Robin Lee Carlson

Workshops

I teach workshops that combine drawing, painting, and natural science. My classes weave scientific knowledge into accessible and engaging instruction, where students actively create stories in their own artwork.

Upcoming Events
Past Events

Upcoming Events

Birding Tour and Author Talk with Aaron Haiman
Birds of the California Delta
A Seat at the Table Books & Coffee
November 15, 2025

Workshop Recordings

Art Toolkit Spring Workshop
Pollinators in Ink: Explore Contrast and Color in Nature with Robin Lee Carlson

What participants have said

Beverly C.

“Such an informative class and learning experience. Robin’s ability to paint and teach us about our subjects at the same time are masterful. Her philosophy that endings are really beginnings truly resonated with me and helped me to a greater respect for all organisms in the circle of life.”

Jennifer W.

“This was a wonderful, wonderful session. Learned many helpful natural history items as well as rendering techniques. I also could see my own personal improvement and skills-building in this session versus prior years. Hooray for growth!”

Anonymous

“Loved focusing on bringing our scavengers/decomposers/detritivores to life. This is often a forgotten area of biology that holds so much space for exploration and deserves a forefront in our minds and art. It was easy to see and feel Robin’s passion and that made the session all the better.”

Past Workshops

In Person Workshops
  • California Oak Discovery Day—Nature Journal Fire in an Oak Woodland (2025)
  • Wild Wonder Sierra Nevada Nature Journaling Retreat (2025)
  • UC Davis Scientific Illustration Club (2025)—Drawing Insect Specimens
  • Orcas Island Library & Friends of the San Juans (2024, 2025)—Field Sketching Workshop
  • Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UC Davis (2024, 2025)—Nature Journaling Wildflowers
  • Davis Waldorf School (2023, 2024, 2025)—Art and Natural Science Lessons
  • Tuleyome Certified California Naturalist Program (2023, 2025)—Field Sketching for Naturalists
  • Tuleyome Spring Thing (2023, 2024)—Nature Journaling
  • Yolo County Library Branches (2023)—Nature Journaling Pollinators
  • Orcas Island Library & Friends of the San Juans (2023)—Book Talk and Nature Journaling Workshop
  • Davis Forest School (2019, 2020)—Nature Journaling
  • Tuleyome Certified California Naturalist Program (2018)—Field Sketching for Naturalists
Virtual Workshops
  • Wild Wonder Foundation (2025)—Language of Shadows
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2025)—Field Sketching Pollinators (2 part series)
  • Art Toolkit Spring Workshop (2025)—Pollinators in Ink
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2025)—Field Sketching Galls (2 part series)
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2024)—A Guide to Sketching in the Field: Examples from a Study of Wildfire (3 part series)
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2024)—Painting Textures, Fast and Slow
  • Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (2024)—Nature Journaling and Bird Sketching
  • Art Toolkit Winter Workshop (2024)—Nature Journaling: Illustrate Stories of the Dynamic World Around You
  • The Whale Museum Marine Naturalist Training Program (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)—Journaling Salmon and Their Habitat
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2023)—A Celebration of Scavengers and Decomposers
  • Art Toolkit Live Demo (2023)—Field Sketching and Observation
  • UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (2023)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals: Using Art to Document Environmental Change
  • Botanical Artists’ Guild of Southern California (2022)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals and Drawing Demonstration
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2022)—Where the Light Isn’t: Telling Stories with Shadows
  • John Muir Laws’ Nature Journal Workshop (2022)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2021)—Lively and Expressive Field Sketching in Brush Pen and Watercolor
  • Botanical Artists’ Guild of Southern California (2020)—Ecoreportage and Documenting Wildfire
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2020)—Ecoreportage: Fire Ecology and How to Draw a Changing Landscape
  • John Muir Laws’ Nature Journal Workshop (2020)—Wildfire Journaling
Workshops: Adults
  • Wild Wonder Foundation (2025)—Language of Shadows
  • California Oak Discovery Day—Nature Journal Fire in an Oak Woodland (2025)
  • Wild Wonder Sierra Nevada Nature Journaling Retreat (2025)
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2025)—Field Sketching Pollinators (2 part series)
  • Art Toolkit Spring Workshop (2025)—Pollinators in Ink
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2025)—Field Sketching Galls (2 part series)
  • UC Davis Scientific Illustration Club (2025)—Drawing Insect Specimens
  • The daVinci Pursuit (2024)—A Guide to Sketching in the Field: Examples from a Study of Wildfire (3 part series)
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2024)—Painting Textures, Fast and Slow
  • Orcas Island Library & Friends of the San Juans (2024, 2025)—Field Sketching Workshop
  • Tuleyome Certified California Naturalist Program (2023, 2025)—Field Sketching for Naturalists
  • Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UC Davis (2024, 2025)—Nature Journaling Wildflowers
  • Audubon Society of Northern Virginia (2024)—Nature Journaling and Bird Sketching
  • Art Toolkit Winter Workshop (2024)—Nature Journaling: Illustrate Stories of the Dynamic World Around You
  • The Whale Museum Marine Naturalist Training Program (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)—Journaling Salmon and Their Habitat
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2023)—A Celebration of Scavengers and Decomposers
  • Art Toolkit Live Demo (2023)—Field Sketching and Observation
  • Orcas Island Library & Friends of the San Juans (2023)—Book Talk and Nature Journaling Workshop
  • UC Berkeley Botanical Garden (2023)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals: Using Art to Document Environmental Change
  • Botanical Artists’ Guild of Southern California (2022)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals and Drawing Demonstration
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2022)—Where the Light Isn’t: Telling Stories with Shadows
  • John Muir Laws’ Nature Journal Workshop (2022)—The Cold Canyon Fire Journals
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2021)—Lively and Expressive Field Sketching in Brush Pen and Watercolor
  • Botanical Artists’ Guild of Southern California (2020)—Ecoreportage and Documenting Wildfire
  • Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference (2020)—Ecoreportage: Fire Ecology and How to Draw a Changing Landscape
  • John Muir Laws’ Nature Journal Workshop (2020)—Wildfire Journaling
  • Tuleyome Certified California Naturalist Program (2018)—Field Sketching for Naturalists
Workshops: Children
  • California Oak Discovery Day—Nature Journal Fire in an Oak Woodland (2025)
  • Orcas Island Library & Friends of the San Juans (2024, 2025)—Field Sketching Workshop
  • Davis Waldorf School (2023, 2024, 2025)—Art and Natural Science Lessons
  • Tuleyome Spring Thing (2023, 2024)—Nature Journaling
  • Yolo County Library Branches (2023)—Nature Journaling Pollinators
  • Davis Forest School (2019, 2020)—Nature Journaling
The Cold Canyon Fire Journals with John Muir Laws
Field Sketching and Observation with Maria Coryell-Martin
Wildfire Journaling with John Muir Laws