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.

Ken will discuss strategies for creating better artworks with a variety of common and creative tools. The workshop will focus on concepts for making better starts, compelling artworks, going to new places in your work, and how to make fine art.

Together, we will be going deeper into the how-to of making more appealing artworks with a variety of ideas and tools. After the day's sessions, the group is invited to further discussions and dinner.

After the Sunday session, Ken will present Photoshop techniques for taking your works to the next level and creating better pathways for finishing your artworks. You will be given a simplified Photoshop guide and have access to a large photo file of over 2000 inspiring artworks. Ken will demonstrate painting using oil and pastels, if requested. In addition to making art works, Ken will talk about business and promotion, necessary tools for success in the marketplace.

There will be serious discussions, laughs, and your questions with more continuing after class hours. We will all come away with new tools to take your art to the next level. Ample time will be given to live problem solving, daily critiques and creative options. We won’t be pushing to make completed works during this short time. Rather, we will be looking at making good starts and strategies for going beyond your comfort level.

Artist Statement: 

“From an early age, I’ve been fortunate to have seen remarkably good works of art and met some of the best painters in the field.

My friendships with Wolf Kahn and Forrest Moses along with Wolf’s master classes have been invaluable.​

The paintings I create are rarely portraits of places but rather, they are investigations into color and composition. My goal is to create something more remarkable and outside the familiar scene. To do that, many ideas and moves are used to alter nature in exaggerated, but somehow believable ways.

If successful, what emerges is art that is expressive, apart from the everyday and filled with life and joyfully, II never tire of chasing that goal.

To learn more about Ken Elliot visit https://www.kenelliott.com/about

Supply List:

Write out the things you want to get from this class. 

You are invited to bring whatever you wish to paint with and work on. Bring works to start, works in progress, and finished works to evaluate. You won’t need many images, just a few to begin with.

Art supplies:  Easel, paints, brushes, palette knives if you choose, and minimal supplies and accessories that you typically paint with. Don’t overload yourself. We can share.

One sheet of any paper, copy paper at 8 1/2 x 11 will do fine, along with any kind of pencil in graphite or pastel, charcoal stick etc. We will be doing one abstract drawing exercise and it will be useful to have something to draw with that is more expressive than a pencil.

Canvas (large is good: 30 x30 canvas, 30 x 40, 36 x 36 etc.) or reasonably large paper for acrylic studies or pastels.

This uninstructed plein air series offers artists of all levels the opportunity to paint 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 paint 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 paint 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 work on understanding color and value, focusing on how to make informed color choices and create color harmony in a pastel painting. Color speaks to emotions when we view a painting, and knowing how to manipulate color and value allows us to shift and shape a painting’s mood. We will discuss the vocabulary of color (hue, chroma, value and temperature) and the way in which our perception of color can be influenced by the quality of light, by distance and by surrounding colors. In the morning, you will create a number of different studies, all from the same photo reference, exploring distinct schemes for color harmony. 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 you explore the pastel medium and see the power of color and value 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 Connecticut Pastel Society and the Maryland Pastel Society. She is also a member of the North River Arts Association, the Central Massachusetts Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Lyme Art Association. Heather is a Featured Artist on the Artsy Shark website. More about Heather and her work can be found at www.heatherquay.com

Materials list:

This uninstructed plein air series offers artists of all levels the opportunity to paint 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 paint 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 class is for anyone with or without acrylic gouache experience. If you took “Discovering Acrylic Gouache” with Suzette, this workshop is the ideal next step for continuing your exploration of this medium. But, if this is your first acrylic gouache adventure, fear not! The morning will begin with a module on the basics to get caught up. The class will have a slideshow to outline the process. Suzette will also demonstrate. 

Students will be guided through exercises to gain competence in Suzette’s techniques and methods of creating floral still lifes and landscape using acrylic gouache on paper. Dramatic effects can be made as the pigment allows light to bounce off the surface, intensifying the saturation of the color. This quick drying paint allows you to layer without muddying up the hues.

The results are surprisingly engaging. Methods translate well to watercolor and acrylic painting. Join us to take risks, and explore the wow of this under appreciated medium. Novice and master painters welcome. Be prepared to have fun.

Suzette will bring a bouquet to share as inspiration and a resource but, recommends each painter to bring a small jar or glass with 3-5 flowers to keep at their station.Also: A landscape reference photo will be provided. 

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.

Materials List:

1. A variety of brushes like: Princeton Real Value Brush Set - 9153, Golden Taklon, Short Handle, Set of 6 -Item #:06223-9153 at Blick’s  ( bring your own assortment too!)
2. Your paint palette or paper palette OR: Masterson Sta-Wet Premier Palette, Item #03029-0000 at Blick’s 
3. Water container
4. paper towels
5. Strathmore 300 Series Bristol Board Pads, 11x14, 20 sheets smooth or Velum 
6. Holbein Acrylic Designer Gouache - Set of 12, 12 ml Tubes Item #:00811-1012 at Blick’s 
7. Small jar/glass with a few (3-5) flowers to paint

Painting outdoors is exhilarating and challenging.  Whether your goal is to be an excellent plein air painter, or you are mainly a studio painter, your practice will be enhanced by painting outdoors, from life. The Fall is a perfect time to paint outside, the weather being cooler, and the colors changing.  We’ll paint all sorts of places on the South Shore, town and country, beach and meadow! Join us for stretching your creative muscles in an outdoor setting! 

Choose your medium. Open to all levels, but some familiarity with your medium is a good idea. 

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: 

Materials List for Safari.pages

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

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.

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

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.

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