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!

Painting Flower Portraits in Watercolor is the focus of this retreat.  

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.

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/.  

Feedback from recent participants: 

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

This three-hour course is for firearm owners and nonowners. You’ll learn what to do when you see an attack or if you are attacked and respond with force. You’ll learn how to contact the first responders, how prosecutors might view what you did, rules about concealed carry in the U.S. and Maine, and various ways to protect yourself without using a firearm. Students must have an audio- and video-enabled laptop, desktop, or tablet with reliable internet to participate in class. We do not recommend using a smartphone.

Learn to play the ukulele! It has never been more popular and you don’t even have to know how to read music! On the uke you can knock out folk music, rock, blues, jazz, pop, country, tunes old and new -even Classical music. Duncan Perry, who has taught more than 700 students of all ages, will introduce you to essential chords and playing techniques using commonly known songs. Oh, and there are lots of laughs along the way. And, learning to play an instrument is good for your brain! You will need a playable ukulele and an electronic tuner or a tuner app. And when folks hear you play this happy instrument, well, they just have to smile! If you don’t own a ukulele, please contact us for information. Students must have an audio and video-enabled laptop, desktop, or tablet with reliable internet to participate in class. We do not recommend using a smartphone.

This is a course for people who have an old house and/or an old barn, want to, or just love them! The first session is in the classroom. After that, meetings will be held in the old homes and barns of class members. There will be as many sessions as are required to visit the houses of class members who want their houses visited. The last class will be a potluck supper at the instructor’s house, where class members can visit the historic features of Alna, see the instructor’s cabinet-making shop and barns, and delve into his reference library on early buildings. Les Fossel is one of Maine’s foremost experts on early buildings. His award-winning business has specialized in preserving our early buildings since 1975. Class meetings are held based on accommodating everyone’s schedules.

Learn to play the ukulele! It has never been more popular and you don’t even have to know how to read music! On the uke you can knock out folk music, rock, blues, jazz, pop, country, tunes old and new -even Classical music. Duncan Perry, who has taught more than 700 students of all ages, will introduce you to essential chords and playing techniques using commonly known songs. Oh, and there are lots of laughs along the way. And, learning to play an instrument is good for your brain! You will need a playable ukulele and an electronic tuner or a tuner app. And when folks hear you play this happy instrument, well, they just have to smile! If you don’t own a ukulele, please contact us for information. Students must have an audio and video-enabled laptop, desktop, or tablet with reliable internet to participate in class. We do not recommend using a smartphone.

12 weeks, live Classes Mondays 6 - 8 pm or online anytime, self-paced, starting 2/3/25 and a second session starting 6/2/25

To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.

Academy of Medical Professions takes place online via live Zoom sessions and/or they are self-paced.  Courses are all inclusive:  Books, reference material, national certifications, practice exams and online resources, live instructors, and support for self-paced students are included in tuition. Tuition for Clinical Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy may be covered by a grant from Healthcare Training for ME and require in-person clinical lab experience with locations in Brunswick, Ellsworth, among others. Payment plans are available for all courses and funding may be available from WIOA/voucher approved organizations like Goodwill, MyCAAS, Maine Department of Labor, EMDC/HOPE, and others. Contact Midcosat Adult & Community Education for more information about funding.  To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.

This 16-week program includes in-person skills labs, and live via Zoom class meetings that prepare you to pass the national certification. Upon completion of the program, you will sit for your Certified Clinical Medical Assistant exam through NHA. Externships may be available in your area. Live (Zoom) classes meet 5:30 - 8:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning 2/25/25 and a second session starts 6/17/25. 

To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.

Academy of Medical Professions takes place online via live Zoom sessions and/or they are self-paced.  Courses are all inclusive:  Books, reference material, national certifications, practice exams and online resources, live instructors, and support for self-paced students are included in tuition. Tuition for Clinical Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy may be covered by a grant from Healthcare Training for ME and require in-person clinical lab experience with locations in Brunswick, Ellsworth, among others. Payment plans are available for all courses and funding may be available from WIOA/voucher approved organizations like Goodwill, MyCAAS, Maine Department of Labor, EMDC/HOPE, and others. Contact Midcosat Adult & Community Education for more information about funding.  To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.

Become nationally certified in 10 weeks as a Phlebotomy Technician.  Our course is all-inclusive and prepares you for national certification with live classes via Zoom and in-person skills labs.  You will be able to perform basic phlebotomy procedures, evaluate patients for ability to withstand venipuncture procedure, explain the procedure and answer patient questions, perform basic point of care testing, such as blood specimens for testing according to established standards.  Includes Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) national certification through NHA, books, resume, and job assistance. Live (Zoom) classes meet 5:30 - 8:30 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays, beginning 3/11/25 and a second session starts 6/17/25.

To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.

Academy of Medical Professions takes place online via live Zoom sessions and/or they are self-paced.  Courses are all inclusive:  Books, reference material, national certifications, practice exams and online resources, live instructors, and support for self-paced students are included in tuition. Tuition for Clinical Medical Assisting and Phlebotomy may be covered by a grant from Healthcare Training for ME and require in-person clinical lab experience with locations in Brunswick, Ellsworth, among others. Payment plans are available for all courses and funding may be available from WIOA/voucher approved organizations like Goodwill, MyCAAS, Maine Department of Labor, EMDC/HOPE, and others. Contact Midcosat Adult & Community Education for more information about funding.  To register, please email: info@academyofmedicalprofessions.com.