Founder & Owner of Delany Arts

Amanda is a self-described maker, one-woman think tank and generally sidetracked lover of learning and collaboration.

Following the tradition of giving pottery as an eighth anniversary gift, Amanda’s husband signed her up for her first art class - Beginner Ceramics at Portland Pottery. This was the beginning of a love for art classes, workshops and intensives. Classes with Judy LaBrasca at MECA, a weekend at Haystack, and lots of workshops with fun, local instructors planted the seed that created Delany Arts - a space where her mind can wander and create while cultivating collaboration and learning with local makers and the community.

Homeward Pine Watercolor & Ink

Stephanie Berry studied art education and has been teaching visual arts since 2012. She believes that there is some form of artist hidden within everyone, and finds unique ways to encourage that in her students. With her main focus on paint and illustrative work, her artworks reflect a more lighthearted style. You can find that most of her artworks are done in watercolor, gouache, and ink types, often showing off a loose style. Stephanie has taught art in the public school setting for 10 years, both high school and elementary.  Having taught in Delaware, Nashville Tennessee and Atlanta Georgia, she is ready to settle down in Southern Maine. Stephanie’s artwork has won “best in show” in a Delaware juried art show, as well as been a guest artist at a Louis Vuitton private event in 2021. From homeschooling, to teaching in inner cities, to private lessons and teaching her own two kids how to mix colors,  Stephanie’s love of teaching spreads far and wide.

Jen is a local acrylic painting artist. After a 20 year career working in Clinical Research Trials while raising a family, Jen decided to slow down and focus on art. In 2019 she started studying acrylics and absolutely fell in LOVE with this medium. Big bold florals are her passion. She loves their stunning beauty, intricate details, shapes and vibrant colors. Her painting process strikes the balance of thoughtful yet sometimes unusual compositions and intuitive but playful placement of color. Jen finds her inspiration while being an intentional observer of nature. Wandering outside in flower gardens and fields, she snaps photos to use in the studio when dreaming up her next painting.

For the last few years she has been teaching as a way to share the joy that she feels painting and the mental health benefits expressing yourself and being creative can bring into one's life.

Jen also has previous experience in printmaking, clay, oil painting, stained glass and photography. Her work has been included in shows at Yarmouth Arts Festival, Yarmouth Arts Alliance, Stonewall Gallery, Ocean House Gallery and River Arts Gallery.

Mermaid Bindery

Joelle Webber has spent over forty years collecting book arts techniques. Learning from mentors and book arts books as a young person, then as an adult in workshop and university settings. At Mermaid Bindery she provides custom book binding and box making services for others, including rebinding well loved books. Joelle enjoys writing, paper decorating, collage, calligraphy, pop-up and paper sculpting, which she uses to illustrate her own artist books. Building on these creative techniques, she is pleased to design workshops for many different communities of makers.

Chen Chen Flower Farm

Yajing Chen is a local Yarmouth flower farmer and founder of Chen Chen Flower Farm. Her inspiration has always been her grandmother, Laolao, who loved the peonies of their North China hometown and the humble cockscomb she grew in their courtyard. Yajing specializes in these flowers, along with many others including tulips, ranunculus, roses, and dahlias, and you can find her bouquets at local cafes and farm stands. Before turning her love of cut flowers into a business, Yajing earned a Ph.D. in International Comparative Education from Indiana University (Go Hoosiers!) and worked in higher education and in international education consulting. She's found growing flowers and getting her hands dirty in the Maine soil is much more fun.

Smells Like Home

Tara founded and runs the food site, Smells Like Home, where she creates, photographs, and publishes family-friendly dinner and dessert recipes. She has been cooking and baking since she was 9 and she now shares her love of baking with her daughter and kids from all over the greater Portland area. She is a self-taught photographer, dabbles in making pottery, and has fallen head-first in watercolor painting.

Rambler Flower Truck

Charlee Charron is the owner of Rambler Flower Truck, a 1961 Ford Econoline mobile flower bar. The Rambler truck can be found around the greater Portland area, delivering local, fresh blooms to the community. When she's not popping up at your favorite restaurants, cafes, and retail shops, Charlee can be found digging in her garden or creating whimsical floral designs for weddings and events. She aims to always source from local farms and support the flower farm community during the summer months as well as utilize sustainable farming practices in her own gardens. As a self-taught floral designer, she believes that everyone has the ability to make beautiful creations with a little guidance and a lot of love.

