Tuesday and Thursday, June 22 and 24 | This two-day workshop focuses on the monarch butterfly's life cycle in symbiotic relationship to its host plant, milkweed. Depict flight by learning basic butterfly anatomy and wing positioning. Understand basic metamorphosis and how the butterfly interacts in the pollination process. Color application can be in watercolor and/or colored pencil. All levels welcome!

Using watercolor, capture the peace and majestic beauty of our forests. In this class we’ll explore some of the techniques used to build depth, atmosphere, and capture a sense of light. Conducted via Zoom, day one will be include group instruction. Days two and three will be held at the Gardens, and participants will paint plein air, receiving one-on-one instruction and feedback.

Bees play a vital role in our environment, especially when it comes to pollination. Honey bees and native bees are all abuzz this time of year. Learn to capture their behavior and create a composition featuring your favorite native flower! Color application can be in watercolor and or colored pencil. All levels are welcome!

Join naturalist and botanical watercolor artist Hillary Parker for a fascinating three-day botanical watercolor workshop exploring the submerged plant life growing along the rocky shoreline of the Gardens' stretch of the Back River.

Paint a beautiful silk scarf with a botanical theme. Specimens will be provided by the Gardens to inspire your creativity and design. Students will go home with a lovely scarf and a fun new skill. Materials are provided for a $20 fee, collected on the first day of the workshop.

Celebrate the natural world by creating a work of art honoring the relationship between an animal and a plant. Block printing, a form of relief printing, is the oldest, simplest, and most direct approach to making an impression. Experience all aspects of the process, from handling and care of tools through inking and printing your own images by hand.

Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise! Learn the art of encaustic painting in this hands-on workshop using pigmented wax and a heated palette! Through a rich variety of marks and surfaces, explore the various painting techniques of this seductive medium. We will also look to CMBG’s gardens as sources of inspiration.

Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27 | This intensive, two-day course explores and unites two creative processes: poetry and the visual arts. Taking inspiration from the forms, colors, and inhabitants of the Gardens, students will write, illustrate, and design an artists’ book, including a two-pamphlet paperback journal, a flag book, and a layered accordion book. Day one begins in the classroom, then moves into the Gardens for inspiration. Day two begins with poetry prompts, then students will venture off on their own to create patterns in poetic response to the Gardens. Students will also gain a playful acquaintance with poetic forms like the villanelle, the sestina, and the pantoum.

Monday-Wednesday, August 15-17 | Join instructor Kate MacGillivary for this three-day class focusing on rendering the beautiful details of garden blossoms and buds in colored pencil. Designed for students with some previous drawing experience, this class offers plenty of time to create a beautiful drawing. Kate will give students the time and attention needed to get a wonderful feel for the medium of colored pencil. Plant material for students to study and draw will be provided.

Monday and Tuesday, September 19 and 20

Enjoy two days exploring the ancient medium of encaustic, a fluid, hot beeswax painting medium perfect for working in rich textures and a range of colors found in nature. Class time will be divided between demonstration, individual work time, and discussion about Maine’s strong contemporary and historical artistic connection to landscape genre. We’ll discuss proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artwork in terms of framing and care. Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and the understanding of proper studio set-up.

*Starter panels will be provided, but students are expected to bring their own panels for finished works or developed drafts. Upon registration, you will receive further details about panel choices, along with a list of additional materials that you are invited to bring to the course.

Please note this class requires participants to show proof of having received all eligible Covid-19 vaccinations, as recommended for their age by the CDC, in order to participate. Because of the dynamic nature of this situation, we ask that you agree to abide by potential future changes in CMBG’s Covid-19 policy designed to address evolving public health recommendations.

Monday-Wednesday, September 26-28

Spend three full days exploring the wonderful world of watercolor, in-person with artist Mindy Lighthipe. Learn valuable techniques to help you create nature-inspired sketches and formal watercolor paintings. Emphasis will be on accurate details, color mixing, and application—all helping you gain confidence in your watercolor journey. Each day, a series of techniques will be demonstrated as students work on a variety of subjects from leaves to butterflies to flowers, and so much more.

