Workshops

Melanie Cairns – Draw Your Pet Workshop

Venue: Where Inspiration Blooms, The Pavilion, Penn Street, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0PX
Cost: £50
Timing: 10am-12pm
Date: 10 October to 10 October 2026
Website: https://www.whereinspirationblooms.co.uk/product-page/pet-portraits-illustration-workshop-with-mel-cairns

We are a nation of pet lovers so you won’t be surprised to hear that we’ve been asked to run this class countless times since we first ran it back in 2024.

With a new term comes new workshops… and a brand new artist to welcome into our Where Inspiration Blooms teaching community.

You are cordially invited to join award-winning artist Mel Cairns for a fun, fast-and-loose ink illustration workshop where you’ll learn how to draw your pet!

In this 2-hour workshop, Mel will guide you through simple layout, proportions and inky techniques, making this session ideal for complete beginners as well as confident doodlers keen to try a new style or medium.

In a relaxed, informal setting you’ll experiment with expressive line, mark-making and detail, and you’ll leave with a finished illustration, mounted and bagged, ready for a 10″ x 12″ frame. No experience needed and all materials are provided – just bring your curiosity and be ready to play with ink.

Mel will generously share her way of drawing, including planning, technique & tips for illustrating your very own pet. Mel will show you how to study your reference photo, sketch an accurate outline in pencil & add your pet’s unique features. You’ll then ink your outline, add colour and finally be ready to mount your very own illustration ready for a 10” x 12” frame. Surely this would make a really personal pressie for a loved one as the festive season approaches?

Mel will provide you with A4 art paper, pencils, a rubber, brush pens, marker pens, the mount, backing board & a clear presentation cover but we will need you to bring a printed out A5 photo of your chosen pet (that bit we really can’t do for you!). Please note you are welcome to bring a print out A5 photo of a different animal if you don’t have a pet!

Mel’s award winning art has been sold through galleries, art exhibitions and fairs in Buckinghamshire and her commissioned work is in collections all around the world, so we are in the hands of someone admired by pet lovers globally.

At Where Inspiration Blooms, we’re big fans of delicious cake! In this class, you can enjoy a choice of traditional and herbal teas from Chesham-based tea connoisseurs, Two Spoons, as well as both caffeinated and decaf coffee. We have dairy and non-dairy milks to suit every preference, and our homemade cakes are always sourced from good local bakers. We also make sure those who need gluten-free options aren’t left out, with carefully selected treats that are safe from cross-contamination — a top tip we’ve taken from Jules’ niece who is coeliac! If you have any allergies, please do let us know when you book so we can make sure everyone has a wonderful and worry-free treat.