It was opened primarily as a space to exhibit large, outdoor work by sculptor Simon Gudgeon, but Sculpture by the Lakes quickly became much more.

The park, at Pallington Lakes, near Dorchester, now boasts a fully licensed cafe, a kitchen garden, a timber-framed event space overlooking the water meadows and sculpture park, as well as intimate spaces for hire including a shepherd's hut and private island, plus art and craft fairs, yoga retreats, meditation days and plein air painting events.

Its latest venture is the launch of a new Winter Arts School, offering a variety of art-based workshops and a lecture programme focussing on art and gardens. Several well-known artists will be leading the events, covering a range of different mediums in this inspirational setting.

Botanical Art Workshop with Julia Trickey October 5 and 6 A two-day botanical art course which will introduce the techniques and processes used to create accurate plant portraits using a variety of media. Suitable for beginners who are fascinated by the natural world and more experienced artists who want to advance their botanical art. Price £200pp and includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Design From Nature for Handknitting with Sasha Kagan October 26 and 27 Learn how to interpret leaves and flowers into design motifs for hand knitting. Sasha teaches extensively and is the author of seven books of knit and crochet design. The cost of the two day course is £200 and includes all materials, lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Exploring Calligraphy Workshop with Gaynor Goffe November 16 and 17 Suitable for all levels from beginners to advanced as much of the tuition is on a one to one basis. Gaynor Goffe has been a professional calligrapher for 40 years, she works to commission and has taught widely throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. The cost of the two day course is £200 and includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

Mastering Acrylic Painting with Andrew Denman November 28 and 29 Internationally renowned wildlife painter Andrew Denman will be offering a comprehensive two-day course designed to teach you everything you need to know to begin mastering acrylic painting. Vital basics of colour mixing, brush work, wet on wet and layering and glazing will all be taught. The cost of the two day course is £170 and will include lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

The Full Works with Guy Combes (featuring Andrew Denman) November 28 and December 1 A four-day workshop with internationally renowned wildlife artist Guy Combes, participants will start by working on the same set pieces to establish technique then during the final two days Guy will be joined by fellow artist and painter Andrew Denman and together they will outline the essentials of composition, colour and working with reference. Combes and Denman have years of experience of teaching, working with galleries, marketing and putting together shows and will talk about this in detail. The cost of the four day course is £340.

Lino Printing Workshop with Hugh Dunford Wood December 7 and 8 A practical and fun course where you will learn the fundamentals of lino prints, from drawing and carving your image to the inking and printing process. This will include a variety of techniques and methods including transfer of your design, safe carving techniques, types of tools and the variety of papers, the printing process and an introduction to hand burnishing. Hugh Dunford Wood was the Artist in Residence at The Royal Shakespeare Company and will show you the best options for becoming a home based printmaker. The course is suitable for beginners and intermediates. Price of two day course is £195, lino / cutting-edge medium use of tools, ink, lunch and refreshments throughout the day are included.

Linen Tassel Workshop with Anna Crutchley January 18 Learn the traditional techniques of making a full-sized tassel for interior decoration. Working with quality linen yarns you will learn basic techniques such as how to roll a wooden tassel mould with cord, make a wired cut skirt with over bullion decorations and assemble the whole tassel with a ruff at the waist. Anna designs and makes passementerie and is the author of The Tassels Book. Cost of the two day course is £200 which includes lunch and refreshments plus additional materials cost between £12 - £20.

All courses run from 10.30am to 4.30pm. For details of how to book, visit the website below.

Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington Lakes, Dorchester T: 07720 637808 W: sculpturebythelakes.co.uk/artscrafts