Please note this class requires participants to show proof of having received all eligible Covid-19 vaccinations, as recommended for their age by the CDC, in order to participate. Because of the dynamic nature of this situation, we ask that you agree to abide by potential future changes in CMBG’s Covid-19 policy designed to address evolving public health recommendations.

Tuesday-Thursday, October 11-13 | Create beautiful still life paintings in a relaxed atmosphere using fall botanicals. We will aim to complete at least one painting per day with an emphasis on “alla prima” or “all at once” painting. There will be short demos and plenty of individual attention throughout the three-day workshop. Using materials from the Gardens, students will arrange their own still life “bouquets,” keeping the composition simple. Participants will be encouraged to interpret rather than replicate a still life set-up, using brush strokes, colors, imagination, and creativity.

Meet in-person at the Gardens for this introduction to the Botanical Arts Certificate Program. Our program offers a broad palette of botanically inspired classes. Enrolled students select courses that suit their interests and work toward a final project. Learn about this program and its classes, and decide if this creative curriculum inspires you. New and current students should enroll in the orientation. The fee is $25 dollars for new enrollees; those previously enrolled do not have to pay a fee, just sign up as a current student.

Monday-Wednesday, May 8-10, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Do you LOVE lush floral design and the dramatic still life paintings of the Dutch masters? Celebrate spring blooms in the Gardens in this three-day workshop. On day one, Mimi and Mum Floral design will present several large, extraordinary arrangements to serve as models for students to paint from, discuss their process, and offer a few tricks to make flowers appear open and showy. Then, we’ll focus our studies on individual flowers so that students can learn to paint these beautiful, complex forms with confidence. Come learn from and be inspired by the 17th-century Dutch flower painting technique, and learn the history behind this historical method. Materials list will be made available upon registration.

Tuesday & Wednesday, May 23 & 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Visiting Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens offers sensory stimulation and inspires personal reflection. In this two-day workshop, students will draw on CMBG gems like the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses, the Alfond Children's Garden, and the Vayo Meditation Garden in order to explore the dynamic space of sight/insight. Both days will be devoted to creating new, expressive forms in poetry and book arts. Day one will begin with a paperback accordion book to be used as a journal, then we’ll venture into the Gardens. Students will write about both what’s in front of them and what that experience of seeing brings up in the memory. On day two, we’ll experiment with collage. After lunch, we’ll construct a single-sheet diorama book. As the day closes, students will have the opportunity to appreciate one another's work with a round-table exhibit and reading.

Tuesday-Thursday, June 20-22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

In a workshop designed for all levels of experience, participants will be inspired by beautiful gardens while learning to create vibrant paintings with the pastel medium. Led by artist Diana Rogers, this three-day course will introduce beginning artists to pastels with pure pigments, the perfect complement to the colorful bounty of nature. For experienced painters, the course offers techniques for loosening up compositions and using bold color and painterly mark-making. Diana will offer demonstrations and plenty of one-on-one attention and encouragement at the easel. Using fun exercises, participants will learn how to use color selection, simplified compositions, and mark-making to create expressive garden paintings. We will paint indoors in the classroom and spend time outdoors observing nature and preparing sketches. Participants will have plenty of time to paint and complete fully developed paintings.

Monday-Wednesday, August 14-16,10 a.m.-3 p.m.

In this fun mosaic class, students will make a garden stepping stone and a garden stake. We will use various tiles, broken china dishes, and found objects. All material will be provided, except for a mosaic wheel tile cutter, which can be purchased from the instructor for $15. If you already have one, feel free to bring your own. There are so many delightful things that can be incorporated into mosaics. If you wish, feel free to bring sentimental pieces of broken ceramic china, smooth stones, and shells from home to add to your stepping stone. You can also bring 3D figurines, salt and pepper shakers, etc., to add to your garden stake. While this class is a part of our adult education offerings, it is open to advanced younger students, ages 14 and older.

