General Class Info

Updated 5.19.2023

On this page you’ll find a ton of information about classes. I’ve included some Plein Air gear info: How to Pack Paints When Flying; Carrying Wet Canvases, and the Policies at the end…just keep scrolling!

A Shorter but Reasonably Thorough Summary of General Class Information!

(Many more and important details following below this Section)

Do bring layers for 3 seasons and rain gear…Maine weather changes in a blink and we really never know with any certainty from day to day! We’re fairly informal most everywhere tho, depending on where you eat out…often, especially when it’s busy here, students just clean up in the studio, then head straight to a restaurant…

• We‘ll process your payment after we get your online Registration and send you an invoice. Check your Spam folder if you don’t see it! A $300 deposit will hold your space. Cancellation and Refund info is at the bottom of the Registration Form as well as below…(it’s a good idea to have read the Policies before you check that you have!) I will email you when the Balance is coming due, and will charge the card you used for your Deposit payment; if you paid by check, that’ll be the time to send the next one!

   

• We’ll send a Supply List, a copy of this and other detailed info after you Register, and again a few weeks before the class. Print and tuck into your painting kit…then you’ll know where to find it, useful since it has the answers to most of your questions!

• If you will need mediums, let me know as soon as possible and I will have them here for you to buy when you get to class. Our local store may have to order so the sooner you can let me know the better. We’ll add the cost to your running lunch tab and settle up on the last day.

• For Plein air classes, we’ll use the studio space to gather before class, for back up if the weather is bad, as a place to leave extra gear, for lectures and maybe a few demos and often for critiques at the end of the class day.  Generally, plein air students should plan to come to the Studio every morning…plans change and that’s when we’ll announce what’s current! You are welcome to bring in food and drink.

• Unless you are told otherwise, the first day the Studio will open at 8:15 AM… Five day classes run M-F usually between 8:30-4:30,) but the exact hours are at the Instructor’s discretion…an average of 6 teaching hours/day, but starting and ending times may vary according to your instructor.

• We always have at least a 1 hour lunch break, to use for eating or not, it’s up to you…and a lunch plan. We order in the AM before you head out and deliver to your location…we keep track and give you the week’s total to pay in cash on the last day before you leave.

• Our Studiois large, with good light; Rockland has waterviews; you’ll have your own table space and you are welcome to leave equipment etc. there for the duration of the class. It may be possible to stay and paint after hours; ask.

• The Plein Air plan for the day is weather-dependent and decided at the end of the previous day if possible, or more likely, when we meet in the Studio each morning! Make sure your Class Monitors know where you have set up, and try to stay close to the demo area. Less running around for the instructor, more time for feedback to you!

• There is free parking on the street at or very near Studio buildings. I’ll send you detailed directions..

• We usually carpool or sometimes walk if it’s close, to Plein Air painting sites, many of which have shade and usually at the least, a porta-potty or nearby facilities. You will get good directions, verbally and to photograph. Please, do NOT depend on your GPS unless we say so!

• Each class has an experienced Monitor (or two!) as your Go-To person for any problems or needs…please ask…we all will do our absolute best to see that you have a great class experience!

• Downtown has great galleries, shops and food and the area is full of wonderful places to paint, many accessible to the single painter that a class can’t utilize…if you can, take a look around! Ask for more ideas.

• Click on the buttons on the Home Page for Lodging and Travel info, .

• If you have any problems, tell us!! We can’t fix anything if we don’t hear till you get home. Be sure to contact us with any questions. Thanks!

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The “Many more and important details” Section

We are often asked to announce ahead the plan for the week’s locations…but…day by day is how it works. We are weather dependent, at the whim of the sun, rain, fog, light and wind…not to mention the whim of the instructor! Maine’s weather can change all day long and we need to be able to take that into account. This is why we ask that Plein Air students come to the Studio every morning unless they are specifically told otherwise…plans get made and then plans get changed!

We will give you clear verbal directions to our daily location every day, plus large print written ones that you can photograph and have on your phones/tablets…wherever GPS works, we’ve included that info. but…some areas are notorious for misinformation. Many areas here have poor to no cell phone coverage, especially AT&T which may not work here at all, and it’s no fun to get lost, tho if you don’t show up, we will do our very best to find you. It’s why we need your cell phone number, and for your phone to be on.

Please keep your cell phone accessible and on vibrate: and make sure you have your Class List either printed or where you can find it on your phone; you may need our numbers! Texting often works when a phone call won’t go thru…

NOTE: AT&T phone service here is generally terrible.

Carpooling, (3 to a car please) It is as much about our impact at a site since we are there all day, as it is about finding space for you to park…thanks for helping with this! How we treat our sites maintains our continued welcome…many groups have been denied access to places as the area gets busier over the years…If you prefer not to have extra people in yur car, ask about carrying their gear instead so they can fit in with someone else.

