The Cluster
Saturday 10th October 2026 until Sunday 6th December 2026
Sketchbook Journaling Workshops
with Lorraine Berkshire-Roe
Price: From £30 per workshop
WHAT
A sketchbook journal is a place to explore creativity and record the world around you. They have the personality of their creators and are a therapeutic place where you can do whatever you chose and make your own rules. There are no mistakes or failures, just experimentation and play. Perfectionism is not encouraged.
In this series of workshops you can learn about nature note-taking, try paper engineering, learn about pen & ink drawing, printmaking and in-situ drawing, experiment with typography and finish with a couple of Christmas themed workshops.
WHO
Lorraine Berkshire-Roe is an Oxford-based illustrator who works mainly in pen and ink, creating playful, characterful pieces that bring a bit of joy to the everyday. After years of developing her style through sketchbooks and creative challenges like Inktober, she returned to self-employment in 2024 and now produces prints, cards, and hand-crafted ceramics, all with her signature touch of humour and warmth.
She’s spent the past decade juggling creative projects with teaching, most recently running after-school art clubs and workshops for kids. These days you’ll find her at markets around Oxford and beyond, sharing her latest work, taking commissions, and building a practice rooted in community and curiosity.
WHEN, HOW MUCH & HOW TO BOOK
There are 8 places available at each workshop.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Various times and prices – please check each workshop when booking.
WORKSHOP 1 £30
Saturday 10th October 2026 10am to 12pm
Nature Note-Taking
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 2 £40
Saturday 10th October 2026 1pm to 4pm
Pen and Ink Drawing
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 3 £30
Saturday 24th October 2026 10am to 12pm
Typography
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 4 £30
Sunday 8th November 2026 10am to 12pm
Using paper bags & collected ephemera
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 5 £40
Sunday 8th November 2026 1pm to 4pm
Printmaking
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 6 £30
Sunday 22nd November 2026 10am to 12pm
In-situ drawing
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 7 £35
Sunday 22nd November 2026 1pm to 3:30pm
The Merry Sketchbook Christmas Workshop
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WORKSHOP 8 £30
Sunday 6th December 2026 10am to 12pm
Chapter 5 Finale!
FIND OUT MORE HERE
WHERE
The Cluster, 3-5 Middle Way, OX2 7LH (the best co-working space in the universe, says us!)
It will take place indoors at The Cluster co-working space, 3-5 Middle Way, Summertown, Oxford. There are regular buses from Oxford city centre to Summertown. There are some 3 hour parking spaces along Middle Way but these are subject to availability. There is Summertown car park opposite Oakthorpe Road.
Lovely things attendees have said about our previous workshops*
*oh stop it!
Bloody brilliant!
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Loved the sessions. So well prepared. All the materials, a theme for the session, a great location… Super encouraging environment. Can’t think of anything that was missing.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
I have loved Lorraine’s workshops and have already booked onto another. I feel able to give sketching, doodling and scribbling a go which is so lovely for my busy brain. I enjoy the process and feel proud of the results which is MEGA!
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Lovely teacher in a relaxed setting, encouraging and providing plenty of ideas to get you started. Liked having a range of materials to try. Lots pf fun and time just flies.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
Really enjoyed Lorraine’s, very well planned with lots of resources available. It’s a whole new world – can’t wait for the next one! Venue very friendly.
Workshop Attendee
Sketchbook Journal Workshops
I thought the venue was excellent (helped by the availability of coffee) and the samples you supplied were great, it must have taken ages to prepare! Many thanks and looking forward to the next one.
Steph
Workshop Attendee
Thank you for all the prep you did, it paid off. What a magical morning. Pure joy, honestly it was great. I love your style of teaching too, you put everyone at their ease.
Bev
Workshop Attendee
A fantastic session! First time using a dip pen for me. I would not have thought of trying this myself otherwise, so a door I didn’t even know was there has opened. It was also a great opportunity to try out different nibs to get a sense of the possibilities.
Bela
Workshop Attendee
It was such a good workshop, I loved it and can’t wait for the next one!
Nicola
Workshop Attendee
Jolly well done Kevin for running such a marvellous venue. Lorraine, your first journaling class was absolutely top-hole! Looking forward to the next class in a fortnight.
