azhderian
Class size: Limited to 8 students
Fee: $50