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.

Join North River Arts for Friday Night Figure Drawing!

Settle into a relaxed, creative atmosphere and spend your Friday evening drawing or painting from a live nude model. Each session begins with a series of short, dynamic poses designed to help you warm up, loosen your hand, and explore gesture. We then transition into longer poses, giving you the opportunity to dive deeper into proportion, anatomy, shading, and more refined detail at your own pace.

This is an uninstructed studio session, making it a wonderful option for artists of all levels who are looking to practice, build confidence, or simply enjoy dedicated time to create in community with others. Bring your preferred materials and enjoy a supportive, inspiring environment to grow your figure drawing skills.

Easels provided by NRAS. $20 drop in fee at the door, cash only. Space limited to 14 students. 

Learn how to repair your clothes using simple hand sewing techniques. Bring a piece of clothing that needs some love (cotton, denim, and linen items are preferable!) and give it a new lease on life. Mending tools, fabric, and a take-home instruction sheet will be provided, but please bring a pair of scissors. You may also bring any scrap fabric you’d like to use as a patch. No prior sewing experience is needed — come learn something new!

Materials provided:

• Needlebooks that come with sewing needles, pins, and safety pins

• Embroidery floss

• Scrap fabrics

• Scissors

• Instructional handout

What students should bring:

• An item of clothing that needs a patch or quick repair, preferably something that’s non-stretch.

• Optional: a small embroidery hoop, scrap fabric from their own stash

Olivia Harvey is an avid sewist and upcycler who first learned how to sew as a kid right here at NRAS with Brooke Stanton — and she hasn’t stopped since! Along with making and embellishing her own clothes, Olivia also sells her upcycled creations through her online shop OHpleeze. She believes that everyone should learn how to sew because it makes life (and your closet) a lot more interesting!

Additional Information:

Please help us be respectful to our neighbors.
Do not park in front of neighbors or turn around in their driveways.

You can do this! Explore sketching with abandonment. Step out of your comfort zone and draw with a variety of materials, letting all the imperfections, “mistakes,” and corrections lead you to beautiful discoveries and exciting images. Perfectionism is highly overrated. Let fearless mark making lead you to dynamic images that engage and delight! Layer, smudge, erase…it’s all good.

In this workshop, we will look at some of the masters of intuitive drawing (both past and present) for inspiration. You will watch Suzette demonstrate various techniques and be coached through exercises using different mediums. You will utilize still life as subject matter. Please bring 3-5 objects from your home to arrange in your space and a patterned dishtowel or fabric piece to wrap into the still life. Anything goes! Ordinary objects are often poetic. Don’t over think what you bring in. Suzette encourages you to bring the drawing tools you already have in your kit and not to worry if you don’t have every element on the extended

materials list. Get ready to wow yourself…

Materials list:

Must have:

• A book of cheap sketch paper for exercises
• A Bristol pad, Vellum or Smooth, as big as you please but not smaller than 11x14
• A graphite pencil
• Some willow or vine charcoal
• Paynes Gray acrylic ink
• white charcoal or white conte crayon or white pastel
• 3 colors watercolor, acrylic gouache, or acrylic paint and a brush

Nice to have:

• watercolor, gouache, acrylic sets
• pastels, oil or soft
• ink tense pencils
• Cran d’arche Neocolor crayons or like product
• water-soluble graphite
• acrylic markers
• crayons
• gel pens
• prior works you are willing to tear into collage material

About the Instructor: Suzette Lebenzon

Suzette Lebenzon has painted since her childhood in Scituate, MA. She has kept a studio and shown in galleries most of her adult life. Her home and studio are in Wellfleet.

Suzette was a recipient of the Mass Cultural Council’s Unrestricted Artists’ Grants. In 2023, Suzette was inducted to the National Association of Women Artists, as a Signature Member. Her work has been curated into shows at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, the Scollay Square Gallery in Boston’s City Hall, and the Galatea Fine Art Gallery in SOWA.

She is represented by the  AMZehnder Gallery in Wellfleet, MA; and the BBLG Gallery in Smithtown, NY.

Additional Information:

Please help us be respectful to our neighbors.
Do not park in front of neighbors or turn around in their driveways.

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. 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. 

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. 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. 

This uninstructed plein air series offers artists of all levels the opportunity to make art outdoors in various inspiring South Shore locations. Join us this week at JPH Ferry Hill, a local nonprofit whose mission revolves around pioneering community-based wellness. JPH will be provided snacks and invites you to join them on their stunning marsh-front property. Artists may donate their work to JPH at the end of the session. Donated artwork will be sold at a silent auction at the Dragonfly fundraising event in the fall (at JPH)  

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. 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. 