@evusbeevus

Eva is a recent college graduate with a degree in studio art and art history from St. Lawrence University. She is excited to be back home in Maine, now teaching art where she grew up among the pine trees and briny sea. Through her passion for ceramics and photography, she wishes to share her love for creative and emotive expression using clay - which she believes brings students closer to the natural world. Eva was the recipient of two art and art history awards at St. Lawrence and has shown her work at shows in Cortona, Italy, Canton, NY, and Atlanta, GA. She has a zeal for hand-built and sculptural ceramic pieces, full of whimsy and imagination. She invites students to discover the magic of creating fantastical worlds, with their own hands, out of clay. Let your mind wander free in one of Eva’s classes.

Textured Porcelain

Guenola is the resident throwing instructor here at Delany Arts. She has been creating her beautiful sea-inspired tea cups and bowls for years now using translucent porcelain as her medium. When she is not throwing her pieces on the wheel you may get a glimpse of her during her daily swim in Casco Bay everyday of the year or at Portland Pottery where she makes her pieces and teaches. Guenola makes Delany Arts extra special and you are literally in great hands with her as your instructor.

Fuzzy Lovies

A talented fiber artist, she spends much of her time felting adorable creatures, beautiful jewelry and delicate flowers. Originally from Russia, Mia incorporates visual elements and color from Russian folklore and now felts bright purple lupines and muted mussel shells inspired from living in Maine. While practicing felting over the past ten years, she has elevated her practice and loves to teach others how to make felted pieces as an art form rather than just a craft. We are so lucky to have her here in the studio.

AP Curiosities

Brooke is a self taught potter dedicated to perfecting her craft while raising money for various environmental groups. She translates her love of nature into loveable, one-of-a-kind pottery by handsculpting a menagerie of animals and arranging them on her meticulously thrown functional pottery. You will often find her work in various Maine and national publications. The 2020 Down East Holiday Issue featured The Mainekerchief - a collaboration between Amanda & Brooke that translated the traditional red paisley bandana to a kerchief adorned with hand-drawn picutures of clams, lobster, claws, the Maine flag motif and other iconic Maine symbols of a well-lived life in Vacationland.

Elizabeth Cambell Creative

Based in southern-midcoast Maine, I am a graphic and web designer with UI overlap. I am also a part-time photographer, and a general online-presence consultant ready to take on the next project. I have a degree in fine art from Skidmore College. I worked at a newspaper as a copy editor and layout designer. I spent a few years paying the bills; then returned to being a professional creative. Human-friendly design is the passion and career.

Yarmouth High School Junior (Yes, Paige & Laila are twins)

Paige is a rising junior at Yarmouth High School who is the epitome of a modern day renaissance woman. She dabbles in just about every medium she can get her hands on from clay to yarn. This past year one of her paintings was featured at the Portland Museum of Art. Paige is also well known for her baking skills and love of music. And if this wasn’t enough she is on the soccer, lacrosse, and nordic skiing teams. When she has the time she uses the kids she babysits to try out fun and creative artistic techniques. She focuses on creativity and loves teaching kids that everything is fixable, so you should never give up (she gives a shout out to her mom for this mantra). Paige is one of Yarmouth’s rising stars and there is no doubt that she is one of those individuals who comes into a child’s life and is forever remembered as a great role model.

Yarmouth High School Junior (Yes, Laila & Paige are twins)

Laila is going into her junior year at Yarmouth High School with her eyes set on soaking in all of the great opportunities the school has to offer. She is an artist through and through with a special love of design and architecture. She loves experimentation and exploration of various styles and materials. Laila is a musician and athlete - she is on the volleyball, nordic ski, and track teams. When she isn’t playing sports, baking, or reading, Laila works with kids of all ages. Watching kids work with their endless creativity fills her up when she shares her love of art and teaching the techniques she has learned over the years to them. Laila is a rockstar in Yarmouth whose smile lights up a room. She is humble with all of her talents and eager to teach, learn, and have fun.

Studio Pup

Eddie is Delany Arts’ resident giver of smiles and happiness. He doesn’t work in traditional art media but rather in the art of distracting students to scratch his belly.

A drop out of numerous puppy classes, obedience schools, and elocution lessons, Ed’s lack of manners is made up by his genuine love of all people who do not deliver mail.

Ed answers to all variations of the name Ed, including but not limited to Edison, Edward, Schmoop, Schmoopaloop, and Love Muffin.

When he isn’t staring at you with puppy dog eyes begging for a walk, you can find him lounging on the studio couch as the self-appointed president of the street’s neighborhood watch.