Caroline Clare Davis is a painter, crafter, floral designer, and the Arts and Exhibits Coordinator at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Monday-Friday, August 21-25,10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Explore the fascinating world of insects and the vital role they play in pollination. In this five-day workshop, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. We’ll also focus on creating compositions where the insects interact with plants. Lectures and demonstrations will provide students with an opportunity to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Insects are included in the course fee, and students will be able to keep their models.

Meet the Beetles! (No, not those Beatles, but these are just as compelling—we promise.) With over 400,000 different types, explore the largest group of insects on the planet through form and shading, creating a beetle line drawing prepared for color. Coleoptera models, photos, and online resources will be a source of endless creativity and inspiration.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Working in watercolor or colored pencil, bring those intricate beetles to life as you learn to create iridescence, shimmer, and beautiful shine along with those tricky translucent wings.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Butterflies, moths, and skippers? Oh, my! Members of the Lepidoptera family are rich in texture and pattern, making excellent models for line drawings. We’ll focus on anatomy and creating a natural positioning of a butterfly or moth from pinned specimens and photos. Students will end the day with line drawings prepared for color.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

In watercolor or colored pencil, students will work from their own line drawings and explore color-applying techniques that create form, texture, and patterns in those kaleidoscopic Lepidopteran wings.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

We know insects play a vital role in pollination, and in this class, we’ll apply that knowledge to our compositions. Create a piece featuring a specific plant and insect of choice, and learn tips about researching plants, pollinators, and creating a visual life cycle.

Through an artistic lens, explore the fascinating world of insects and their vital role in pollination. In these drawing and painting workshops, students will learn the anatomy of insects like beetles, butterflies, and dragonflies by using a small variety of insect models, photos, and online resources. Lectures and demonstrations will allow students to draw and paint insects in flight, capture iridescence, and more. Get a special rate when you sign up for all five days here.

Tuesday-Thursday, September 5-7, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Experience the wonder of two crafts, block printing and embroidery, in this special three-day workshop. Combine two different approaches to mark-making, carving, and stitching by creating a fiber arts piece of your own design. Day one will concentrate on designing a block print motif, transferring your design to the block, then carving and printing your motif onto paper and fabric. Day two will focus on embroidery, learning and practicing various stitches to incorporate into your block-printed fabric. Continue the process of discovery and medium-integration on day three as you complete your final project.

Monday-Wednesday, September 11-13, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Beautiful things happen when the ancient medium of encaustic meets with mixed media materials. Join us for an intensive three-day workshop and explore encaustic on a basic level and its relationship to textile, photographs, and natural materials. Students will investigate how to transfer images, stencil, collage, and learn techniques for building up surfaces. There is a $60 materials fee per student; materials will be supplied by the instructor, including four- and eight-inch-sized beginner panels.

Monday-Wednesday, October 16-18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

As the light and weather change, the Gardens provides new and interesting perspectives and invites students to find their own color and texture inspiration. In this three-day workshop, students of all skill levels will learn to paint the colors and textures of the Gardens in the French tradition, “en plein air,” or painting outside. Emphasis will be on working in the field: selecting your composition and working within a limited timeframe.

Delve deeply into the art of graphite drawing. Using simple botanical subjects, this online class will give students confidence in accurately depicting various fruits and vegetables. Using a light source and three-dimensional armature and an emphasis on highlights, mid-tones, and shadow areas, artists will develop an understanding of concave and convex shapes. Students will complete a three-part series of drawings, line, armature, and full tonal graphite drawing. This is a two-day online Zoom class on Thursdays, March 7 and 14. The classes are recorded and available for future viewing.

In a continuation of Form & Texture with Graphite Part I, students will further develop their understanding and application of graphite to more complex natural subjects. By using pineapples, pine cones, the interior of a pepper, and so on, students will develop their skills, including working on rendering different pigments in greyscale. Explore the tonal quality and textural differences between the papery skin of garlic and the deep, dark shine of an eggplant. Learn to translate multi-colored subjects into tonal values, all while maintaining form and perspective. This class will meet via Zoom from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on March 21 & 28 and April 4 & 11. Pre-requisite: Suggested as a continuation of Form and Texture with Graphite Part I. These classes are recorded and available for future viewing.