In this captivating 2-day workshop Julie and Michael will help you discover the beauty of pastels. You will explore color, layering, blending and composition as you learn how to create a vibrant floral artwork. They will share: their knowledge; skills; materials/process; tricks and tips and their love of detail – all of which can be applied to any genre, and the workshop is perfect for all skill levels. Two tutors, two creative days.

About the Artists:

Julie and Michael are international award-winning artists sharing a love of pastel and realism. They’ve been fascinated with realism since childhood and in their artwork, they strive to create paintings with greater depth and feeling than can be achieved with a photograph. Julie is in the IAPS Master Circle (IAPS-MC) a Master Pastelist in: New Zealand (MPANZ); and Australia (MPSA) and is a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA). Michael is an IAPS Eminent Pastelist (IAPS-EP), a Master Pastelist in: the Pastel Society of America (PSA-MP); New Zealand (MPANZ); and Australia (MPSA) They both have had articles and their pastel paintings published in many leading art magazines and sell their work internationally and through galleries in New Zealand. Between them they have over 40 years of teaching experience and currently teach workshops Internationally and throughout New Zealand. Julie also teaches privately from their studio in Greenhithe, Auckland.

www.juliefreeman.co.nz www.michaelfreemanartist.com

Additional Information:

Please help us be respectful to our neighbors.
Do not park in front of neighbors or turn around in their driveways.

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. 

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. 

In this one-day workshop, we will focus on strengthening the design of a painting, actively considering the ways in which the visual elements of a scene can be arranged to make the final image both interesting and compelling. We will discuss various compositional approaches and “rules,” thinking about how to create a center of interest and lead a viewer’s eye through a painting. In the morning, you will create a number of small studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring distinct compositional schemes. In the afternoon, you will create a larger piece, using the scheme you find most appealing—there are no wrong choices! All students will have personalized feedback and guidance. This class is appropriate for all levels. While the instructor works in pastel, students in this class are welcome to work in any medium. 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 national and international juried exhibits, 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, the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Society, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather’s paintings have appeared in The Pastel Journal and she is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website. More about Heather and her work can be found at www.heatherquay.com

Materials list:

PAINTS, PASTELS and other media:

You will need a good range of color and value in whatever media you are using.

Note for pastels: You can use any brand you have (suggestions below if you need

them). Please clean your pastels and remove the wrappings so you can use them

easily.

PAINTING OR DRAWING SURFACE:

You will need at least five surfaces:

•  Two 8” x 10”
• One 8” x 8”
• One 8” x 12”
• At least one 9” x 12” or larger (your preference)

Note for pastels: Please use sanded pastel paper (any brand is fine—Art Spectrum,

Pastel Premier, LUX Archival, U Art, Canson Velvet). Do not bring Canson Mi-Teintes –

it does not have enough tooth and has a honeycomb texture that is hard to work with. If

you don’t have paper, I will have Canson Velvet available at cost ($3 per 9” x 12” sheet).

DRAWING BOARDS: These are to support your painting/drawing surface while you

work. As long as it’s sturdy, it’s fine—could be Gator-board, foam core or Masonite.

PHOTO REFERENCE: For the morning, I will provide photo references. For the

afternoon, you may work on the same photo reference or choose a different one, either

one of mine or one of your own, provided that you keep it fairly simple – no complex

architecture or people, and no seascapes.

MISC. SUPPLIES:

• Drop cloth or towel for underneath your easel (the classroom has easels)
• A sketchbook and a set of black and grey markers in three values (dark, medium and
• light). Tombow markers work well for this, but other brands are fine; it’s the value range that is important.
• Vine charcoal, pastel pencil or pencil for sketching on your surface (vine charcoal should be soft or very soft)
• Paper towels
• Wet wipes
• Lunch and drinks
• Apron (optional)
• Vinyl gloves (optional)
  
  For Pastels:
• Artist tape 3/4"-1" for mounting your paper—black, white or beige only, no colored
• painters tape
• A stiff brush (in case you need to brush off pastel to rework)
• Glassine, tracing paper or clear bags to protect work on the way home

**WHERE TO BUY PASTELS? If you have not worked with pastels before, you can

find a great deal of information and a good selection at www.dakotapastels.com. If you

look under the “Pastels” menu bar and click “Comparing Pastels” there is a useful chart.

If you are just starting out with pastels and want to experiment, I suggest getting a set of

hard pastels (Nupastel or Cretacolor) and a set of less expensive soft pastels to see

how you like them. I have not personally used them but have heard good things about

KOH-I-NOOR Extra Soft Pastels (not available at Dakota, but also available online). I

use a wide variety of pastels but favorites include Girault, Terry Ludwig, Jack Richeson,

Senellier, Mount Vision, and Diane Townsend. Dakota also has a lot of different pastel

papers and a good pastel paper comparison chart. For all materials, however, make

sure to shop around for prices as you may be able to find things for less on Jerry’s

Artorama, Dick Blick, Amazon or even Ebay.

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 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.