Barbara Estabrook tosses the limb of a shrub over the fence of her home Monday in Gardiner. Estabrook said she was applying the pruning skills she recently acquired during a workshop in Longfellow’s Greenhouse in Manchester.

Scott Elliot applies a coat of gold paint Monday on the exterior trim of the Monkitree gallery on Water Street in Gardner. Warmer weather and the imminent arrival of summer tourists has merchants and builders finishing up spring construction work. “Tis the season,” Elliot said.

Jen Wright, left, and her son, Sawyer, help Gardiner’s 2013 Artist in Residence, Susan Perrine, build a twig sculpture out of locally sourced materials Saturday at Johnson Hall Mini Park in Gardiner. Perrine began weaving twig sculptures as a way to teach weaving on a large scale. Perrine’s work reflects on her connection to the natural environment. “I grew up on a farm and have always spent a lot of time outdoors, walking the fields and woods near home,” she said. “I try to use methods and materials to reflect the connection I feel towards the natural environment.” Susan will be showing at Artwalk after the reception in the park where her sculpture will reside.