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.

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

Looking for a creative way to kick off your week? Join us every FIRST and THIRD 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!

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

Additional Information:

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

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 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. 

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! 

Additional Information:

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

If you have ever wanted to try out painting in oils this is an easy 4 week start up class that won’t overwhelm. Learn the basics of oil painting including substrates and how different materials create varying effects. We will use a start up limited palette to help you understand color mixing and application and explore some basics of simplifying your composition. All lending for a fun way to proceed in your oil painting journey.

About the Instructor: Margaret Farrell Bruno

Margaret Farrell Bruno is a national award winning landscape and portrait artist who lives

and paints on the Massachusetts South Shore. Being a native of the area, she grew up

surrounded by the splendid coastline and luscious cranberry bogs, which continue to

inspire her pastel and oil landscapes. She left the South Shore as a young woman to study

at Pratt Institute fulfilling her BFA. She worked in and experienced the art culture of New

York City for many years, but was drawn back to her South Shore roots. Along with the

joys of raising her family, she continued her career and business as a Fine Artist and

Illustrator. Margaret’s work is in numerous public and private collections.

Margaret has always been and continues to be inspired by the works of such artists as

William Merrit Chase, Edgar Payne, William Wendt, Joaquín Sorolla, Sargent, and

Anders Zorn.

She is a member of several art societies, including a Signature Member of the Pastel

Society of America, Master Circle Status International Association of Pastel Societies,

Associate Member of the Copley Art Society, Signature Member of the Pastel Painters

Society of Cape Cod, Juried Artist Member of the Cape Cod Art Association, Oil Painters

of America and the Portrait Society of America. She is a recent past President of the Board

of Directors of the North River Arts Society.

Materials List: MFBruno-Try it out Supply List .pdf

Additional Information:

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

Get ready to roll up your sleeves and have some fun! In this four-week hands-on class, you’ll explore the playful, artistic world of papier-mâché. We’ll begin by learning how to design and build strong structures, then move on to applying paper mâché strips and cement paper clay to create durable, weather-resistant garden vessels and ornaments. Each week builds on the last as you experiment with form, texture, and color while bringing your unique vision to life. Whether it’s whimsical creatures, elegant planters, or imaginative sculptures, your finished piece will be ready to brighten your garden just in time for spring. This class is all about creativity, laughter, and the joy of making something beautiful for your outdoor space — no prior experience needed!

Sally Dean is a south shore artist who mostly works out of her back yard studio. Sally is a member of North River Arts Society, and is a gallery artist at South Shore Art Center in Cohasset . She is a graduate of The School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and has a BFA from Tufts University. As well as painting Sally works in mixed media, printmaking murals and mosaics. She has recently retired from her position as Education Coordinator at The Art complex Museum in Duxbury, and is now enjoying life as a full time artist . Sally was the artist in residence in 2023 at South Shore Art Center working with school children teaching animal art .

@sallydean

Additional Information:

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

In this 6-week class, students will learn the basics of clothing construction, from threading and using their sewing machines to reading patterns and sewing garments from start to finish. This class is perfect for those who are complete beginners or have a few simple sewing projects under their belts and would like to learn more. Prior students are also welcome!

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!

Additional Information:

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

One of the best ways to really explore and know a subject is to work in a series.  Each week we will explore a subject of our choosing in a different way.  In this class we will work on different examples of a single subject.  Whether it is florals, images from travel, pet portraits, figures, water scenes or any subject you desire, …each student will have the opportunity to delve deep into their subject.  A welcoming supportive atmosphere allows experimentation and growth.  Use the medium you are familiar with!  Come join us for this wonderful session! 