Cathryn
Workshop Attendee
WORKSHOP 1
Saturday 10th October 2026
10am to 12pm
You may arrive at 9:45am to settle in. The workshop starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm. You may stay until 12:15pm to talk and share your work with the group if that is what you would like to do. You are welcome to leave at 12pm if you would rather not.
£30
8 spaces only
This is the first workshop of 8 workshops in Chapter 5 of my Sketchbook Journal Workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Nature Note-Taking: Autumnal Themes
Nature is all around us, it is wonderful to have a close look sometimes, to see how the leaves meet the stem on different plants, how the flowers are constructed or what makes up the environment we live in everyday.
In this workshop we will be drawing from collected samples of Autumnal flowers and leaves etc. I will have some samples but you are welcome to bring in any if you would like to draw them. It is also OK to draw from reference.
Watercolour and pencil are great media to use for this, I can give a short demonstration of using watercolour if anyone would like that. You can add notes about the date, location, details of any plants and where they were found etc. There will be opportunity to take photos of any plants you find in-situ in The Cluster courtyard or plant samples that you bring in.
WORKSHOP 2
Saturday 10th October 2026
1pm to 4pm
You may arrive at 12.45pm to settle in. The workshop starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm.
£40
8 spaces only
This is the 2nd workshop in our series of 8 workshops.
This is the first in my new series of Art Technique Exploration workshops, which are still part of my sketchbook journal workshop series, but concerned more with exploring an art technique to use in your sketchbooks or in other areas of your creative practice
These are slightly longer at 3 hours in length, so there Is more time to explore the technique.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Pen and Ink drawing
I use a dip pen and ink in a lot of my illustration work.
I will be giving some tips how to use dip pen and an introduction to using line to create shade and texture. These techniques can be used in a sketchbook journal, but it is also a great technique/medium which can be used to create artworks not connected with that.
There will be exercises to get used to the pen, different nibs to try, lots of advice, resources to use to create artwork and chance to create an artwork from a photograph or non line-work image of your choosing.
WORKSHOP 3
Saturday 24th October 2026
10am to 12pm
You may arrive at 9:45am to settle in. The workshop starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm. You may stay until 12:15pm to talk and share your work with the group if that is what you would like to do. You are welcome to leave at 12pm if you would rather not.
£30
8 spaces only
This is the 3rd workshop in our series of 8.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Typography: Visual ways to communicate using letters and different fonts
This workshop is all about typography, You can use different fonts which are particular and specific to a place or event, and try different ways of writing headings and titles to bring your page to life.
You will have the opportunity to create 2 words ‘The Cluster’ using different ways of producing text and then create your own headings and body copy using some examples given to copy or stick in as a collage.
WORKSHOP 4
Sunday 8th November 2026
10am to 12pm
You may arrive at 9:45am to settle in. The workshop starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm. You may stay until 12:15pm to talk and share your work with the group if that is what you would like to do. You are welcome to leave at 12pm if you would rather not.
£30
8 spaces only
This is the 4th workshop in our series of 8 workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Using paper bags and collected ephemera
This workshop is about using found materials. I have collected some interesting paper bags, the sort of things you get in gift shops and museums. They are great for adding theatre to a sketchbook.
You can use it to simply put things you have collected in, write on them, fold them.
You can also create something to put inside, something surprising to lift out, perhaps drawn, or made from other collected material, funny, informative or personal. It’s just one more way of making sketchbook journals visually interesting and theatrical!
WORKSHOP 5
Sunday 8th November 2026
1pm to 4pm
You may arrive at 12.45pm to settle in. The workshop starts at 1pm and finishes at 4pm.
£40
8 spaces only
This is the 5th workshop in our series of 8 workshops.
This is the second in my new series of Art Technique Exploration workshops, which are still part of my sketchbook journal workshop series, but concerned more with exploring an art technique to use in your sketchbooks or in other areas of your creative world.
These are slightly longer at 3 hours in length, so there Is more time to explore the technique.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Printmaking – Tetra Pak prints and mono prints
This workshop is about exploring printmaking techniques using basic materials. The first technique is Tetra Pak print making, using old drinks cartons to inscribe a drawing into and use printing ink or acrylic paint to make prints from. The second technique is monoprinting, making one off prints using printing inks and wax crayons.
