This winter we’ll be taking a deep dive into studying domestic pets, particularly cats and dogs. To really learn about any subject, you have to draw it. We’ll begin every class with speed sketching warm up drills, followed by working from reference images and videos that will focus us on constructive anatomy and capturing the moods, aspects, and expressions of our subjects. You may work in any media you prefer. There is no set materials list, but a hardbound sketchbook or mixed media journal is recommended for your studies. Contact Ed Higgins directly with any questions ed_higgins@icloud.com.

So-called “Oriental” or round-leafed bittersweet is a creeping vine with inedible berries that is considered invasive in North America. Frustrating to gardners and arborists, and not readily favored by birds, bittersweet is a largely useless bane on wild land. We can use traditional harvesting techniques to tend Asian bittersweet in the wild: harvesting material for baskets while controlling and suppressing future damaging growth. We will cover identification, responsible collection, materials processing and storage, and creation, including the basics of stake-and-strand twining and weaving. We will shoot for a basket about 8-inches wide and 4-inches deep. Price includes all required tools and materials.

Learn skills for capturing nature in your sketchbook with watercolor pencils, paint, and ink. We’ll start with exercises on capturing landscapes with both accuracy and efficiency, then work on techniques for illustrating natural specimens. Along the way, we’ll explore approaches for building a powerful composition. Along the way, we’ll cover ways to capture light, shadow, and color with precision. You’ll finish the class with a unique sketchbook spread, and the techniques and skills needed for continuing a nature sketchbook practice. Students can either buy themselves the required materials or they can buy material kits from the Mix, an art store in Brunswick. *Snow Date: 1/23.

Student Grade Kit

Professional Artist Grade Kit

Program-specific Add-on Kit

Train to become a working Registered Maine Guide not just a test taker. Learn the skills that guides use daily including: map & compass, coastal navigation, shelter building, separated client searches, cooking, advanced first aid, weather predicting, trip planning, canoeing, snowshoeing, SUP’ng, id’s, plus specialty skills for future guides for these specialties: Recreation, Sea kayaking, Tidewater Fishing, Inland Fishing, and Hunting. This ten-session hybrid program includes Zoom, optional all-day skill workshops, and homework assignments. Optional skills workshops are at an additional cost. Those thinking of becoming a Registered Maine Guide will need to take a first aid and CPR course, not included. This 10-wk course is taught online over Zoom. *No Class: 2/16.

Join me for a two-part workshop that blends meditation and creative weaving as you bring your own Spirit Doll to life. We’ll begin by connecting with your older, wiser self to explore a matter of personal importance, allowing insight and intuition to gently guide your process. From this place of inner wisdom, you will weave a Spirit Doll that is uniquely yours. Over time, you may find a special relationship forming. As you gaze upon your doll during moments of reflection, they become a reminder that your own inner guidance is always present, always available, and always with you. Participants will have the use of a loom throughout the two-part workshop. The loom must be returned at the end of the second class. Please note that a bit of additional weaving at home will be necessary before attending the second class. *A $25 material fee which includes the loom rental, payable to the instructor, must be paid on the first day of the class. Led by Diane Doiron of Wise Women Sacred Art.

Create a beautiful chunky blanket like you see in the expensive shops. Using soft jumbo yarn in the color of your choice, you will learn a simple weaving technique. No experience is necessary! A $55 materials fee is due immediately following registration and is non-refundable after yarn orders are placed.

This class will build on the same topics covered in the first session however we will delve further into all topics, expand our technical skills and knowledge of painters working today. Create luminous watercolors with vitality, atmosphere, and presence. In this course, we focus on the expressive power of water, layering, and transparency so you can build paintings that feel alive. What we’ll explore: Using water intentionally to create light, clarity, and glow; Layering and timing for clean, luminous passages; Value and edge control for atmosphere and depth; Color decisions that support mood and structure. We will study master watercolorists such as Sargent, Ruskin, and Turner, alongside contemporary painters including Alvaro Castagnet, Herman Pekel, Andy Evansen and others. We will work to translate what we learn into practical exercises and paintings. Class format: Group critique of homework; Short demo and focused lesson (often with art history); Targeted exercises to explore the day’s topic; Studio time to apply ideas to a painting. Who is this course for? This course is best for adult students who have prior watercolor instruction, solid basic drawing skills, and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone in order to grow and create more dynamic, compelling work. PLEASE NOTE: If there are weather cancellations, we will shift to a Zoom presentation and it will be a demo class. *No Class: 2/15.

Return to creativity in this beginner-friendly series designed to help you enjoy the process of making art. Start by creating a simple handmade journal, then explore a variety of guided classes focused on collage, mark-making, and mixed media. Each session focuses on experimentation over perfection, letting you fill your journal at your own pace. Please purchase a Wire bound Pentalic Watercolor Field Book - 12" x 9", with 24 Sheets from the Mix. Each session has a materials fee of $10.00. *All sessions are 1-night workshops.