Kids 17 and under are free every Wednesday in July and August! There’s no need to reserve tickets for kids; just bring them along, and we’ll check them in at the door.
Thanks to the support of L.L.Bean.
Seeds are rarely depicted in art, but that’s exactly what you’ll do in this online workshop. Using a standard microscope or handheld digital microscope, participants will explore, then depict, the textures and patterns of magnified seeds. After a brief discussion of vellum’s properties and types, we'll lay out drawings before transferring them to the material itself.
This is the first of three interactive lectures by renowned photographer Ron Rosenstock. Students may take just one or all three; each program lasts approximately 50 minutes with a Q&A period to follow. In this lecture, Ron Rosenstock will cover the various infrared conversions, advantages and disadvantages of each, and showcase samples of his work to illustrate key differences.
This is the second of three interactive lectures by renowned photographer Ron Rosenstock. Students may take just one or all three; each program lasts approximately 50 minutes with a Q&A period to follow. In this lecture, Ron will cover how photographers can maintain and continue creative efforts when circumstances (and plans) change. He will share a variety of photographic subjects and projects that are always available for photographers to explore.
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.
This is the third of three interactive lectures by renowned photographer Ron Rosenstock. Students may take just one or all three; each program lasts approximately 50 minutes with a Q&A period to follow. In this lecture, Ron will cover the journey from RAW image to finished print, illustrating through examples and explaining his process.
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.
Thursdays, April 7 and 14 | Delve deeply into depicting botanical subjects with graphite. Using fruits and vegetables, gain an in-depth understanding of how light affects individual shapes in nature including highlights, midtones, shadow areas, reflected highlights, and cast shadows. Great for ages 14-adult, beginners, or those looking to refine their drawing and observation skills.
Thursdays, April 21 and 28, May 5 and 12 | Delve deeply into depicting botanical subjects with graphite. Using fruits and vegetables, gain an in-depth understanding of how light affects individual shapes in nature including highlights, midtones, shadow areas, reflected highlights, and cast shadows. Great for beginners and those looking to refine their drawing and observation skills.
The Photography Club meets every other Thursday morning at the Gardens, 7-9 a.m. Enjoy having the whole of our campus to yourself for two hours before we open to the public. Come and capture the stunning morning light, May-October. You must be a member of the Gardens to enjoy this amazing perk. The first meeting of the year is Thursday, May 12.
Set up your easel and paint or sketch at the Gardens for free! Enjoy glorious spring weather and capture some brilliant color. The event is a bit earlier this year, and thinner crowds mean artists can spread out and enjoy the tulips and daffodils. There is no charge for entry, but you must pre-register for this event. You may attend one or all of our plein air days.
Mindy Lighthipe image.[/caption]
For new and returning Botanical Arts Certificate students: join us to review 2022’s courses, the requirements needed to receive your certificate, and an introduction to this year’s instructors and their artwork. Those already enrolled in the program should sign up to attend, but there is no need to pay an additional fee. The presentation will be indoors and masks will be required; students must be members of the Gardens to enroll in this program.
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.
Curious about introducing pastels into your artwork and developing your skills? Join us for this workshop and explore artistic expression of a garden theme through the medium of pastel. An experienced Pastel Society of Maine Signature Member will demonstrate pastel use, assist with materials, and help students learn to edit their subject, block in color, and use layers to create details and convey light, shape, and movement.
Thursdays, June 2 and 9 | This introductory course is designed for both beginner and advanced artists interested in a thorough exploration of painting with watercolor. Emphasis will be on understanding the proper handling of the paint in order to achieve certain desired effects, and concise recipes for consistent color-mixing will be provided. Each lesson is broken down into a concise live format with demonstrations. The subject matter is based on nature, but can be applied to any realistic subject matter.
Monday and Tuesday, June 20 and 21 | In this hands-on workshop, develop sketches, photographs, or landscape visions into encaustic paintings by exploring a rich variety of marks, transfer, and stencil techniques. Class time will be divided between demonstration, individual work time, and discussion about Maine art and its contemporary and historical connection to landscape. We’ll chat about proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artworks in terms of framing and care. Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and an understanding of proper studio set-up.
Monday-Wednesday, July 11-13 | Come out and enjoy painting in the best studio ever—the great outdoors! The Gardens offers a plethora of inspiration, and painting with watercolor is such fun once you have a basic understanding of how to work with it—it’s both spontaneous and predictable, all at the same time! Feel more confident after this class, filled with detailed instruction about technique and creating a good composition. Erica’s humor and gentle nature will make you feel at ease and enjoy the process. Class time will be spent on classroom instruction and demonstration and time to work independently, putting new skills to work in the Gardens with plenty of instructor feedback.
The mission of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens is to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature and promote plant conservation through horticulture, education, and plant science.
Copyright 2024 Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
