Looking for more space to spread out and work on a project? Or maybe you want to work amongst other artists to feel inspired and get some helpful feedback on your work. Join other local artists any time between 9am-12pm, for Open Studio. Please pay $10 cash at the door. Bring all supplies you need to use, NRAS has easels available. 

No registration, drop in only, cash or check.

**NOTE: No open studio on March 14**

Join us for a creative and relaxing 3-hour frame loom weaving workshop at North River Arts Society hosted by Nina Cherie Cahill.

What you'll learn:

What's included:

• Your own small frame loom to take home
  
• A variety of weaving yarns
  
• Essential weaving tools (needles, wood shuttles)
  

Nina is a textile artist, designer, and mother. She holds a degree in Fibers from Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Her inspiration comes from her great grandmother, Nana Reta, who was an avid crocheter and knitter.

Collage has the incredible capacity to combine materials, text, and imagery into a single, coherent composition that is textural, colorful, and visually interesting or even surprising. It also can serve as a great means of personal expression, story-telling, or self-exploration, combining objects from the artist’s life or surroundings. 

Explore the many ways you can create your own imagery through mixed media collage by examining composition, communication, and assembling techniques. 

Experiment with painted papers, images, text, paint, ink, and dry media on various surfaces. This workshop is open to all levels. No prior experience necessary.   

About the Instructor: Sue Casey

I don't think of “art” as being separate from myself - it is and always has been a part of who I am. I've been thinking about, looking at, making, and teaching art for as long as I can remember. 

My inspiration for my work comes from nature where I enjoy walking along the beach, hiking in the White Mountains and paddle-boarding and kayaking in the North River. Every day I am inspired by the beauty of nature and the light and color that surround me. 

I have always been drawn to mixed media due to the ability to experiment with layering materials and textures help me reset and work through ideas. I am particularly drawn to geometric shapes and how they appear in an organic setting. My goal is to simplify these shapes and be less deliberate over the arrangements of found and painted paper shapes and edges to create an overall cohesive composition.

Suggested Materials List:

• 2 or 3 wrapped canvases, canvas panels or matte board (choose sizes based on your comfort level)

• Matte medium to apply collage materials (Utrecht, Golden, Liquitex are all good)

• Collage materials such as: newspaper, old book pages, tissue paper, old sheet music, fun printed cocktail napkins, old receipts, 

• Stencils (if you have them)

• Any mark making tools of your choice: lead pencils, charcoal, oil pastels, paint markers

• Acrylic paints: red, yellow, blue, white, black or more if you'd like

• Brushes to apply paint

• Palette knife or old credit card to apply matte medium

• Spray bottle for water

• Masking tape

• Paper towels

• Scissors

• Reference photos: still life, landscape (bring a few ideas to choose from)

Marshes, beaches, and waterways describe the local landscape of coastal southern New England. In this three-day workshop with locally based internationally recognized artist, Liz Haywood-Sullivan, we will devote one day to each of these topics. Day One will explore the beauty of the marshes. Day Two we go to the beach and play in the waves. Day Three we trace waterways winding through the marshes. We will cover correct drawing, value choices, aerial perspective, sky and water valuework, and how to make underpainting work for you. Each day will start with a demonstration and there will be plenty of individual instruction at your easels.

Instructor Bio:

Liz Haywood-Sullivan, PSA-MP, IAPS/EP, has been dedicated to working exclusively in the pastel medium since 1996. Her attraction to the medium is pastel's unique ability to capture light and atmosphere in the landscape. She is a sought-after instructor and judge for pastel societies and arts organizations around the world. Liz authored the popular book Painting Brilliant Skies and Water in Pastel (Northlight, 2013). Her award-winning pastel paintings have been featured in numerous books and magazine articles, and have appeared in national, international and museum exhibitions worldwide. Liz is a President Emerita of the International Association of Pastel Societies (2013-2017) and is the current president of the North River Arts Society in Massachusetts. Her work is represented by Vose Galleries of Boston. 

www.lizhaywoodsullivan.com

Materials List for Workshop: _2025 Materials List.pdf

Recommended Lodging for Out-of-Town students:

Inn at Scituate Harbor

Fairview Inn

This class is for those who are fascinated with capturing the likeness and character of a person.  From observation of the live model, we will examine the effect of light falling on the structures and forms of the head.  Discover techniques for mixing colors to achieve realistic and nuanced complexions.  We will cover the use of atmosphere and background towards creating a finished portrait.  Regardless of their stage of development (practicing professionals, students, beginners), specific information is given to artists individually, guiding them through each phase of creating a painting.  Students will be given individual attention to help reach their personal goals. While the primary medium is oil painting, participants are welcome to use drawing, pastels, or acrylics. Be prepared to work hard, make new friends and best of all have fun.