Do bring layers for 3 seasons and rain gear. Maine weather is completely maddeningly and entertainingly unpredictable! The best thing is to have something with you for all possibilities from hot to cold, dry to wet, calm to windy…the sun is very hot even if the temperature reads cool, so bring a big hat and sunscreen. We’re very informal here…so plan “comfortable” both for class and social time. I talk to the Weather Angels all the time…figure it can’t hurt…you too??

Favorite bug stuff might come in handy tho we don’t usually need it. We are very conscious of the deer tick issue here and do our best to avoid places where you might be at risk. We also have repellent spray and a removal kit. Ticks take 24 hours or more to attach, so a good hot shower will remove them…running your clothes thru a hot dryer if possible also kills them…Black flies and brown tail moths will hopefully be long gone by the time you get here; mosquitoes tend to turn up at dusk, especially near the water.

Scroll WAY down to also find tips for plein air equipment and whatever other random information seems useful or gets asked for often enough for me to take notice…do get in touch if you can’t find what you need to know! cmartworkshops@gmail.com.

SUPPLIES: the BIG Challenge?? Pack so you can carry everything you need by yourself! Don’t be tempted to bring your whole studio just because you’re driving…generally, the more experienced the artist, the more compact their kit!

That said, be sure to bring your a notepad and pen, camera, an easel, stool or folding chair, sun hat, water container if needed, personal water bottles, carry-all etc. Scroll way down for more tips…. If you need help getting equipment inside etc, please contact us or just ask when you get here; we’re happy to help and to schlep your gear to/from any painting site if necessary. It’s usually a good idea to bring in all of it the first morning…you get to do any final sorting and repacking, pick up anything ordered ahead and, you can leave whatever you don’t want to carry, on your table in the studio.

NOTE: we no longer supply bottled drinking water; please make sure you have at least one, or more, refillable water bottles or a large jug with you. Local tap water is fine to drink.

If you will need medium or solvents and can’t travel with them, please let me know well ahead and very specifically and we’ll have it here for you. Also, if you need items during the week, let a Monitor know and we will pick it up for you; we’ll add any purchases to your tab and you can pay in cash before you leave on your last day when we collect for lunches.

Please ship only if absolutely necessary… do NOT pack everything in one big box…This is really just a courtesy, we are not a real shipping service, staff to handle things is limited!! This year, USPS mail, FedEx and UPS have all been erratic and slow; best to carry everything if you can.

Send to:

Yourself for: (Instructor’s last name) Class
c/o Sally Wattles: Coastal Maine Art Workshops
Steel House South 639 Main St Rockland ME 04841

Please try to have your things arrive during the week before your class; shipping often takes longer than you think but storage is limited! There’s a nearby Post Office and a UPS store for return shipping….save your boxes we’ll make room for them)…bring packing tape and a marker….

LUNCH: We always have a lunch plan for the day. We order in the morning from a selection of soups, salads and sandwiches and bring it to you wherever you are. We keep a tab and you pay at the end of the week… in cash please!

If you need coffee or tea in the morning, you can bring it with you  or use our Keurig/electric kettle set up in the Studio.

DINNER: We may still not be able to do this in 2023…will let you know. If possible, we go out for dinner as a group (Dutch) with the instructor and staff sometime during the week; your travel companions or hosts are most welcome to join you… Hopefully, we can reinstate it especially since this is the last season……

The Week: First day…The Studio will be open by 8:15 the first day…Please bring in your gear. Plan to be there by 8:30 to pick your table spot, get your Name Tag and re-sort your gear if necessary. The class will start at 9AM, unless everyone is there before that…

There is a LOT of business to take care of before we can head out to paint. We’ll also do brief introductions and the instructor will have info to share as well…Please always let us know if you’re going to be late…and reach out if you can’t find us or if you need help getting yourself or equipment into the Studio. We can help!

Every day: Plan to meet at the studio unless we tell you something different. Your instructor will set the plan and meeting time. We will give you clear verbal directions to our daily location every day, plus large print written ones that you can photograph and have on your phones/tablets…wherever GPS works, we’ve included that info. but…some areas are notorious for misinformation.

Last day…class till 4 PM…we know sometimes people need to leave early…just let us know and be sure to settle your lunch and materials tab with the Monitors in Cash before you leave! Unless announced differently, we try to clear the space by 4:30 PM…

If you have questions, please contact me…I’ll be glad to talk with you! If you have any difficulties with anything to do with the class or lodging or directions or questions about the class, the instructor or the area etc, please let me or your Class Monitors know right away…we can’t help if we don’t hear about it…don’t wait until after you get home!! We will do whatever we can to have you thoroughly enjoy your experience here!

ROCKLAND!

Your class will be in our beautiful studio space at Steel House South, lower level, 639 Main St, just a few blocks heading North from everything on Main St. We will email you exact directions to the Studio well ahead of the Class…If you want to check it out, it’s on Rte 1, across from Home Kitchen Cafe and the drive- in entrance to Dunkin’ Donuts, a quick walk from several of the places to stay. Access to our driveway is thru the Apprenticeshop parking lot, entrance just north of our building, small Apprenticeshop sign up high on the right.

