Thesis Project Inspires Continuing Education Course | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

Thesis Project Inspires Continuing Education Course

Lara Cornell

Creating Plant-Based Watercolors and Inks (Hybrid)

Learn techniques for extracting natural colors from plants to create inks and watercolors, while uncovering the unique properties and possibilities each plant offers.

This workshop grew out of Lara’s graduate thesis project that began with a simple question and evolved into a deeper exploration of practice, theory, and lived experience. Her thesis explored sustainability within the arts, focusing on creating sustainable systems in artistic communities and promoting informed choices among artists. The research originated as a study of materiality prompted by the disturbing environmental impact of acrylic paints and their contribution of microplastics to the biosphere and the human body. It evolved into a deeper look at the art system including the capitalist system of art, and curating art for the Anthropocene.

This course tends to fill quickly, so please register asap!

Dates: Mon, Mar 30, 2026 - Sunday, May 3, 2026

Instructor: Lara Cornell

Open to students ages 16 and above.

If you’re interested in learning more about biomimicry, sustainable design, or our fully online MA in Sustainable Design program, feel free to contact me.

Dawn Keene, MA Sustainable Design Director

Published on
February 06, 2026

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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