Mycelium Maps: Art Workshop

Join us for a relaxed, creative workshop exploring hidden networks in nature and our own lives. Using drawing, inks and threads, participants will create layered “maps” inspired by autumn leaves, mycelium and community connections. All materials provided, no experience needed.

Just as autumn leaves carry the traces of unseen lifelines and roots stretch in quiet connection beneath the soil, our lives too are woven through hidden networks of support and care. Mycelium, the underground web of fungal threads, is nature’s hidden support system, connecting trees, soil and whole ecosystems. In this workshop we’ll take inspiration from these networks and from the lines traced in autumn leaves, to reflect on the often unseen systems of care and connection in our own lives. It’s an invitation to slow down, notice patterns and create visual “maps” that celebrate both nature and community.

Over two relaxed hours you’ll use drawing, inks and threads to build layered artworks on paper. Alongside making, we’ll share thoughts and ideas, highlighting the links between visible and invisible networks in both science and art. No experience is needed, and all materials are provided, just bring your curiosity. This is a process-focused, enjoyable session designed as much for reflection and conversation as for creativity and a gentle way to meet others through making.

About the Artist

Emily McLennan is an artist based in Stirlingshire whose practice is rooted in ecological observation and connection to place. Working across painting, print and drawing, she explores how art can inspire care for the environment, build community and reimagine more sustainable ways of living.

Her work often focuses on soil, roots and mycelial networks, the hidden systems that sustain ecosystems and human life alike. Through slow, sensory, material-led processes, Emily’s work invites viewers to reconnect with nature, to observe more closely and to consider their role in preserving the delicate balance of our ecosystems. For her, the threads of mycelium embody communication, nourishment and resilience, offering metaphors for the unseen forms of support that connect us to each other and to the natural world.

Getting Here

The workshop will take place in the Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling. Please see the University website for more in-depth information on how to get to the campus.

The campus can get very busy with cars, if you are able please consider walking, cycling or taking public transport to get to us. There are bike racks to the front and rear of the building.

The Pathfoot Building is an accessible building, with spaces for Blue Badge holders to the front and the rear and step free access to all rooms. We are currently in the process of updating our access information, so please get in touch with Emma (from the Art Collection) if you'd like to chat through any requirements you may need to access this workshop.

Email: emma.mccombie@stir.ac.uk or Call: 01786466050