Find creative inspiration on Maine’s stunningly beautiful rocky coast, surrounded by the sights, sounds, and rhythms of life on an island. This program brings together people at all artistic levels who share an enthusiasm for nature and who wish to draw and paint with more ease indoors and out. We invite you to join us as we learn, explore, and grow in a fun and supportive environment.
During the week participants can choose drawing and watercolor painting sessions geared for beginners or more advanced skill levels. We’ll put those skills to work in the field as we explore Hog Island’s bird life, spruce forests, tide pools, and striking vistas. There will also be longer blocks of time to explore and sketch on your own using the island and its many resources for inspiration, as well as opportunities to explore alternative media like printmaking. A highlight of this trip is a boat trip (weather permitting) to Eastern Egg Rock to see the Atlantic Puffin and tern colony followed by a visit to Allen Island, a former residence of the famous Wyeth family.
Our instructional team includes some of the country’s best wildlife artists and field sketchers, as well as experts in the natural history of coastal Maine.
Note, this session has the great privilege of sharing Hog Island with a teen art camp. While the camp programming largely will be separate, there will be some opportunities of overlap with the young artists and teen camp instructors.
Portable field sketching supplies are recommended. See the Materials Supply List (forthcoming) for details.
Pricing: $1,625
Maine residents are eligible for a $150 in-state discount for this session! After you register, contact hogisland@audubon.org to confirm your residency and the discount will be applied to your account.
The base registration fee includes meals, housing, instruction, and all field trips. This price is based on a standard shared room (with 2 twin beds) a shared bathroom. A limited number of upgraded accommodations are available for an additional cost. Two upgrade options are a single room for solo travelers or a room with a private bath for two people traveling together. There are no single rooms with private bathrooms available. Please see our lodging page for more information.
Participants must arrange their own transportation to and from the Audubon dock in Bremen at the start and end of the session. Please see our transportation page for more information.
There are several scholarship opportunities available to help participants attend Hog Island sessions! Please see our scholarships page for more information about Hog Island Scholarships. You should also check with your local Audubon chapter or bird club for additional opportunities.
Requirements: There are no prerequisites for this program! Artists of all skill levels are welcome.
Director: Sherrie York
A self-taught printmaker and compulsive wanderer of landscapes, Sherrie York is an accomplished artist with an international reputation for lyrical and expressive works on paper. A long-ago college field trip to draw backyard chickens was the unexpected genesis of a career that has encompassed environmental education, natural history illustration, and fine art. For most of her life she wandered the landscapes of the western United States, but moved from Colorado to Maine in 2017. Sherrie’s linocuts have been presented in national and international exhibitions, including the Woodson Art Museum’s prestigious Birds in Art, and the Society of Animal Artists’ Art & the Animal, and are represented in corporate and museum collections. Currently several of her pieces are on loan to the US Embassy at Baku, Azerbaijan, as part of the State Department’s Art in Embassies program. She has been an invited artist on projects of the international Artists for Nature Foundation.
Instructors: Kelly Radding, Sean Murtha, Jim Rataczak
Kelly Leahy Radding honors the natural world she loves through her art. She finds all aspects of nature interesting subjects for her paintings; from large fauna to wild flora. Surrounded by woods on her Connecticut farm, she paints her subjects in dry brush watercolor, gouache, casein and egg tempera. Kelly has been a graphic designer/illustrator since 1982, receiving a Certificate of Botanical Art & Illustration at the New York Botanical Garden in 2002. She is a sought-after guest instructor, traveling to teach workshops in both the US and abroad, including the New York Botanical Garden and Florence, Italy. She has cofounded an online school, the Contemporary Naturalism Guild of Art. Kelly maintains membership in art societies that include: the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Animal Artists. Her work has been juried into many international exhibitions; including the Society of Animal Artists Annual exhibitions and Birds in Art.
Sean Murtha has drawn since he could hold a pencil and been a birder since he got his first binoculars as a young teen. With a degree in Fine Art from Pratt Institute, he found employment at the American Museum of Natural History where he learned the art of diorama background painting, a skill he has continued to employ at various museums to this day. In his personal work, Sean paints birds and the landscapes they are found in, working in watercolor and oil, putting great importance in sketching and painting directly from nature. He lives in Norwalk, CT with his wife, a folk musician and teacher, and they have two sons, one an artist, the other a naturalist.
The natural world inspired Jim Rataczak to start painting and drawing from about age three, and has been the guiding force of his life ever since. Growing up in Minnesota, where he still lives, both the science and the art of nature were central to his development. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology and animal behavior, and a short, patchwork career as a biologist followed. But the beauty of wild things and places couldn’t be avoided, and the need to respond to it in paint ultimately proved too strong. He’s now been a professional artist for three decades, and his studio work is deeply informed by the connections with nature he forms through his field work. He considers his shelves full of sketchbooks and paint studies to be his true artistic legacy.
NOTE: Audubon reserves the right to alter itineraries, instructors and particular arrangements, or to substitute similar itineraries or arrangements, at no penalty. If Audubon cancels a session, it will issue full refunds of all deposits or payments to the paid participants.
Testimonials:
“Fantastic staff – all very interesting and adding different perspectives and skill sets.” - 2025 Camper
“Instructors and staff are excellent. So supportive and I learned a ton. They are always looking for ways to help the guests.” - 2025 Camper
“This was such a special experience and I really hope I can come back again soon.” - 2025 Camper
“Everyone was lovely! You all did such a great job of creating an atmosphere of community and acceptance.” - 2025 Camper
“Spectacular experience; loved spending a week in the company of nature lovers and artists.” - 2025 Camper
“Don’t be afraid to come to Arts & Nature if you are a novice artist! They meet you where you are and you will be in supportive and inspiring company.” - 2025 Camper
“This was the best trip I’ve ever taken. Amazing.” - 2025 Camper
“There is still magic at camp even for us old kids.” - 2025 Camper
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