As Coastal Senior College (CSC) continues to expand its role in the active lifelong learning community inLincoln and Knox counties and beyond,the College kicks off the winter 2026 semester on Jan. 13 with a varied collection of four-tosix-session courses, both in person and on Zoom.

Registration for all courses opened on Dec. 16andreservationsare high with eight of the eleven courses offered remotely on Zoom avoiding winter travel.  

Watercolor artistCynthia Diashas planneda special course titled “Painting Backyard Wildlife in Watercolor Pencil.” 

Diashas taught art and history-based classes for a number of years in the mid-coast area. In addition to her artwork featuring scenes of Maine and England, she also creates handwoven textilesin her Newcastle home studio. In the past, Diashas also invested her time and energy in curatorial efforts withvarious museums. 

In her course she offers students the opportunity to “connect with nature by drawing a range of backyard wildlife using watercolor pencils. Step-by-step instructions and tips on techniques will result in softly blended or bold colors created by mixing watercolor pencils and water. A different animal will be the subject for each class.

Dias will lead her students in four, two-hour Zoom sessions on Wednesday mornings beginning Jan. 14.Suggested books that are helpful but not necessary include "The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds" by John Muir and "Drawing Animal Portraits in Coloured Pencil" by Lisa Ann Watkins. 

Information about CSC and registration for the wintercourses may be found at coastalseniorcollege.org.