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 3-week class will dive into the world of block printing, covering a crash-course on all things blocks for artists of all sorts who want to bring their creativity to life in the printed world. This class will cover techniques for drawing, carving, and printing block prints on a variety of mediums. Rachel will help you bring to life a block and a variety of prints in different mediums of your own imagination.

About the Instructor: Rachel Nerger (Ray Prints)

I started block printing in 2020 when I was looking to reconnect with my creativity outside of the everyday hustle and bustle and a full-time job in finance. I have always been an artist at heart, and have continued to explore new mediums even as I jumped into the professional world.

Over the past few years, all the hours of drawing, carving, and printing blocks has led me to “launch” Ray Prints where I’ve been able to share my love of block prints with the south shore at different pop ups and markets. I have fallen in love with block printing for the way that it fits into life - it is accessible, affordable and has provided me with hours of escape as I work through each step in creating totally unique pieces of art with each stamp and Speedball carve.

Materials List:

(1 per student) 8"x10" block, black ink, rollers and paper provided by NRAS. Students should bring a set of carving tools, Rachel recommends this one for beginners. Rachel also suggests bringing watercolor supplies, different ink colors if you want and any old clothing, canvas bags, etc. that you may want to play around printing on! 

This 3-week interactive workshop is tailored for individuals who want to enhance and grow their digital presence. Whether you're an artist, creative professional, or small business owner, this course will empower you to establish and solidify your online footprint through website creation, effective file management, and digital marketing. You'll be guided step-by-step through choosing a website platform, securing a domain, organizing and uploading digital assets, digital marketing on social media, and, for those interested in e-commerce, setting up an online store. Each week covers a new topic, with plenty of time for questions and personalized assistance.

Materials List:

• A laptop or tablet with internet access
• Digital files you’d like to organize or upload (e.g., images, documents)

About the Instructor: Don Claude Eshun 

Claude is an educator for the Photography courses at Harvard University. He received his MFA degree in Photography from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2022. His work is currently exhibited at the Worcester Art Museum. He was in the Harvard Art Museum, Beacon Street Gallery, and The White Room. He was shortlisted for the 11th Kassel Dummy Award back in 2020 leading to his zine publication dromo, an annual zine publication to share narratives of the black experience. In his practice, he reflects on and reimagines scenes from his own history: He sees images from Ghana and Italy and more recently from America. By assembling photographs -- found, collected, and made -- Claude explores his multiple pasts and possibilities for the future.

Embark on an exploration of creating a portrait with artist and educator, Lauren Bass. Portraiture, a time honored tradition, is commonly regarded as being exact and difficult. However. over the course of this 6-week class Lauren will breakdown the process into simple steps and tricks that make rendering the head easier and help achieve likeness. Students will enjoy gaining a solid foundation in understanding the structure and solidity of the human head. They will learn essential principles such as proportion, perspective, light logic and color theory. Also discussed will be gesture, composition, edge quality, planar division of the head, comparative measuring, the anatomy of the features and more. This class starts with drawing, progresses to monochromatic painting (grisaille), and culminates in the vibrant world of full-color painting. From week to week we will build our knowledge base. Clear instruction will be given weekly through demonstrations, lectures and handouts. Students can progress at their own pace and will receive individual critiques appropriate to their level.

Class price includes weekly live model fees. 

“Faces are the most interesting things we see; other people fascinate me, and the most interesting aspect of other people - the point where we go inside them - is the face. It tells it all.”  - David Hockney

About the Instructor: Lauren Bass

I have been an artist my entire life, but my path as an artist hasn’t been linear. Whether doodling in the margins of notebooks or sketching at home, I was always drawing as a child. However, the high school I went to didn’t offer art so I had no formal training until college. There I took my first painting class and was hooked. I would observe a still life setup, mixed colors, replicate the abstract shapes and then step a few paces back. Incredibly, there was the image on my canvas. It felt like magic! I found that time stood still when I was painting I was so absorbed! After getting a BA in Humanities, I got a BFA in graphic design and worked in advertising for several years. I put my career on hold when I had children but continued taking painting classes. As my children got older and more independent, I was able to be more serious, paint more frequently and study with many fabulous artists whose work I admired. I sought out some of the best artists in the country that work in my area of interest to study with. Luckily, many live locally.

Using Apple as Your Photography Platform

Shooting on an iPhone provides artistic freedom with a small, powerful camera that is always with you. The iPhone provides high technical quality -- your images are sharp and true to what you see and shoot. After you shoot, the iPhone and iCloud sync and make it easy to develop your iPhone images on any Apple tablet or computer. At the end of the process, you get excellent results for prints or digital display.

This class will cover the Apple platform to expand your artistic intention in photography. We will thoroughly explore the Apple Camera modes, controls, features and limitations. We will use the Apple Photos app to develop the image, export image files, and manage your image collection. We will also set image resolution and file size and convert Apple image files for exhibition prints or digital sharing. This 5 week class will cover shooting with your iPhone, storing and retrieving images, developing and editing images, exporting, resolutions size, printing and more.