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 - All, or as many as you can manage:

Materials List for Developing A Series Class

-Any size canvas (new one each week) you choose - from 6x6 to 30x30 - whatever you are comfortable with.  Canvas, board, canvas board… whatever you like to paint on.  Your goal is to start a new painting each week

Disposable Palette

Colors - whatever medium you choose (acrylic, watercolor, pastel, oil) I would suggest  at least this limited palette:

• Large tube of titanium white
• 1 warm and 1 cool tube of
• Yellow - (ex. Cad lemon and cad yellow medium)
• Red (ex. Cadmium red light and Alizarin Crimson, magenta or rose)
• Blue (ex. Ultramarine and pthalo)
• Neutral such as BURNT umber (not raw)

Brushes in an array of sizes - I use flats, but you may use whatever you are comfortable with, in a 1/4 inch size, a 1/2 in size and a 1 inch size.  Then a BIG one and a tiny, detail one.

At least one palette knife - any size

Water container such as a large yogurt or ricotta tub

Apron or overshirt - optional

Paper towels

Additional Information:

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

Participants may choose drawing (graphite and white chalk on toned paper) or painting using the Zorn palette. Individual instruction and critiques are tailored to each student’s level, allowing artists to progress at their own pace in a supportive studio environment.

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.

Supply_list_portrait_class.pdf

In this four week class, students will be guided in collage, assemblage, and photomontage techniques that they can incorporate into their own studio practice. We will be playing with scale, juxtaposition, repetition, and composition. Students will also gain familiarity with materials such as exacto knives, cutting mats, modge podge, and mixed media mark making tools like oil pastels. By the end of the session, students will walk away with a small body of work and the confidence to keep a momentum to utilize these methods at home. This class is perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike. This will be an open studio-like atmosphere with instruction and demonstration at the beginning of class, studio time to create independent projects, and a critique at the end to get feedback from peers.

About the Instructor: Lindsey Caputo

Materials: 

• Found ephemera (recipes, newspaper clippings, photos, etc.)
• Magazines (any genre)
• Newspapers (all points of view, the globe or the post)
• Exacto Knives
• Scissors
• Pencils
• Cutting Mat
• 18x24 mixed media paper
• Modge Podge Matte

Additional Information:

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

Watercolor has long been used to create colorful illustrations that highlight this versatile medium’s unique and luminous qualities. These small paintings stand beautifully on their own, or can be used in many other ways including cards, prints, pattern design, collage, and more.

In this class, we will focus on sharpening our drawing and painting skills with in-class exercises and a series of your own small paintings of subjects of your choice. We’ll practice fundamental concepts from developing a drawing through to layering paint to build depth and dimension with color and value. Through demonstration and instructor guidance, you’ll learn core drawing, painting, and color mixing techniques that will help provide you the tools and inspiration to create one-of-a-kind watercolor illustrations.

During class we’ll also look at a variety of watercolor styles as inspiration, and we’ll discuss how you can digitize and use your paintings for sharable art such as small prints and stationary.

This class is best suited for students with some prior watercolor experience.

Materials List: TC_NRAS_WatercolorMaterialsList.pdf

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. 

Additional Information:

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

Discover the colorful world of mosaics in this hands-on workshop with artist Cathy McCarthy. During the class, you'll explore techniques for creating mosaic art using glass, beads, and other materials, giving you a solid foundation to create your own piece.

Each participant will receive all supplies needed—glass, beads, glue, grout, and a surface to work on, and a glass cutter. Finished pieces will be yours to keep, and you’ll have the option to purchase your glass cutter for $20 to continue creating at home.

This class is perfect for beginners or anyone curious about the mosaic-making process. Come see what goes into crafting a mosaic and leave with a unique work of art!

Cathy McCarthy is a self taught mosaic artist. Her first experience in mosaics was a life size shark that she installed at the bottom of a swimming pool in Southern California, when she decided to just try out a new form of art.  From there on she was hooked and has created hundreds of mosaics including murals, a life size mosaic cow, and her most popular mosaic heart rocks.  “I will mosaic anything that stands still!”  

Cathy‘s mosaic work uses ceramics, stained glass, hand made tiles, and various found objects. Cathy’s formal education was in graphic design and illustration and now works primarily in pastel and acrylics.  Her Mosaic work is secondary but actually her favorite medium to work with.  “I’m always working on a mosaic in between my other work.  It’s just fun!” Cathy lives in Scituate with her husband Kevin and her dog Samson.