Avocado Ink Notebook Making Workshop - Print Festival 2026

In this workshop you’ll get the opportunity to draw with gorgeous, rose-pink avocado ink, warming up with a mark-making exercise. We’ll then move on to using liquid wax, covering a piece of card with interesting shapes before painting over it with avocado ink - made from the stones. The wax resists the ink, making beautiful, one of a kind paper.

With your new cover paper, you’ll make a small notebook with a clever card and bakers twine closure. Along the way, you’ll learn about how Wendy uses food waste, foraged plants and scrap minerals in her printmaking on fabric and paper. At the end of the workshop, you’ll take home your beautiful new notebook and a recipe card for making your own avocado ink.

This session is suitable for beginners and those over the age of 16.

Artist bio:

Wendy Roby is a printmaker from Reddish, Stockport who makes ink from food waste, plants and minerals in her kitchen. She taught herself how to extract earthy scarlet from avocados, witchy black from oak trees and beautiful blues, greens and purples from red cabbage. Although making your own inks is obviously environmentally sound, for her the real appeal is the challenge in transforming unprepossessing materials. If making colour out of the knobbly marbles that baby wasps grow in isn’t a Cinderella story, she doesn’t know what is.

Roby’s work has been exhibited widely across Greater Manchester including three solo shows. Her work has covered the domestic load of Geoff Capes’ beleaguered ex-wife; the horror of the menopause and growing up in a crap town. Her print work and homewares are sold in museums and galleries including The Whitworth Gallery, for whom she regularly collaborates on one-of-a-kind products for exhibitions. Wendy teaches art and printmaking privately and for arts charities and can spot charity shop cashmere at twenty paces.

About our Print Festival

This workshop is taking place as part of Sunny Bank Mills' annual celebration of the art of printmaking and book making; featuring a series of workshops, new exhibitions, Open Studios and Leeds’ largest print fair. This year’s Print Festival will take place across the site of Sunny Bank Mills on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th March 2026.

Find out more about our Print Festival weekend on our website.

See the full Print Festival workshop collection.

About the venue

Sunny Bank Mills is an inspirational cultural destination in the heart of the local community of Farsley, Leeds. Founded in 1829, these glorious Mills are being regenerated by the sixth generation of the family owners, creating a wonderful blend of work, leisure and culture.

Course terms and booking conditions

Workshop and course bookings can be cancelled and refunded up until 7 days before the scheduled start date. As materials and equipment are ordered in advance, we regret that refunds cannot be offered less than 7 days before the workshop date. Please note that Eventbrite’s booking fee is non-refundable. If we need to cancel the course for any reason your ticket will be fully refunded.

Accessibility

The venue of this workshop is on the 3rd floor of the 1912 Mill, which is accessed via three flights of stairs or a wheelchair accessible lift.

There are accessible toilets on the ground and 2nd floor of the venue. We will have attendants on hand to offer assistance throughout the day. If you have any queries prior to your booking, please email [email protected].

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Host or Publisher Sunny Bank Mills Gallery