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. 

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

Materials List:

Materials List North River.docx

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. 

Stuck on a sewing project and need some guidance or motivation? Come to the Open Sewing Studio every second Monday of the month to work alongside other sewing enthusiasts! Hosted by NRAS sewing instructor Olivia Harvey, you’ll be able to ask questions and receive assistance, if desired, to help fine-tune your skills. Bring any project, your sewing machine, and the supplies you need, and let’s get sewing! Please note, this is not a structured class and is intended for those with some prior sewing experience.

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.

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.

Spend the day exploring color, texture, and creativity as we create a collection of vibrant hand-painted papers to use in a layered floral collage. Choose your favorite flower as inspiration, then cut, arrange, and compose your own unique still life using your custom-painted papers.

Once your collage is complete, we'll bring the piece together using a negative painting technique, painting around the shapes to "carve out" and define the final composition. This process adds depth, contrast, and a beautiful painterly finish to your artwork.

Designed for artists of all experience levels, this workshop is all about experimentation, play, and discovering new techniques in a relaxed, supportive environment. There is no pressure to create a perfect piece—just an opportunity to enjoy the creative process, embrace happy accidents, and leave with a colorful work of art that's uniquely your own.

Materials List: I will provide a 9 x 12 canvas board substrate to work on. If you would like to work on More than one painting, feel free to bring canvas boards or a cradled panel no smaller than 9 × 12.

• Mark making tools; crayons, colored pencils, pastels, markers. Whatever you enjoy using.
  
• Scissors
  
• Adhesive - Matte medium or satin medium
  
• Papers to paint on; copy paper, flyers, deli paper, whatever you have on hand really. Anything but magazine pages.
  
• Paint; Any kind of acrylic paint that you like. Primary colors plus black and white. Also any other colors that you like.
  
• Silicone wedge scraper or spatula to adhere papers.
  
• Paint brushes of various sizes.They don't have to be expensive.
  

Tracy Allegro is a mixed media artist from Quincy, Ma.

I love to focus my work on plants, flowers and occasionally people and dogs. I love color, shape and whimsy. I’ve taken many art courses over the years from the Art Institute of Boston and The Museum of Fine Arts School. I graduated with a minor in Art from UMass/Boston. I’m happiest when I’m creating.

Additional Information:

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

Stuck on a sewing project and need some guidance or motivation? Come to the Open Sewing Studio every second Monday of the month to work alongside other sewing enthusiasts! Hosted by NRAS sewing instructor Olivia Harvey, you’ll be able to ask questions and receive assistance, if desired, to help fine-tune your skills. Bring any project, your sewing machine, and the supplies you need, and let’s get sewing! Please note, this is not a structured class and is intended for those with some prior sewing experience.

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.

Toward the end of her life, reflecting on the beginning of her work in New Mexico, Georgia O'Keeffe said, "I thought someone could tell me how to paint a landscape. But I never found that person. I had to just settle down and try...They could tell me how to paint their landscape, but they couldn't tell me how to paint mine." 

Finding and painting one's landscape (joyfully) can be the work of a lifetime. Drawing on O'Keeffe's wisdom, this workshop will not focus on specific techniques or approaches to landscape painting, but rather will work with each participant to develop confidence in their skills and individual visual language. One develops their skill as a painter by painting, so the goal of this workshop will be the development of small suite paintings of modest scale. 

We’ll start our workshop looking at the work of some contemporary landscape painters, and we’ll spend most of the day painting. The instructor will work in parallel with other participants (offering requested demonstrations for the group), while also circulating to provide individualized support to each participant. 

Materials List: Hocking Materials List.pdf

Pete Hocking is a painter, teacher, curator & writer on Cape Cod. His work is concerned with nature, place, poetics, and identity. He's a founding board member of Provincetown Commons, an economic development center for the creative economy.  He taught part-time at RI School of Design from 1997- 2022. From 2003-2021 he was full-time faculty in Goddard College’s MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts program. He was director of RISD’s Office of Public Engagement (2007-11), and Associate Dean of the College & Director of the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University (1992-2005). More information about his work and teaching method is available at petehocking.com

Additional Information:

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

Unlock the secrets of vibrant, balanced color in this hands-on workshop focused on the core principles of color harmony. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your palette, this session will teach you how to move beyond random color choices, toward an intentional palette for a painting in oil, acrylic, gouache, or pastel. 

