Directors Note Summer 2026

This summer I am happy new instructor Robert Labranche will be teaching Monotype & the Abstract Landscape (SA 8) for 4 Weeks on Thursday afternoons from June 18 – July 9. Robert has an MFA in painting from the University of New Hampshire and is a former Adjunct Instructor of Studio Art at Maine College of Art & Design, and at The University of New Hampshire. Robert’s work has been exhibited throughout New England including in Boston, Portland, Portsmouth, York, Kittery, and most recently in Santa Cruz California. Robert’s studio practice includes painting - in both oils and acrylics, monotype, and woodcut printmaking.

Two Sanctuary Arts instructors are offering seashore and ocean workshops and classes in two different mediums. Carol Ann Morley’s Treasures from the Seashore; Drawing with Colored Pencils is a 4 week class meeting Wednesday afternoons from July 15 through August 5. Carol invites you to bring the seashore inside and have fun drawing sea shells, stones, seaweed and beach treasures. Learn how to create a colored palette to bring your images to life and create a compelling composition.

Margaret Dwyer offers a one session Gifts from the Ocean- Cool Watercolor Techniques (SA 9) workshop on Saturday June 6. Her workshop highlights the transformative technique of glazing, layering transparent paint to create depth and unique, luminous colors. Learn to save whites (and “lights”) including the use of masking fluid, as you focus on ocean treasures such as shells, rocks, fish, seaweed and sea creatures.

Learn how to approach portrait painting in oils with confidence and clarity in Joshua Langstaff’sPortrait Painting from the Heart (SA 6) 8 week class on Tuesday evenings in June and July. Create a meaningful, lifelike portrait, working from a reference of your choosing. You’ll learn how to take and select strong reference images using a live model, and how to translate those references into a clear, dimensional painting. Joshua is a master portrait painter who is able to pass on his expertise in a clear and structured process, including drawing, proportion, underpainting, and flesh tone development. He also offers his popular Fur Real: Animal Portraits in Oil (SA 12) 3 day workshop on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday June 12 – 14. Joshua’s 3 day Trees & Rocks: Painting the Coastal Landscape (SA 3) workshop takes place on a remarkable private estate on the Maine coast with access to a rocky shoreline, wooded groves, and expansive gardens.

Summer in Maine is made even more special if combined with art making. Enroll in a workshop

or class. You won’t be disappointed!

Cheers,

Christopher