SATURDAY: Sketch Washington Square Park

 

Washington Square Park is the heart and soul of Greenwich Village. Its vibrant atmosphere is ever-changing: full of music, vendors, dancing, a beautiful dog run, and incomparable people watching. Bordering the park are charming row houses, NYU buildings, and historic old-growth trees, including the oldest one in Manhattan. 

For lunch there are food carts and many restaurant options nearby. There are public restrooms in the park, plenty of benches, and a shady lawn to sit on, though a stool will always give you more options.

Hosted by Kim Hall (917) 566-7714

 A SPECIAL OUTING

JAMAICA BAY WILDLIFE REFUGE 

BIRD WATCH AND SKETCHING

If you have never been to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Preserve this is your chance to fix that!

Visitor's Center

It is amazing that between one of the busiest airports and one of the world's largest cities, is a 12,600 wildlife refuge with salt water marshes, freshwater ponds and hundreds of species of wildlife.  Walking through this serene setting you would think you were far, far from the city until you see its skyline rise up on the horizon.  Join us for a day in one of NYC's (not so)  hidden treasures for a guided bird walk and day of sketching.  

The guided bird walk is led by Don Reipe, naturalist and manager of the National Park System Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.  For informant about Don, click here: https://www.littoralsociety.org/don-riepe.html

For information about Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, click here: https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm

Thanks to Diana Berchan for making these arrangements!

DATE:  MONDAY May 19, 2025

                (Rain Date Tuesday May 20, 2025) 

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  JAMAICA BAY WILDLIFE REFUGE 

                                CROSS BAY BOULEVARD, QUEENS

TRANSPORTATION: Check the website for driving and public transit information:https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm

While the site is accessible by public transportation, using a car is the most expedient way to get there.  If you are driving, please let Diana know if you can accommodate people for a car pool or if you would like to hook up for a ride.  A list of people who can provide rides and those looking for rides will be sent to those people. It will be up to those individuals to make the arrangements. 

Thanks to Diana Berchan for arranging a private bird walk and sketching day! 

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Diana Berchan at dberchan@me.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Diana at 917-608-8262
• There is no fee for this outing or birdwalk.  A suggested donation is $5.00
• Bird walk is optional. You can join us at any part of the day. 
• Water and bathrooms are available at the Vistor's Center
• There will be a considerable amount of walking on flat sandy surfaces, please wear appropriate shoes.
• There is no food service in the park. Please make sure to bring whatever you need with you.
• Bring a hat, binoculars, stool  and sunblock 
• Bring a bottle for drinking water
• See note above for car pool arrangements 

THURSDAY, April 24, 2025: Westchester Sketchers at The David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center at Pocantico, Tarrytown

 

Once home to the Rockefeller family, The Pocantico Center’s verdant campus in the scenic hills of the Hudson Valley has been host to some of the most influential leaders, thinkers, and creative minds of the last century. A thoughtfully designed and curated retreat just 20 miles north of Manhattan, Pocantico offers guests an immersive experience of unrivaled beauty, with breathtaking gardens and grounds, historic architecture, and a renowned art collection in which to find inspiration and respite.

Today, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund continues to bring together people at Pocantico through a robust slate of conferences, artist residencies, tours, performances, exhibitions, and educational programs.

Currently On Exhibit: Sketching Light: Chagall’s Windows for Union Church provides a rare opportunity for visitors to explore the creative process of renowned artist Marc Chagall (1887-1985).

DETAILS:

Where: The David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center at Pocantico, 200 Lake Road, Tarrytown, New York 10591.

NOTE:  Please carpool if possible. Before proceeding through the gate, all guests must check-in with staff, who can provide further information about parking.

When: THURSDAY, April 24 2025. 

Time: Please arrive promptly at 10:00 AM.  A curator will meet us in the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center (DR Center) at to conduct a brief tour. 

Directions: https://www.rbf.org/pocantico/pocantico-center/visitor-information 

Via Car: Navigate to The Pocantico Center; the entrance is at the intersection of Lake Road and Bedford Road/Route 448. (Detailed directions from various origins are available here.) There are no signs at the entrance, so proceed slowly. Map Location 

When you arrive, drive down the driveway on the far right and announce yourself to the security staff on duty, who will advise you on parking. If anyone has any accessibility concerns or questions, please let me know. The DR Center is all on one level and is completely ADA accessible.

