WATERCOLOR SKETCHING THROUGH THE WINTER
Winslow Art Center (online)
Thursdays, January 29-February 19, 2026
3:00 pm-5:00 pm Pacific, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm Eastern
Don’t let the cold months ahead dampen your nature sketching and painting habits. Grab your sketchbook and join me for inspiration and techniques for sketching both inside and out throughout the winter. We’ll consider ideas for winter subjects and practice techniques for sketching with ink and watercolor. This class will help you keep a regular painting practice going through the winter. No jacket or gloves required. Find details at Winslow Art Center.
SKETCHING THE NATURE OF PLACE
Sofia in Monsaraz, Portugal
June 3-8, 2026
Immerse yourself in the extraordinary setting of Monsaraz, Portugal and delve into ways to explore and capture your experience of place, from landscapes, plants, and wildlife to food and culture.
Working primarily in ink and watercolor in a sketchbook/journal, you’ll learn techniques for recording the nature of place—here, and wherever you choose to go next. Daily instruction in watercolor journaling and painting techniques will focus on building your artistic skills, as well as offer opportunities to practice and gain confidence with Jean’s guidance and support. The group will work together in a supportive environment and people at all levels of experience are welcome. Learn about this incredible setting >
DRAWN TO NATURE
Madeline Island School of the Arts, Wisconsin
July 20-24, 2026
Capture the beauty, wonder, and diversity of nature in your sketchbook. Madeline Island offers a perfect setting to explore and sketch the island’s birds and wildlife, gardens, fields, Northern forests, and waterways. This workshop focuses on multiple approaches to sketching and painting nature-related subjects with an eye toward deepening your understanding, appreciation, and connection to the places you live or visit.
Interested in Hosting a Workshop?
Contact me. Please reach out via e-mail and tell me what you have in mind. Then we can arrange to talk on the phone to discuss details. I like to tailor a workshop to the needs of each group. Fees vary based on travel and workshop length.
jeanmackayart (at) gmail (dot) com
Here are a few possibilities:
- Sketching Nature with Pencil, Pen, and Paint
- Illustrated Journaling in Watercolor
- Drawing Birds
- The Art of the Bird: Eggs, Feathers and Nests
- Travel Sketching with Watercolor
Drawn In 
How I wish I could join you! Just stumbled across your blog and I love it. Will you post any future classes you do, please? What fun!!! I live on the other side of the country but one can always dream. Like you, I am drawn to art and draw, paint, cut paper and do letterpress printing almost non-stop.
So glad you found the blog! Put a little note on your refrigerator and someday you will get to Hog Island– it is worth the trip! I will post future workshops, as well as some photos and artwork from the week ahead of Arts and Birding!
I am also dreaming of painting with you. I love Maine and I love your art, maybe someday. I put it on my bucket list.
Do you ever do any online workshops?
Hi Teri- It would be so fun to meet you and share some time sketching and painting! Do put Arts and Birding on your bucket list! I love the southwest, so maybe someday I’ll make it back there. For now, I don’t have any online workshops because my work/life schedule is pretty packed.
Your birds on the toned paper really shine, Jean. And your class sounds like a dream…not this coming year for me, but perhaps a later year if you’re still doing them. I love Maine and birds and sketching!
Thanks Diana. I love Maine and birds and sketching, too. I’m fortunate to have found Hog Island years ago. Do keep it on your TO DO list!!
I want to receive your emails. Lovely work!
I want to receive your emails.
stunning blog.. a true gift… have you published a book?.. it would be wonderful to be able to have it in my hands!.. you are a master
Thanks Sandra– so glad you like what you see here. I haven’t published a book (yet?); perhaps someday. For now, I’m content to keep exploring, drawing and painting.
thanks for responding..sorry there is not a book, but keep on exploring and so happy to be a viewer of your creations…thanks again
Yay … I have signed up for the new workshop in July! Now I can’t wait. Love the coast, islands, and the adventures. Looking forward to meeting you and learning everything I can about capturing the true essence of Maine! Both via sketching and through photography.
Terrific Carole! So glad you signed up– I’ll look forward to meeting you! It will be a great week. Melissa Groo is excellent as a photographer instructor, too.
Having trouble finding info about the workshop in July – am really interested in learning to draw/paint birds
Judith- Try this link: http://hogisland.audubon.org/arts-and-birding. Details and registration are posted there. I think there are only two spots left. Hope you are able to join us!
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Hi, I took my first watercolor class and the instructor yelled at me this week because i left white areas in certain parts of the painting…the exercise was just started too. I had been planning to do a light wash over the area. Wow, his behavior has me sort of freaked out! I’d like to continue learning but from a different instructor and maybe a different style. He was pretty focused on his method and style. I am open to different styles but figure we develop our own eventually. I like what you paint and I’m hoping to find someone in Seattle who teaches painting nature – like you!