WORKSHOP 6
Sunday 22nd November 2026
10am to 12pm
You may arrive at 9:45am to settle in. The workshop starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm. You may stay until 12:15pm to talk and share your work with the group if that is what you would like to do. You are welcome to leave at 12pm if you would rather not.
£30
8 spaces only
This is the 6th workshop in our series of 8 workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
In-situ drawing
We will be drawing figures in the environment. In situ sketching isn’t life drawing, things can move unexpectedly, it’s not an environment you are in control of.
This workshop will focus on capturing the essence of a scene, the background and figures, quickly and with life to give a taste of what it was like to be there.
It is also a great way to really look at a subject, once you have drawn it you never see it the same again.
WORKSHOP 7
Sunday 22nd November 2026
1pm to 3:30pm
You may arrive at 12.45pm to settle in. The workshop starts at 1pm and finishes at 3:30pm.
£35
8 spaces only
This is the 7th workshop in our series of 8 and it is a seasonal special workshop.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
The Merry Sketchbook Christmas Workshop
Join me for a very special Christmas Sketchbook Journal Workshop – where mince pies meet mixed media and Christmas cheer flows as freely as the ink in my dip pen.
There will be a variety of Christmas-themed projects for you to chose from and all materials will be provided, along with plenty of resources, materials and visual material to help make it the most relaxed of workshops: where you can become inspired by pop up cards, go festive with collage and relax with some festive doodling in a warm, creative haven, safe from the outside world for a short while.
WORKSHOP 8
Sunday 6th December 2026
10am to 12pm
You may arrive at 9:45am to settle in. The workshop starts at 10am and finishes at 12pm. You may stay until 12:15pm to talk and share your work with the group if that is what you would like to do. You are welcome to leave at 12pm if you would rather not.
£30
8 spaces only
This is the last of 8 workshops in Chapter 5 of my Sketchbook Journal Workshops.
All workshops can be booked separately and are not part of a course.
Chapter 5 Finale!
This sketchbook journal workshop is a slight break from what I normally do. It’s the last one in Chapter 5, just before Christmas. I will most probably have home made mince pies again, definitely mince pies of some sort, depends on how much time I have had!
This session will be about recording things that happen, like Christmas, collecting ephemera, making drawings, maps, anything that keeps the memories alive.
I have all of the materials that I usually provide for these sessions, and a few Christmas extras. I see it as part sketchbook surgery, and also a chance to explore ways to document an event: all ideas on the Christmas table!
↓ See what the last workshop attendees got up to… ↓
OTHER USEFUL STUFF
The following materials will be provided for use during the sessions:
drawing pencils, coloured pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, scissors, glue sticks, tape, water colour paint sets, paintbrushes, a variety of pens such as brush markers, fine liners, paint markers, highlighters and any materials needed for the session experimenting with an art technique.
You are welcome to bring your own sketchbook to the workshops, but something with thicker paper than standard printer paper is recommended because you will be drawing on both sides.
There will be sketchbooks available to purchase at the start of the first session. I have a selection of A5 casebound sketchbooks, in portrait and landscape for £7. They have pages of thick cartridge paper.
ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
Please note that sessions will take place inside The Cluster building, which is a characterful older property. The outdoor area has uneven block paving, which may be difficult for those with limited mobility.
Toilets are available for use; however, they are not fully accessible. Most sessions will be held on the first floor, accessible only via a dog-leg staircase (similar to a spiral staircase, but angular rather than curved).
Unfortunately, the building is not wheelchair accessible.
If you have specific accessibility needs or questions, please feel free to contact us in advance so we can support you as best we can.
REFUND & CANCELLATION POLICY
If you need to cancel a workshop, please contact us. While it is very unlikely that we can issue a full refund, we’re happy to discuss options.
We can transfer your place to another workshop on a different date (if available and this needs to be done at least 2 weeks before the workshop you have booked). If you don’t wish to transfer to another date, we can put the workshop back for sale, then if the workshop becomes sold out, we can then issue you a refund.
You are also welcome to find someone else to take the workshop in your place. If you manage to do this, please let us know the name and contact details of the person. You can then sort out how they transfer money to you for the workshop.
If the workshop is cancelled by the tutor or venue, you will receive a full refund.
