Enjoy a weekend with your instructor, Chris Toy, the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian-fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. 

Escape to a Grand Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artist, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordon Ward. Day students are welcome. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/.  This is an in-person retreat.

Your instructor, Mary Laury, is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together!

Escape to a Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artist, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/.  

Feedback from recent participants: 

“Great instructor!-Mary acts as a guide to develop our own style.“ “Easy no stress instruction.”

Painting Flower Portraits in Watercolor -Retreat at Homeport Inn, Searsport, Maine

with Mary Laury

April 11-14, 2025

$595

 It starts at 1pm on April 11 and ends at 11am on April 14.

 Paint flower portraits realistically. You will paint pictures of flowers in detail, but more painterly than a scientific illustration. We won’t count veins, but we will count petals! Painting flowers is a wonderful exercise in observation.

Learn brush stroke and value

White on white flowers

Leaves, long and short

Iris, narcissus, orchids, tulips, and other spring flowers.

Materials list;

We will paint on smooth paper; Strathmore Series 500, one hundred percent cotton paper, either plate or vellum. This paper can be bought at Artist and Craftsman in Portland in large sheets, which we will cut up.

Bring a #2 round brush and a #6 round brush, pencil, palette, tube watercolors in the 3 primary colors and perhaps a green. Paper towels and water container. And bring a plant or flower specimen with no more than 9 petals. This is a slow and careful process and 9 petals and some leaves is enough happiness for us all.

Your instructor, Mary Laury is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together!

An award winning Grand Victorian sea captain’s home, The Homeport Inn and Tavernhas 9 private suites tastefully updated with comfortable furnishings. There’s live music each evening in the tavern. Specially discounted rates including breakfasts, are available by contacting the Inn at 207.548.2259

$595 Tuition includes all lunches and dinners (Breakfast is included with room price.)

Feedback from recent participants: 

“Great instructor!-Mary acts as a guide to develop our own style.“ “Easy no stress instruction.”

UPGRADE YOUR CANOE AND SUP SKILLS

NEW COURSE (part of the Registered Maine Guide Course but open to anyone)

One day on-water workshop for canoeing and SUP skills that everyone oughtto know but don’t. Learn how to transport canoes & SUP’s properly, how to launch & recover, strokes for tandem andsolo canoe paddling & SUP’ing. Learn rescues especially after capsizing. You will go swimming so you are required towear a wetsuit or drysuit to participate. Limited rentals are available with advance notice. You will bring your own lunch,canoe, paddle, life jacket, and enthusiasm. SUP’s will be provided. Limited rentals are available for canoes with advancenotice.

This is held in Brunswick.

Saturday, April 12, 2025 8:15am to 5:15 pm

$75

If you love rings, this workshop is perfect for you! Using basic tools, each student will learn how to measure their ring size and create two rings that will be combined into one. We'll add cross bars between the rings, soldering them together. This class covers soldering small joints, shaping, finishing, and polishing. No prior experience is necessary, and all materials and supplies are provided. Join us to craft a unique and stylish ring from start to finish! Instructor: Alice Carroll

Class is located in Alice Carroll's Studio in The Button Factory, 855 Islington St. #202 Portsmouth, NH 03801

Soups made with love are a nourishing and inexpensive way to feed your family. In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques for preparing ingredients and bringing them all together, as well as tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements.  Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.  This is an in-person class.

All registration fees are donated to the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry.    

Brothy Soups  When you want a lighter soup featuring key ingredients this is the choice for you. We will be preparing chicken noodle soup.  This workshop will feature choosing the right broth and ingredients for your family, lifestyle, budget and diet.  

Annie has always loved to cook for family and friends.  She started cooking when she was seven and was a keen observer of all the cooks in her family and beyond. She's worked in kitchens and also spent most of her childhood and early adulthood in western and eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, so her palate is broad. She shares her love of cooking with family and friends through the preparation of food full of flavor. One of her priorities when she's cooking is to create a meal that accommodates all dietary requirements--a meal that everyone can enjoy!

Design and create an elegant Oliver server using real clay in this engaging workshop. Perfect for holding nuts, candy, or as a stylish addition to your charcuterie spread, this versatile server will be a beautiful and functional piece for any occasion. Join us to craft a unique and sophisticated item that will elevate your entertaining. All skill levels are welcome!

at Firefly Pottery, 72 Mirona Rd Suite 1, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Is there anything more glorious than sitting down at a table full of fun art supplies and letting your imagination soar!

Amy will provide the opportunity for major creative exploration every Tuesday once a month!

For ages 6 years and up!