Now if I can just let go of what happened this week…
Geez– that would be kind of traumatizing for a beginner. I’m sorry you had this experience! My first (and only) watercolor class was similar, but, thankfully, without the yelling. The instructor was VERY fastidious and I found it hard to work so precisely in her style. It seems like you may need a course that shows you different watercolor techniques and color mixing, and then you can take those skills to develop your own style and apply them to what you want to paint. I’m sure you’ll find your way, but I encourage you not to let this week’s encounter discourage you! Just learn what you can from this teacher and carry on!
Thanks for understanding! I’ll keep searching until I find a place to try again…as well as working at home with what I’ve learned so far.
PJ Marie, have you tried Kateri Ewing with Craftsy? Checkout Jane Blundell … wonderful website on watercolors and Liz Steel will be doing a Watercolor on-line course later this year. I did her Foundations course and she was excellent. Good luck.
PS I too wish I could go to Hog Island!
Thanks for adding to the conversation. Hog Is is great if you can swing it some day.
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this is so pretty and inspiring!
Hi! I am trying to sign up for the July workshop but am having a heck of a time signing up online… it’s very frustrating! Is there another way to sign up? Thank you!
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Looks like I missed out on your online course at Winslow Art Centre which is just as well probably as it would 3am AEST (Australian East coast). Huge fan and love receiving your blog emails and reading your tips and techniques. I’m already a fairly competent watercolour nature artist but love your compositions and colour choices and always up for more. If you ever decide to teach a class in the evening your time it would probably work for Australians up through our time zone to Japan and other nearby countries to us. Thanks for teaching even if I can’t make it.
Cheers…Tig
Thanks for checking in. No one needs a 3am class! But if I do another session I will try to do it later in the day so that it works better for a new set of people. This will be my first online class, so I want to see if I like it– having a lot of interaction in a class is important to me, so we’ll see how it goes.
I hope to get to Hog Island eventually but in the meantime I’d love to hear about your next online workshop!
Thanks Cathy. Sorry my teaching is so limited. I work full time, so I can only manage a few workshops a year. I’m hoping that teaching online works out– I prefer in person, but there are some advantages of an online format.
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Love your work.
Can you send me your email address?
I would like to talk to you about a workshop.
Thank you.
Hi Susan- I tried emailing you but the email you signed up on the blog with bounced back as undeliverable. You can reach me at jeanmackayart@gmail.com
I’m in Michigan and also would love to take one of your classes! Could you add me to your mailing list please! Terry Allor mtallor5146@gmail.com
Hi Terry- Thanks for reaching out. I usually just post workshops here when they arise, but the online ones filled so fast that it was surprisingly hard to get in. I prefer to limit the number in the workshop so that there is more individual attention. I’ll pull your email and try to alert you to future sessions.
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I would like to follow your blog. Your painting is wonderful!
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I am in for the Currier Museum of Art. The class looks great. The Currier website looks excellent as well so will be visiting often. Thank you!
Got quite excited when I read Winslow…about 30 minute drive from me. Unfortunately my Winslow is in Buckinghamshire UK not New Hampshire! I love your delicate style. Please tell me what materials you use….is it HP paper? Is the line work pencil or very fine pen?
Hi Anne- Sorry to disappoint with the wrong Winslow! I use a fine pen for drawing– typically a Micron 02 or 005 black– and I find it works well for detailed drawing and for lettering. I love fountain pens, but tend to smear the ink before it dries, so the Micron pens work better for me for field sketching. The paper in my Stillman & Birn sketchbook (Zeta series) is very smooth, much like hot press watercolor paper. I like it for the combination of ink and watercolor, though the watercolor can take some finesse and getting used to. Hope that helps– feel free to write again or ask additional questions. — Jean
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Hi Jean. I am very interested in 2023 Hogg Island Maine workshop if you are going to teach it again. When does the info come out with dates? And registration?
Thanks much. I have loved your online classes. Thank you so much for offering them.
Hi Julianne- Hog Island will be firming up dates and instructional teams for 2023 in the next few months and registration will open in October. Make a note to check the website and sign up early: https://hogisland.audubon.org/
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Jean, I don’t see a way to register for these 4 classes in the fall mentioned in this latest posting. How can I register?
Mary
Sorry Mary– I fixed the link on the workshop page.
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Please sign me up for blog
Ada- You can sign up right on the home page by adding your email to the box on the right that says “Follow this Blog.” Thanks!
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These workshops sounds wonderful. Wish I could do all of them!
I’m really enjoying the seabird series and looking forward to in person offerings this fall.
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