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.

Class members need to bring their own iPhones - updated with the latest iPhone operating system. If class members own an iPad or a Mac Notebook, they should bring one.

A Beginning approach to the studio landscape painting… we will start with materials, demonstrations of cartoon and color study, and then launch into the steps to go from a simple tonal “cartoon” of the composition from photo and then work in layers on our studio oil painting.  We will refer to a provided photo. A simple materials list with only four paints allows you to try without over investing! Come explore, refresh, or start a new art endeavor…simply fun and a great way to begin to paint in oils.

About the Instructor: Ann Musto

Ann has been a plein air and studio oil painter for over twenty years. Her interest lies in working to capture the beauty of what we see in light and color.  Ann’s work includes portraits, landscapes and still life. Ann completed her studies at the Academy of Realist Art in Boston, a traditional atelier. She has been a long time member of North River Arts Society and has served on the NRAS Board of Directors and on the NRAS Arts Committee.

AnnMustoArt.com

Ann will provide landscape photos and NRAS supplies tables and easels.

Materials list coming soon

Throughout the ages artists have studied with and learned from masters of the craft.  In this class we will take a look at artists who’s great skill at painting has been inspirational and influential.  We’ll study the different techniques of different artists, some from history, some from the present time, and examine their techniques, figuring out their particular methods of creating paintings.  With this knowledge we will create our own paintings… either a copy of one of their works, for our own edification, or paint a subject of our choice using their methods.  It will be both fun and challenging and we will all grow from this experience! Best for artists familiar with their medium. 

Monet, Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Colin Page

*please note, no class during February Vacation*

This class is along the lines of the book ‘Steal Like An Artist” by Austin Kleon, whose book by the same name is a great addition to any artist’s library.  Join us and explore techniques that will inspire you and push you to grow your own style!

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 for Learn From The Masters

You can choose whatever medium you have experience with. Kelley will be painting with acrylics. You will need:

A canvas or substrate between 9x12 to 16x20.

A Sketchbook and ‘paintable’ paper such as canva pads or paper for acrylics, etc. to experiment on.

In your medium:

• a warm red (cad red light) and a cool red (alizarin crimson or magenta or rose)
• A warm blue (pthalo or cerulean) and a cool blue (ultramarine)
• A warm yellow (cad yellow medium) and a cool yellow (lemon)
• White and burnt umber and black if you like.

Paper towels, tubs for water, aprons or painting shirt

Pencils, ink pen, 

Bring your open heart and a beginners mind.  All levels familiar with their medium.

"Cut with the Kitchen Knife" is an immersive introduction to the art of collage, assemblage, and photomontage, rooted in the rebellious spirit of the DADA movement. In this class, we’ll explore the techniques of combining found images, poetry, and various materials to create dynamic compositions that challenge traditional notions of art. Through hands-on projects, you’ll experiment with layering, juxtaposition, and visual storytelling, unlocking your creative potential in unconventional ways.

We’ll dive into the history of the DADA movement, born as an anti-art, anti-establishment reaction to the chaos of World War I. From early collage techniques to the development of assemblage and photomontage, this class will guide you through the evolution of these practices and their lasting impact on contemporary art.

By the end of the course, you’ll not only have a deeper understanding of DADA’s disruptive history but also a portfolio of your own mixed-media creations that reflect its daring, experimental nature.

About the Instructor: Lindsey Caputo

Lindsey Caputo is an everywhere based artist. She graduated from Massachusetts College of Art and Design with a BFA in Art Education. During her time at Massart, she volunteered in several Boston Public Schools while earning an initial teaching license in K-12 Visual Arts education. Caputo received an MFA in Studio Art at Maryland Institute College of Art with a Certificate for College Teaching. Since then, she has been expanding her studio practice by engaging in her interest in “the weird” and the Avant Garde.

In 2022, she became an Adjunct Faculty member in the Arts and Humanities Pathway at Tidewater Community College where she taught Art Appreciation, 2D Design, and Foundations of Drawing. You can view her portfolio at knotlindsay.com

Materials: 

PAPER TO CUT (the weirder, the better)

• magazines,
  
• books,
  
• newspapers,
  
• scrapbook papers (colors, textures, etc)
  

ADHESIVE of Choice

• recommended-Modge podge
  

SURFACE of Choice

• mixed media paper
  
• cardstock
  
• cardboard
  
• wood
  
• canvas
  

CUT

• scissors
  
• exacto knife
  

WRITE

• your favorite pens/pencils
  

This class will be more like a series of workshops. Students will work to understand how to paint the landscape by breaking down the elements into four distinct classes:

A. Skies and Clouds
B. Trees and Vegetation
C.  Rocks and Mountains
D. Water and Reflections

We will work with a limited palette to ensure a cohesive foundation, and various tools we will use include large bristle brushes, smaller soft brushes, and the palette knife.

