Chris Toy is back with more goodies fit for any party or just to treat yourself! Enjoy hand-making your own Pork Pot Stickers, Boiled Shrimp Wontons, and Vegetable Spring Rolls, and eat some Spare Ribs in Black Bean and Garlic Sauce, too! Chris Toy is a retired Maine educator, cooking instructor, author and Registered Maine Guide. He enjoys beach combing, where he finds his craft supplies. He creates rustic upcycled crafts by combing the coastline for driftwood, beach stone, and recycled wire from political signs. His work can be viewed on Facebook at Acadian Driftwood Arts.

Watercolor is a great medium for creating artwork from life. In this course, we will create watercolor drawings of still life objects. Topics discussed will include colors and how to mix them, brushes, basic techniques including wash and dry brush, process, and art supplies. A suggested supply list will be provided. Patrick Corey resides in Windham and has a BFA in drawing and painting. Professionally he works as a graphic artist. He enjoys watercolor painting and photography. Participants will need their own supplies. Supply list will be provided.

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.

Do you use essential oils but want to know more about them? Or maybe you have no experience but are curious? In this one night workshop, we will discuss what essential oils are, how they are made and how they can be used to enhance your life. We will touch upon some of the more commonly used essential oils and will also cover safety precautions. You will learn about the different qualities of essential oils that are on the market and how to make an educated decision when faced with many different brand choices. Participants will have the option to make 2 essential oil roller bottles to take home with them (material fee of $5). Elissa Nauman, MS, is the founder of Restoring Through Nature, LLC. She guides clients to achieve their physical, emotional, and spiritual health goals through the support of essential oils and energy work (Reiki and IET). She has a Master of Science in Counseling and is certified in essential oils coaching, Usui Reiki Level 2, Integrated Energy Therapy, Reiki Crystal Healing and is a Certified Chakra Therapist.

Woks are one of the oldest and most versatile cooking pans in the kitchen. Join cooking instructor and author Chris Toy and learn 4 ways (roasting, steaming, boiling, and stir-frying) to use woks to make great tasting recipes. Those in the know come hungry and bring leftover containers just in case! Chris will have copies of his popular cookbooks for sale and signing. Chris Toy is a retired Maine educator, cooking instructor, author and Registered Maine Guide. He enjoys beach combing, where he finds his craft supplies. He creates rustic upcycled crafts by combing the coastline for driftwood, beach stone, and recycled wire from political signs. His work can be viewed on Facebook at Acadian Driftwood Arts.

In just a few hours you can learn enough secrets of the trade to give yourself years of musical enjoyment. How do we do it? While regular piano teachers teach note reading, piano professionals use chords. You can learn all the chords you will need to play any song in one session. Any song! Any style! Any key! Topics include: how chords work in a song, how to get more out of sheet music by reading less of it, how to form the three main types of chords, how to handle different keys and time signatures, how to avoid “counting” and how to simplify over 12,000 complex chords. Beginners can print out a free pamphlet on reading music by going online to http://www.pianofun.com/downloads/notes.html. Don Pride is a professional musician, teacher and composer who plays throughout the United States. He is a member of the Portland Jazz Orchestra and leads The Don Pride Band. Don teaches at the University of Southern Maine, St. Joseph’s College, the Portland Conservatory of Music and in his private studio. 

Have you ever wondered how to create mobiles that spin and dance in the slightest breeze? Join Chris Toy and learn the secrets of how to connect and balance recycled driftwood and wire to make beautiful hanging mobiles and tabletop stabiles. Tools and materials will be provided but feel free to bring needle nose pliers, wire cutters, spare wire clothes hangers, and coin sized (quarter, half dollar, dollar) pieces of weathered driftwood. Chris Toy is a retired Maine educator, cooking instructor, author and Registered Maine Guide. He enjoys beach combing, where he finds his craft supplies. He creates rustic upcycled crafts by combing the coastline for driftwood, beach stone, and recycled wire from political signs. His work can be viewed on Facebook at Acadian Driftwood Arts.

Did you know that Jack in the Pulpits can change their sex? Or that a Trout Lily has spotted leaves that resemble trout? Curious to learn more about the wildflowers and trees that make their home in the Maine woods? Come meet the native wildflowers and trees along the trails at Mill Brook Preserve. Our outing will incorporate plant folklore, identification, and the gifts each plant has to share.** Our walk will take place at Millbrook Preserve. We will meet at the northern trailhead located at the intersection of Methodist Road and Route 302 in Westbrook.