Transportation from NYC: Take the Hudson line train to Tarrytown Station. Pre-scheduling a taxi or ride-hailing service from the station is recommended, as taxis are not readily available.  For current information, check the Metro-North schedule.

Lunch: 1 PM Bring your own food. 

Show & Tell: Following lunch, we will share stories and sketches during the social part of our day.

NOTES:

- ONLY DRY MATERIALS are allowed (pastel, pens, or colored pencils).
- Bring drinking water.
- There are lots of benches but bring a stool for more options.
- Guests at Pocantico should dress comfortably for the season. Comfortable shoes are recommended for navigating the grounds.
- Restrooms are available.
- Parking is free.

Looking for us? Call: Marianne at (914) 355-6507

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman westchester@nycurbansketchers.org by Tuesday, April 22nd so we can provide a list of attendees names to the gate staff.

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

NJ sketchers 4/25 at Great Falls

 

NJ Sketchers at Paterson Great Falls April 25, 2025

QUESTION:

What do cotton and silk fabrics, steam locomotives, continuous rolls of paper and airplane engines, have in common??

ANSWER:  They were all made in Paterson, New Jersey.  And that is because of the Great Falls in Patterson. 

The Great Patterson Falls are a both a natural wonder and an integral part of the economic development of New Jersey from the Revolutionary War through the industrial revolution and into the 20th Century.  Join us as we explore the falls, the surrounding park and the old industrial buildings lining the streets around the falls.  

Great Falls Observation Deck

For information about the falls, a video and driving directions, click here: https://www.nps.gov/pagr/index.htm 

DATE: Friday, April 25, 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:00 AM

LOCATION:  THE GREAT FALLS OBSERVATION DECK

                            See map below

TRANSPORTATION: Check a Maps Program or use the link to the website for information how to get there.

NOTES

• Please RSVP to margaret.casagrande@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call/text Margaret at 646-515-9913
• Bring a stool and wear good walking shoes
• Bring lunch and water. There are no food services near the falls. Port-a-san only.

5/17/25-Afternoon Session-Workshop with Carol Fabricatore-Watercolor and Gouache Painting

 

Afternoon Session

Workshop with Carol Fabricatore - Watercolor and Gouache Painting

When: Saturday May 17, 2025 from 2pm-5pm

Where: Bethesda Fountain

For more details and how to sign up: Click Here

Summary of Workshop:
This workshop will focus on a unique technique, using watercolor and gouache together. Attention will be paid to creating vibrant, rich color, and applying it in transparent watercolor first, then layering, and finally building gouache over it.


Carol Fabricatore is an award-winning artist who received an MFA at the School of Visual Arts. She has taught at SVA since 1994. She has had several artist residencies in the US and Mexico and participated in many exhibits in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and France. To learn more about Carol and her work, see her website: carolfabricatore.com or Instagram: @cfabricatore

For more details and how to sign up: Click Here

April 23. Weekday Group in Central Park

 

 Weekday Sketchers At Central Park Reservoir for Cherry Blossoms

Let's try this again.  The blossoms should be open by Wednesday! 

They are back: big, puffy and pink!

What makes them so appealing? Is it the bright color, the abundance of flowers, a view of spring against the still wintery landscape, or the symbolism of a change in season?  Whatever makes them attractive really doesn't matter. It is that they are here that makes us want to get out and sketch them, paint them and capture the moment in our books.

Join us this week as we begin our journey around the city to find the beautiful blossoms.  This week we will gather in Central Park on the west side of the reservoir where there is a grove of trees just ready to burst open.  Watch in future weeks for more locations featuring the cherry trees. 

For more information about the cherry trees in Central Park, click here: https://secretnyc.co/central-park-cherry-blossoms-map/

DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 23 , 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: CENTRAL PARK

                            West side of the reservoir at approximately 88th Street     

                             See map below

TRANSPORTATION: B OR C TRAIN TO 86TH STREET

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@Nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bring a stool
• Water and bathrooms nearby
• No food service in this part of the park. Bring lunch or purchase it on you way

SATURDAY 4/19: Sketch the Gansevoort Peninsula