We begin with two of the most effective color schemes in art:

• Triads: Using three colors equally spaced on the color wheel to create a vibrant, high-contrast palette.
• Split-Complementaries: Pairing a base color with the two colors next to its’ complement, offering the visual interest of contrast with a more sophisticated, neutral palette.

Participants will first construct a detailed color chart, in oil, acrylic, or gouache, mapping out the chosen scheme and discovering the range of color that is produced from just 3 tubes of paint! From there, we will explore the concept of dominance and create swatches based on learning how to apply the 60-30-10 rule—where one color leads the composition while the others provide support and accents. Using these custom charts and swatches as a road maps, artists will spend the second half of the workshop creating color studies and a small painting. Although the charts are made with liquid paint, pastelists can isolate and collect the colors on the charts to take advantage of the inherent harmony of paint.  

What You Will Learn:

• How to mix triad or split-complementary color chart in oil, acrylic, or gouache.
• The role of a color chart in planning successful painting.
• How pastelists can gather pastels to coordinate with the charts and borrow the inherent harmony created with a liquid painting medium. 
• Strategies for establishing color dominance to support your vision for a painting.

Sign up to transform your approach to color and bring a new level of harmony to your creative process!

Materials List: KrajcikAllison_1Day Workshop Proposal-HueHarmony .pdf

Allison Krajcik is a fine art pastelist and oil painter known for her luminous land and seascapes, still life, and florals that radiate with atmosphere and emotion. Allison builds depth through layered washes and warm underpaintings, resulting in pieces that feel both grounded and ethereal. Her subject matter often reflects the quiet beauty of the natural world – from the windswept coast to delicate botanicals – each rendered with sensitivity to light, color and movement. A Southeastern Massachusetts native, Allison brings an intuitive sense of place to her work, inviting viewers to slow down and observe the subtleties of their surroundings.

Since her reemergence in 2020, she has achieved Master Circle status with the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), signature status with the Pastel Society of American and the Pastel Painters of Cape Cod and has been accepted into several exhibitions with the American Impressionist Society. Her paintings have earned widespread recognition including awards from the Copley Society of Art in Boston and Dakota Pastels International Competition. Her work has also won “Best of Show” awards in international competitions with the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod and the Pastel Society of New Hampshire. Her work has also been exhibited at the National Arts Club in New York and the Butler Institute of Ohio.

Her landscapes have been featured in American Art Collector Magazine and Plein Air Magazine and she was invited to write about her creative process for the French magazine, Pratique des Arts, where she shared insights into the “inner glow” that characterizes much of her work. Michell Albala, author of Landscape Painting and The Landscape Painter’s Workbook, will include her painting “Veiled” in his upcoming book New Lessons in Landscape Painting, expected in October of 2026.

Additional Information:

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

Stuck on a sewing project and need some guidance or motivation? Come to the Open Sewing Studio every second Monday of the month to work alongside other sewing enthusiasts! Hosted by NRAS sewing instructor Olivia Harvey, you’ll be able to ask questions and receive assistance, if desired, to help fine-tune your skills. Bring any project, your sewing machine, and the supplies you need, and let’s get sewing! Please note, this is not a structured class and is intended for those with some prior sewing experience.

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.

Stuck on a sewing project and need some guidance or motivation? Come to the Open Sewing Studio every second Monday of the month to work alongside other sewing enthusiasts! Hosted by NRAS sewing instructor Olivia Harvey, you’ll be able to ask questions and receive assistance, if desired, to help fine-tune your skills. Bring any project, your sewing machine, and the supplies you need, and let’s get sewing! Please note, this is not a structured class and is intended for those with some prior sewing experience.

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.