About the Instructor: Laurel Stern Boeck’s dedication to her craft is evident in the timeless quality of her work. A classically trained artist with an award-winning career in both portraits and landscapes, she invites viewers to explore the rich tapestry of human experience through her paintings. Laurel’s lifelong passion for figurative art forms the foundation of her practice. She began her studies at the Art Students League of New York, earned a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, and further honed her skills at the John Murray Atelier before completing her MFA at the New York Academy of Art.Through her authentic approach and attention to fine detail, she captures the likeness and essence of her subjects. Her work can be seen in private collections, boardrooms, universities, supreme courts, and Washington institutions.

Materials List Coming Soon

Do you want to explore your creative side? Do you want to experiment with colors without fear of making a mistake? Come join me in this easy, magical, and relaxing adventure into the world of freedom and creativity, after which you will get a masterpiece created by your own hands.

What does red taste like? Of course, it tastes of strength, joy, energy, maturity and love. The taste of red is the taste of the King of all fruits - the Pomegranate! Let's paint together this symbol of sun, life, abundance, rebirth and immortality. Symbol of Love.

We will be working for 2.5 – 3 hours in a small group. The maximum number of participants is 12 people. You don’t need to bring anything. All necessary materials will be provided.

Looking forward to painting on silk with you!

About the Instructor: Lidia Mikhaylova is an abstract artist inspired by the simple beauties of everyday life. Her work ranges from sensual artwork and still life to fine floral paintings. The elegance, playfulness, and depth of her work are demonstrated through rich, vivid colors composed on silk fabric, with oil or watercolor paintings and pastel drawings. Her creative facilitation creates a space where participants can truly tap into their natural creativity to help bring it out to the surface.

·Lidia is a highly creative artist and art facilitator with more than seven years of professional experience delivering visual art classes in the areas of painting.

·In 3 years, Lidia has conducted over 70 different workshops in art studios, public libraries, educational centers, and private and corporate events among people of all ages.

·Lidia’s work has been featured in international art festivals, Art Hole Magazine, A5 Magazine, and art galleries from Brooklyn, NY to Laguna Beach, CA.

·Lidia is the winner of the Billboard Contest 2022, and her work has been featured on the billboard in Sacramento, CA.

This fun workshop is designed for experienced painters working in any medium who wish to explore ways to create more modern, bold, and expressive paintings by taking a less representational approach. In each session, we will investigate how to utilize one of the abstract elements of painting: line, value, color, shape, and texture to express an unexpected idea or statement. A brief presentation will precede some simple exercises. This is not a “how to paint” class; instead, it serves as a space for exploration and experimentation with fellow artists. We will work independently, using materials of your choice, from still lives and/or photos. There will be a brief critique at the conclusion of each session.

Any specific materials needed will be emailed prior to the workshop.

About the Instructor: Nancy Colella 

Nancy earned a BA in Fine Art from Muskingum University, then studied painting at the Aegean School of Fine Arts in Paros, Greece and at the Instituto Allende in San Miquel Mexico. After a career in the hospitality business and while raising two children, she resumed her studies at Mass College of Art. She teaches numerous on-line and live workshops throughout New England. She lives in Norwell with her husband and yellow lab Limoncello. 

In this half-day workshop, we’ll practice essential watercolor techniques while creating beautiful hand-painted paper crafts that are perfect for giving on all types of occasions! Materials, demonstrations, and instruction will be provided to create one-of-a-kind cards, gift tags, wrapping papers and more. We’ll discuss finding ideas and inspiration, creating color palettes, how to layout your own unique designs, and the basics of painting with watercolor. This workshop will spark your creativity whether you are new to watercolor or are an experienced artist in need of some playful no-pressure painting.

All levels are welcome and all materials including paints and papers will be provided. 