The goal is to work through an understanding of the science behind what we are painting and how nature presents theses elements to us - why they look like they do!

Each week is unique and the process will include demos each week and an opportunity to try painting techniques, not a finished landscape.

Students can use oils or acrylics, whichever they prefer.

About the Instructor: Ann Musto

Ann has been a plein air and studio oil painter for over twenty years. Her interest lies in working to capture the beauty of what we see in light and color.  Ann’s work includes portraits, landscapes and still life. Ann completed her studies at the Academy of Realist Art in Boston, a traditional atelier. She has been a long time member of North River Arts Society and has served on the NRAS Board of Directors and on the NRAS Arts Committee.

AnnMustoArt.com

Ann will provide landscape photos and NRAS supplies tables and easels.

Materials list coming soon

If you’re curious about this cutting-edge art form, this 3-week class is the perfect introduction! Mosaics are one of the oldest forms of art in history, dating back thousands of years to ancient Rome and ancient Greece. Mosaic artist, Mike DiRado will guide students through the traditions, materials and techniques of this intriguing medium. We will begin with demonstrations of approaches and mosaic materials, then students will have the opportunity to create their own small mosaic (approximately 6”x6” or 5”x7”) using Mexican glass smalti tile mounted on plywood. Students will have the opportunity to select from several designs created by the instructor or create their own drawing/design. Our project theme will be ocean and water inspired and we will be working in a limited color palette.  

Confirmed students will receive an email to discuss design options prior to the start of the workshop.  All materials are included in tuition costs. 

About the Instructor: 

Mike DiRado was born in a small, hill town in Abruzzo Italy.  Mike remembers creating art throughout his childhood, but believes it became a passion during high school. Mike received his BFA from Massachusetts College of Art & Design. While at Mass Art he studied painting with George Nick, Paul Celli, Rob Moore and Richard Yarde. They, along with other professors and the many artists he has met along the way, contributed to his development as an artist. Mike moved to New York City in 1983 where he lived and worked for 10 years. While in NYC, Mike worked as a studio assistant for the artist Al Held. He also completed graduate work in Art Education at Pratt Institute. Eventually Mike, his wife and growing family returned to Massachusetts and settled in Scituate, MA. Upon his return to Massachusetts, Mike began a 29-year long teaching career. First as a teacher in Boston and then in Abington, Mike taught art K-12, but most of his career focused on middle school grades. He eventually became the Director of Art (K-12) for the Abington Public Schools until his retirement in 2020. During both Mike's career as a teacher and as a director, he has been a passionate advocate for quality, innovative art education programs in K-12 schools.  Retirement provided Mike with the gift of time, and he will use this additional time to finally explore artistic ideas that were paused as he gave attention to his family and teaching career. Mike is also looking forward to exploring new directions in his own work and remaining active in art educational advocacy groups.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: JANUARY 13

In this 3-session class, participants will learn the basics of screen printing and create their own custom prints to take home. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refresh your skills, this hands-on course will guide you through each step of the process. Screen, printing ink and mediums included. 

Class 1: Drawing on the Screen
We’ll start by introducing all the materials you’ll need for screen printing. You’ll then learn how to draw your design directly onto the screen using blue drawing fluid. This layer will need time to dry before moving to the next step.

Class 2: Applying the Red Medium
Once the blue drawing fluid has dried, we’ll touch up or finish your design as needed. Then, you’ll use a squeegee to apply the red medium, which is essential for preparing the screen for printing. We’ll also begin discussing the process of washing out the red medium, setting the stage for our final session.

Class 3: Printing Your Design
With your screen now fully prepared, I’ll demonstrate how to print your design onto various surfaces. Bring along any items you’d like to print on—such as clothing, tote bags, or paper for posters. You’ll learn how to properly apply ink or paint through the screen and create your own unique prints to take home.

About the Instructor: Shane Leonard is a multidisciplinary artist from Marshfield, MA. A recent graduate of Boston College where he studied Marketing and Information Systems, Shane began painting once his football career at BC was halted due to injury. Shane now works out of his studio in Abington, MA with focuses on traditional painting, murals, and clothing. Notable works on the South Shore include murals in the Brant Rock area of Marshfield, including the shark on the old Arthur & Pat’s building. Shane is currently working on landscape painting and his brand 300 Teeth.

Materials included. Students will need to bring their own surfaces of choice to print on during the last class. 

In this 6-week class, students will learn the basics of clothing construction from threading a sewing machine and reading patterns to sewing seams and hemming a finished garment. This class is perfect for students who are complete beginners or have a few simple sewing projects under their belts and would like to learn more. 

This class is open to adults and high school students, please contact the office with any questions at northriverarts@gmail.com.

Materials List:

• Sewing machine (North River will have a few machines for students to share if you do not have your own machine.)

• Fabric scissors

• Pins

• Seam ripper

• Soft measuring tape

• Pencils/sketchbook

• After students learn the basics, they will be asked to purchase a simple pattern and fabric for a project

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!