Your instructor, Chris Toy, is the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Cooking students will 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. $595 includes a workshop fee, all meals, and special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops. 

Recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants commented: “I learned so much from Chris that I can use immediately at home in my own kitchen.”  “Great kitchen hints!”.

4/11-4/14, The Harbor View House is in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine. Come join this intimate group of artists, cooks, and creatives! Evening activities include a private house concert by Grammy-balloted singer-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/. 

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, moves, and does beautiful things. We will start at the beginning if you have never painted in watercolors. If you have painted before, you will also learn new tips and tricks. We all learn together! $595 includes the workshop fee, all meals, and special activities to extend your learning from the day's workshops. 

Recent Acadian Arts Retreats participants commented: "Great instructor! Mary acts as a guide to develop our own style. "Easy, no-stress instruction."

4/11-4/14, Painting Flower Portraits in Watercolor at The Harbor View House.  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. We will paint on smooth paper; Strathmore Series 500, one hundred percent cotton paper, either plate or vellum. This paper can be purchased in large sheets at Artist and Craftsman in Portland, which we will cut up. Bring a #2 round brush and a #6 round brush, pencil, palette, tube watercolors in the three primary colors, and perhaps a green paper towel and water container. And bring a plant or flower specimen with no more than nine petals. This is a slow and careful process, and 9 petals and some leaves are enough happiness for us all.

Harbor View House is in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artists, cooks, and creatives! Evening activities include a private house concert by Grammy-balloted singer-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/. 

In this introductory class, students will learn about the tools and techniques needed to create a simple piece. This class is intended for participants who are interested in learning the process. You will be designing, cutting and grinding your own glass, cleaning and preparing it for soldering, and finally using a soldering iron to complete your piece. Pieces are typically made from about 5 pieces of glass so please keep this in mind as you think of ideas for your project. This class can also be quite labor intensive and you will likely be working the full four hours to complete your piece. Materials included. Instructor: Christina Thibault. Materials included.All classes are held at the Art and Nature Center at Tannery Brook. 

Session II: Saturday, 4/12, 9:00am-1:00pm,  $90

In these one-day, three-hour classes, you will have the opportunity to try out the pottery wheel and get a brief introduction to our studio space and community. You will have an accelerated lesson in working with clay and wheel throwing and we will save and fire any pieces you would like to keep. One-day clay classes are perfect if you feel like you want to get a taste of pottery before committing to a full session with us or are just looking for a nice weekend activity with friends or family! All classes are held at the Art and Nature Center at Tannery Brook. 

Session IV: Saturday, 4/12, 10:00am-1:00pm, $65

Enjoy a fun evening creating two wire-wrapped rings with Elise Marie DeSigns! Learn how to use bead wrap wire and select beads, find your ring size, and use a ring mandrel! You don't need to bring anything; Elise will get the materials and guide you through the process. We hope to see you there! Elise has a Textiles, Merchandise & Design degree from the University of Rhode Island. She has always loved the "design your own jewelry" approach and tries to preserve that experience. Elise has a custom-built studio space that allows her to have a workshop set up where she can fulfill wholesale orders while also creating a beautiful environment for shopping experiences. Check out her website at elisemariedesigns.com to see Elise's designs or custom-build the perfect piece for you or your lucky gift recipient!

Tuesday, 4/15, 6:00pm-8:30pm, GMS, $55

Join us for a night of DIY fun where each participant will make various decoupage oyster shell products. Each participant will be painting and assembling various trinket dishes and oyster shell ornaments- 4 in total. This class is meant for beginners.  All tools, instructions, and materials will be waiting for you when you arrive. A $20 material fee is to be paid in cash on the night of your class. Melissa started her jewelry business, Gem Lounge Jewelry, in 2009 and is a proud 8th-generation Mainer, having grown up in southern Maine before attending college in New Orleans. Upon graduation, Ms. Evans moved back to New England, eventually settling back in her beloved state of Maine and finding inspiration for her creations all around. While her roots in Maine keep her grounded in the beautiful state, wanderlust brings her on travels around the world.

Wednesday, 4/16, 6:00pm-8:00pm, GMS, $40

Pollinators have suffered greatly from habitat loss, pesticide use, and the spread of invasive plant species.  As a result, planting a pollinator garden is more important now than ever.  Even a small garden can make a huge difference. Learn how to create a landscape that supports pollinators, including butterflies, bees, moths, and hummingbirds, with plants that serve as host plants and provide nectar and pollen throughout the growing season. Amy is passionate about nature, plants, and all things connected to Mother Earth.  Officially, she's a Naturalist, Garden Coach, Horticulturist, Educator, and the enthusiastic, Nature Spirit guided, Director of  Earth Walkers (www.earthwalkers.me).

Wednesday, 4/16, 6:00pm-7:30pm, GMS, $30

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Join the ukulele revolution! Here's your chance to learn how to play this wonderfully versatile, go-anywhere instrument in our no-stress program for beginners. There are four classes in all, one each week on Zoom. Bring a ukulele, your sense of humor, passion for music, and curiosity about playing. Once you master the basics, you won't want to stop. Will you be recruited to perform at Carnegie Hall?  Well, not right away. But, as the saying goes, 'The best player isn't the person who can pick or strum the most notes. It isn't the person with the greatest technical skill. It's the person who can touch the most hearts.' So grab a uke, you don't need to read music - sign up, tune up and show up. If you don't own a ukulele, please get in touch with us for helpful information about buying one (uketime24@gmail.com). Let your musical journey begin! Duncan Perry, a multi-instrumentalist, has played ukulele for over 14 years. He is a popular and experienced teacher and performer who offers classes up and down the Southern coast of Maine.

Session III, 4 classes, Wednesdays, 4/16-5/7, 6:00pm-7:30pm, virtual, $79