About the Instructor: Tara Connaughton

Tara Connaughton is an artist/illustrator & art instructor living near the coast in Scituate, MA. Her botanical and nature-inspired paintings have earned multiple awards, and she has exhibited her artwork through numerous local and regional galleries and venues around the Boston area. 

Tara teaches watercolor and botanical illustration through local workshops, privately, and at organizations around the Boston area and South Shore. She has a Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration, and uses her passion for painting and love of nature to teach and inspire others to find their creative spirit and connect with the world around them.

Tara also creates custom art and illustration for clients across a wide range of subjects, with a focus on custom art for wedding invitations and stationery. 

Ken will discuss strategies for creating better artworks with a variety of common and creative tools. The workshop will focus on concepts for making better starts, compelling artworks, going to new places in your work, and how to make fine art.

Together, we will be going deeper into the how-to of making more appealing artworks with a variety of ideas and tools. After the day's sessions, the group is invited to further discussions and dinner.

After the Sunday session, Ken will present Photoshop techniques for taking your works to the next level and creating better pathways for finishing your artworks. You will be given a simplified Photoshop guide and have access to a large photo file of over 2000 inspiring artworks. Ken will demonstrate painting using oil and pastels, if requested. In addition to making art works, Ken will talk about business and promotion, necessary tools for success in the marketplace.

There will be serious discussions, laughs, and your questions with more continuing after class hours. We will all come away with new tools to take your art to the next level. Ample time will be given to live problem solving, daily critiques and creative options. We won’t be pushing to make completed works during this short time. Rather, we will be looking at making good starts and strategies for going beyond your comfort level.

Artist Statement: 

“From an early age, I’ve been fortunate to have seen remarkably good works of art and met some of the best painters in the field.

My friendships with Wolf Kahn and Forrest Moses along with Wolf’s master classes have been invaluable.​

The paintings I create are rarely portraits of places but rather, they are investigations into color and composition. My goal is to create something more remarkable and outside the familiar scene. To do that, many ideas and moves are used to alter nature in exaggerated, but somehow believable ways.

If successful, what emerges is art that is expressive, apart from the everyday and filled with life and joyfully, II never tire of chasing that goal.

To learn more about Ken Elliot visit https://www.kenelliott.com/about

Supply List:

Write out the things you want to get from this class. 

You are invited to bring whatever you wish to paint with and work on. Bring works to start, works in progress, and finished works to evaluate. You won’t need many images, just a few to begin with.

Art supplies:  Easel, paints, brushes, palette knives if you choose, and minimal supplies and accessories that you typically paint with. Don’t overload yourself. We can share.

One sheet of any paper, copy paper at 8 1/2 x 11 will do fine, along with any kind of pencil in graphite or pastel, charcoal stick etc. We will be doing one abstract drawing exercise and it will be useful to have something to draw with that is more expressive than a pencil.

Canvas (large is good: 30 x30 canvas, 30 x 40, 36 x 36 etc.) or reasonably large paper for acrylic studies or pastels.

In this one-day workshop, we will work on understanding color and value, focusing on how to make informed color choices and create color harmony in a pastel painting. Color speaks to emotions when we view a painting, and knowing how to manipulate color and value allows us to shift and shape a painting’s mood. We will discuss the vocabulary of color (hue, chroma, value and temperature) and the way in which our perception of color can be influenced by the quality of light, by distance and by surrounding colors. In the morning, you will create a number of different studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring distinct schemes for color harmony. In the afternoon, you will create a larger piece, using the approach you find most appealing – there are no wrong choices! All students will have personalized feedback and guidance as you explore the pastel medium and see the power of color and value in a composition. This class is appropriate for all levels. A materials list will be provided in advance.

About the Instructor: Heather Quay

“My goal is to have my paintings capture the feeling of a particular time and place. I have always been fascinated by the way that painters portray the quality and temperature of light. As a pastel painter, I continue to be drawn to scenes where the light is the central character. Whatever I am painting – from landscapes, both natural and manmade, to figures, animals, and portraits – I’m always striving to render the light I see onto the surface of my artwork.”

Heather’s work has been included in juried exhibits across New England and online, and has won a number of awards. She is an Associate Member of the Pastel Society of America, and a Signature Member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, the Connecticut Pastel Society and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Association, the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website. More about Heather and her work can be found at www.heatherquay.com

Materials list: