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.

This uninstructed plein air series offers artists of all levels the opportunity to make art outdoors in various inspiring South Shore locations. Each session will be guided by a different experienced plein air artist, providing insight into the plein air process without formal instruction. Participants will work independently while benefiting from the guidance and camaraderie of fellow artists. 

Each session begins with a 10-minute orientation led by the guiding artists, covering suggested compositions and tops for working in the environment. At the end of the session, participants will gather for an optional 15-minute discussion too are work and experiences. 

In case of inclement weather, sessions may be rescheduled. 

Registration is required. Limited spots available per session. No refunds or pro-rating for missed sessions. Leading artists will contact students prior to the session for parking info, etc. 

Open to all skill levels, artist must bring all their own supplies. 

After a summer break, it is always good to have a ‘refresh’ and bone up on the basics to prep for Fall Painting.  In this one day class we will review the tenants of a good composition, and explore the various patterns that are most compelling.  Then we will hone in on value exercises, because without a good value pattern a potentially good painting can be overlooked.  Lastly we will explore color and color mixing, which will give your paintings the punch they need to stand out. Bring a lunch and an open mind, and get ready for a successful Autumn of painting! All levels welcome, and acrylics or oil media is preferred.

About the Instructor: Kelley MacDonald

After getting her Art History degree at Wheaton College, Kelley continued taking art classes at various Art Associations for 10 years before she started painting.  First with watercolor, then oil and now happily with acrylic and mixed media, it has been a lifetime of growing and exploring all things art.  

Kelley has won numerous awards, and has taught classes and workshops for many years.  While for the majority of her career Kelley has been a literal, representational painter, in the past 4 years she has been diving into abstraction, particularly Intuitive Abstraction.  The history involved on the canvas, the multiple layers, the reveal and conceal and push and pull are what attracts her to this method. 

A favorite thing to do is to travel, and be inspired by different landscapes and  cityscapes.  Kelley has traveled to Holland to paint, along with many places on this side of the ocean, namely Nova Scotia, Sedona, Santa Fe, St. Simon’s Island, Seattle, San Miguel de Allende, MX, California and Maine. 

In 2009 Kelley founded the Artists’ Challenge Group “Girls Just Wanna Paint” which is a collection of award winning artists  who post a response to a new topic every month consecutively since July of 2009. Aside from the Providence Art Club Kelley is a member of the North River Arts Society in Marshfield, MA.  She has taught at the Art Club, Bristol Art Museum, and at North River Arts Society.

Materials List - 

• Colors
• • A warm and a cool of red, yellow and blue.
  • Examples of warm & cool red: cad red light and alizarin crimson or quinacridone magenta or rose
  • Examples of warm and cool blue: Pthalo Blue and Ultramarine Blue
  • Examples of warm and cool yellow: Cad yellow medium and Cad Yellow Lemon
  • Plus a white (titanium) and a dark neutral - like BURNT Umber or Paynes Gray
• Assorted brushes
• Container for water for acrylic paints, or small containers of Gambol for oil painters.
• Apron or old shirt
• Paper Towels
• Disposable Palette
• Sturdy paper like Canson Painting Paper or Bristol Paper or 140 Watercolor paper (if you are using oil, or IF you prefer with Acrylic, gesso about 6 (9x12) or larger sheets

Bring an open mind and enthusiasm - we’ll get ready for the Fall Painting!

Have you ever wanted to submit your work to a juried show but weren’t sure how to go about it? We’ve got a workshop for you.

In this workshop, we’ll show you how to -- Photograph your work so it presents its best self to a jury and meets the technical requirements for submitting. We’ll cover two-dimensional art (canvas or paper,) photography files, and three dimensional artwork (pottery, jewelry, small sculpture.) We’ll also cover the ways to mount and frame a two-dimensional work to properly present on an exhibition wall. This workshop is for experienced and new artists alike. Bring your smartphone or a camera and a tripod IF you have one. We’ll provide the lighting and backgrounds.

About the Instructor: Mike Dick

Mike Dick has been shooting and displaying photographs for over fifty years. He has a BA in photography and video from the University of Connecticut, Inner College and also trained in photography at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY.

Mike is a Gallery Artist at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, Member of North River Arts Society in Marshfield, MA and Member of Plymouth (Mass.) Center for the Arts.

South Shore Art Center presented two solo shows of Mike’s work, the first in December 2019 and the second in April, May, and June 2024. He has displayed work in juried shows at SSAC, NRAS, and Plymouth Center for the Arts. Mike took Best in Show -  Photography at the NRAS Festival in 2018 and First Place, Color Photography at the Fine Art of Photography Show, Plymouth Center for the Arts, 2024.

Mike lives in Cohasset, Mass. with his wife, Lisa; they have two sons and two grandsons. Lisa and Mike are active with community civic groups and local non-profits.

This comprehensive and enjoyable workshop will better familiarize participants with color palettes, the effective blending of colors, use of brushes, and responsiveness of the medium on different papers. A range of exercises will allow painters to explore and apply various wash methods – wet-on-wet, dry-brush, glazing, blending, sharp and soft edges, dilution control, among others. Each dynamic session will address some of the many aspects of color theory. Using still life subjects & from the instructor’s demos, participants will learn ways to structure & simplify a composition, while learning to see and achieve the dynamic elements of light, contrast, values, movement, textures, etc., which make paintings come alive. Experimentation and interpretative methods will also be demonstrated, discussed and encouraged during the workshop. The workshop will comprise two studio classes, for about 8 hours each day, with a 45-60 minute lunch.

The workshop will provide a relaxed place for participants to quickly understand and then develop their skills, with the watchful input of the instructor. Some previous painting experience would be preferable, but not required. Participant’s abilities should include basic drawing, and a comfort level with watercolor. With a likely diversity of skills, capabilities will vary widely, but one-on-one instruction will be tailored to each individual’s level. Expectations are for a creative, exciting environment from which the collective energies and interests will allow everyone to learn much more than otherwise struggling to discover alone. Also, expectations are for making “mistakes”, and for having fun while learning with an award-winning watercolorist.

About the Instructor: Frank is  an accomplished watercolor painter of urban scenes, landscapes, homes, portraits and still life in a plein air, or a direct alla prima colorist style. He is continually inspired by the effortless, masterful works of watercolorists from many eras and cultures; particularly Sargent, Homer, Turner, Wyeth, Zorn, Reid, Prendergast, Hiroshi and fellow Winthrop native, John Whorf. Frank enjoys the fluid challenge and unexpected possibilities of watercolor. Given the inherent transparency of his preferred medium and infinite range of possible values and colors, he strives to express watercolor’s rich, luminous qualities in his pieces. He also enjoys working on figurative sketches in pencil, pen & ink, and other mediums. Frank is a signature member of the New England Watercolor Society (N.E.W.S.) Boston, and elected member of the Salmagundi Club of New York. He is also a multiple award-winning architectural illustrator for over five decades of collaborating with renowned national architects to produce striking illustrations of projects around the world. Frank recently had a highly regarded exhibition of his illustration works at the Boston Athenaeum, and radio & tv spots on Jared Bowen’s PBS Culture Programs.

"Light, shade, shadow, color, values, textures; the substantive and the fleeting, the design and contours of shape and form; the intersection and interplay of the tangible and intangible – these life qualities are always capturing my attention. The interpretative and unexpected possibilities of the watercolor medium present an exciting artistic challenge to capture these very qualities in every work. "

Materials List: Coming Soon

No registration required – all are welcome! $10 cash only 

Looking for a creative way to kick off your week? Join us and Artist, Nina Cherie Cahill, every Monday night at North River Arts Society for Drop-In Craft Night! Bring your own project—whether it’s knitting, sketching, embroidery, sewing, collage, or any craft you're working on—and enjoy a relaxed, welcoming space to create alongside fellow makers.

All skill levels are welcome. This is an informal, social night perfect for getting inspired, sharing ideas, and making progress on whatever you're into. Come solo or with friends—stay the whole time or just pop in!

If you prefer, Nina will have materials available for loom weaving and can assist those who wish to get started on their own small weaving. Some materials for purchase through Nina. 

This group is open to all ages, levels, skills and crafts. 

This uninstructed plein air series offers artists of all levels the opportunity to make art outdoors in various inspiring South Shore locations. Each session will be guided by a different experienced plein air artist, providing insight into the plein air process without formal instruction. Participants will work independently while benefiting from the guidance and camaraderie of fellow artists. 

Each session begins with a 10-minute orientation led by the guiding artists, covering suggested compositions and tops for working in the environment. At the end of the session, participants will gather for an optional 15-minute discussion too are work and experiences. 

In case of inclement weather, sessions may be rescheduled. 

Registration is required. Limited spots available per session. No refunds or pro-rating for missed sessions. Leading artists will contact students prior to the session for parking info, etc. 

Open to all skill levels, artist must bring all their own supplies. 

Have you always wanted to try abstraction but can’t figure out a way to begin? This workshop will help jumpstart your process with exercises designed to get you thinking differently about abstraction. It isn't my goal to turn you into an abstract artist, it's to help you think more abstractly and concentrate more on what paint, shape, composition and color can do on their own without being hung on a representational image. How can we transcend the subject matter and evoke more of the experience we witnessed as artists?

We will begin these exercises outside in the morning with intense observation and note-taking and then move inside the studio to further explore mark-making and color exploration. This workshop is designed for oil or acrylic painters with prior painting experience. Other mediums are also welcome.

About the Instructor: ​Mary L. Moquin

Mary Moquin is a professional artist and teacher. She lives on the cape and spends part of the year in a remote dune cottage on the peninsula known as Sandy Neck in Barnstable, MA. The inspiration for her paintings comes from observing time passing as the light and shadows fall across the structures there. The structures have transformed into metaphors for meditation. Her work has won numerous awards and has been included in several regional and national juried shows. Mary holds a BFA in printmaking and an MFA in painting from Umass Dartmouth. Her work is represented in Wellfleet, MA at the Cove Gallery, North Water Gallery in Edgartown , MA, Alper’s Fine Art in Rockport, MA and at www.marymoquin.com

Materials List:

I don’t expect anyone to go out and buy a bunch of supplies for this, so if you have something similar on hand feel free to substitute.

• 16 x 20 or 18 x 24 canvas pad (or large sheets of paper (gessoed for oil painters), something large enough to subdivide it into 4 to 6 smaller sections with tape. 

• A board large enough to mount your paper to. (We may bring these outside to do quick sketches on)
• Several smaller supports to paint on or you can just cut up the canvas pad. Sometimes we’ll be doing 4 paintings on one sheet, sometimes only one smallish painting, so variety is good.
• Sketchbook for quick drawings and note-taking (any size) 
• Paint - a variety of colors, be sure to include black and white
• A few of your favorite mark-making crayons, pastels, graphite, charcoal, paint pens, white chalk mix it up! You can’t make a variety of marks without a variety of tools!
• A palette to mix paint on (something flat) freezer paper and tape on the table works fine.
• Tools to apply paint - palette knife, brushes, credit card, squeegees, a variety
• A couple cheap 1-2” brushes
• Paper towels, small bag for trash when outside.
• Masking tape
• Scissors
• Ruler

The goal of the class will be to simplify painting watercolors, from Planning, Materials, Composition,

Washes, Shapes, Perspective, Values, Edges and anything else that comes up. The day will start with a short talk and demo followed by the class trying to paint following the advice given.

1. Materials: Paper, Brushes, Paints, Palettes, Easels, etc..

2. Vision: Perspective, Shapes, Positive, Negative, etc.

3. Paint: Washes, Consistency, Values, Mixing, Application, Edges, etc.

4. Composition: Subject, Contrasts, etc.

All levels welcome

About the Artist

Watercolor artist Jack Haran is the past president of the New England Watercolor Society (NEWS) and past President of North River Arts Society (NRAS). He sits on the Board of Directors for NRAS. He earned a BS in Fine Arts from Northeastern University and a School of the Museum of Fine Arts Diploma. He has studied with Tony Van Hasselt and Judi Wagner, Zygmond Jankowski, John Kilroy, Alvaro Castagnet and Joseph Zbukvic.

Materials List

Pastel has been described as the most brilliant of art mediums. They are created using the same pigments as every other medium, but they are almost pure pigment, with the least amount of binder. The word “pastel” comes from the French word pastiche because the combined ingredients form a paste, not because the colors are pale or diluted. Works in pastel retain their color and integrity better than other mediums in that the pigments are least adulterated.

This one-day workshop is an introduction to the pastel medium. Your guide is Liz Haywood-Sullivan, a President Emerita of the International Association of Pastel Societies and a practicing pastelist, instructor and judge. She will lead a discussion about the facets of this versatile medium, which straddles the worlds of both drawing and painting. Topics will include the variations in different pastels and papers and how they affect painting outcomes, framing and presentation, and health and safety uses. She will do a painting demonstration, showing how to work with value layering, color mixing and mark making. You will then get a chance to try your hand at working with pastels. This is a highly interactive workshop so bring your questions. Materials will be provided.

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

Recommended Lodging for Out-of-Town students:

Inn at Scituate Harbor

Fairview Inn

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. 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.

In this one-day workshop, we will work on various ways to begin a pastel painting, focusing on color theory and how the use of underlying color can help shape a final piece. In the morning, you will create four different studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring four distinct color methods. You then will see how your initial application of color creates color harmonies and tensions and changes the mood of a painting once you apply your final layers of pastel. 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 we explore these options and start to see the power of color 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 Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, the Connecticut Pastel Society, and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Association, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website.

Materials list:

Quay Materials List October 2025 (1).docx

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to turn scrap paper into vibrant, textured sheets perfect for collage, mixed media, card-making, or watercolor! Using a blender and wooden screen, we’ll create paper pulp and form custom sheets with your choice of added materials—think thread, fabric bits, dried flowers, and more.

We’ll cover the process from making pulp to forming and drying your paper. After this workshop you'll leave no only with a new stack of paper that will be dry and ready in a few hours, but the skills to keep making more!

All tools and materials provided - just bring your own paper scraps and anything personal you’d like to add in to your paper, ie. dried and flat flowers, glitter, coffee grounds, natural dyes, scrap thread, etc. 

About the Instructor:

Michaela is a recent graduate of Pratt Institute as of May 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus in Drawing and a minor in History of Art and Design. She is a business owner and designer at MichaelasArtSpace, Operating the Etsy shop since April 2021 and currently works as Office Administrator at North River Arts! Her work can be seen in the Franklin Furnace Artists’ Books Permanent Collection, she has also shown in galleries such as Dekalb Gallery, Las Laguna Gallery in California, Baws Gallery and more!

The goal of this workshop is to explore what drawing means to you and move outside of your comfort zone to push your drawing practice further as a tool of inquiry, a joyful activity, and a method of attending to the world around you.  Whether it's exploring new compositional ideas, sketching as a way to just loosen up, or delineating a detailed rendition of a favorite object, drawing with a variety of media and purposes is a great way to underpin your personal art practice.

Using both dry and wet media we’ll explore mark-making, composition dynamics, and experiment with surface as we create and explore. This workshop will be lead through discussion, demonstration, and practice.

About the Artist: 

John Rufo is an artist and architect with over 35 years of practice experience. John attended the Rhode Island School of Design and has degrees in architecture and fine art. John’s artwork ranges in subject from landscape to still life to figural and abstract works. John teaches workshops focused on exploring drawing, painting and mixed-media approaches to making art. John’s wife is also an artist and art teacher. They both have studio space in their home in Needham, Massachusetts.

Materials List: Coming Soon

Additional Information:

Workshop Syllabus

John Ruffo Artist Statement

In this half-day workshop, we’ll practice essential watercolor techniques while creating beautiful festive hand-painted paper crafts with a botanical theme that are perfect for seasonal  giving! Materials, demonstrations, and instruction will be provided to create one-of-a-kind gift tags, cards, patterned papers and more. We’ll discuss finding ideas and inspiration from nature and other sources, how to layout your own unique designs, and the basics of painting with watercolor including color mixing and brushwork. 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.