Please read all the parking and access info which I send separately before the class.

CLEAN UP: Please use only the utility sink in the back room for cleaning brushes etc. No paint clean up in the kitchen!! Please clean up the sink when you are thru…every time!! We will have cans for disposal of used solvents; paper and rags go into the trash, but NOT scrunched up or tied up in plastic bags please…just spread them out!

PLEIN AIR GEAR TIPS

If you are new to Plein Air painting, some of this may be useful…

Be sure to practice with your kit before you come to a first class…pack, unpack and repack until you get it down to what you can carry with ease!! Check out what everyone uses…ask questions…painters have closets full of discarded easels and gadgets and gear…find out why! We have several instructors who can pack all their gear into a large shoulder bag! Well, one does carry a board and one carries a tripod easel separately…but…something to strive for!

On the other hand, you’ll want to have with you everything you will need to paint comfortably;  some people need a small folding table, others a chair with a back, not just a stool…some an umbrella…what’s really important is that it all pack up into something that you can manage on your own. Not that we can’t give you a hand…but you will want to develop a kit that you can use solo, however you transport it….We have a few stools, tables, easels and chairs to loan.

You’ll need at minimum: an easel and some way to stabilize it in wind, (most people hang a pack or a gallon jug of water, or wrap weights on the legs…think about using bungees to hold canvases in place!) for WC, a board on which you can tape your paper or a WC block; some easels have them attached with a camera type mount, others have arms with adjustable clamps….a palette, palette knife for mixing, your paints and any additional substances, a brush carrier, (oil painters need a way to carry wet paintings…see below) something to hold water, medium or solvent, rags or paper towels, a bag for trash, a sun hat, sunscreen and water bottle (and snacks as well!)  You may choose an easel that will hold all of that when you set up…if not you may want to add a shelf or bring a small table. Even if you stand to paint, it’s often comfortable to have something to sit on while you’re thinking…or watching a demo or eating lunch…Consider an easel attachment or free standing umbrella! Very handy when we are in an area with limited shade…

You’ll also want a sketch book, black and gray markers or assorted pencils for value studies…a camera, IPad or smart phone…and any gadgets you depend on for checking values and perspective or framing a scene…also little handy tools like a knife, tape, bungee cords, and probably lots more I can’t think of right now… keeping in mind keeping it all manageable! You might even find a rolling cart that holds everything and converts into a seat…or a rolling backpack if that’s easier! Old carry-ons work well! Again, you are welcome to leave things in the studio for the week.

Traveling with Paints and Paintings!

Best advice? Ask your friends who deal with all this! There are many good ideas out there! Unless your instructor specifies stretched canvases, use panels…or cut pieces of primed canvas to tape to a board…cheaper, easier…this is a class…you’re supposed to be experimenting!!

First rule: Paints are ARTISTS COLORS; don’t call them paints! And you cannot carry any liquids…at the airport, you are at the mercy of people trying to be big fish in tiny ponds…some are lenient…some are not.

Pack your paints in leak-proof plastic bags, put them in a leak-proof plastic box and label them Artists Colors. It’s a good idea to go to the manufacturers website and print the specs for each and put those in a plastic bag taped on top of the box. Put the whole thing on the top of stuff in your checked baggage. It is riskier to try and bring them in your carry-on…materials are big investment…no one wants them lost or confiscated. You should also check with your airlines, specifying Artists Colors…rules keep changing!

You are welcome to order mediums/solvents etc ahead (WELL ahead!!) and I will have them for you in the Studio when you get here…you can pay (in cash please) when you settle your Lunch tab on the last day…

You can roll WC paper or carry it flat wrapped onto your board if you have one…no idea what we will do when no sort of plastic wrap or bags is still legal!

Wet canvases and canvas boards (panels.) Raymar carriers or one of the many other cardboard carriers available at art supply stores online and maybe local, are perfect for panels…stick with one or 2 size panels so you don’t have to have a big variety of boxes. Some people use clean pizza boxes and stack panels or stretched canvases separated by Saran Wrap (the brand to use), or waxed paper, push pins or thumb tacks depending on how thick you paint, bracing them with folded cardboard to hold them in place against an edge, taping the box closed and wrapping it in plastic. Others stack them (separated), and wrap the whole stack in plastic, tightly so they don’t slip around…Others use a board , taping down unstretched canvas cut to size…then to get them home, stack them separated by SW or WP and taping securely to the board, then packaging the pile in plastic.

Even if you are driving, do NOT bring your whole studio, tempting as it is not to have to whittle it down! You  won’t need everything…and it’ll be good to have room to carry a car-pooler or two!

Terms and Conditions

When you checked the required box on your registration, it indicated that you  read, understood and accepted the Policies stated below. Thank you!