THURSDAY, April 16, 2026: WESTCHESTER SKETCHERS at Lasdon, Park, Katonah

 

Lasdon Park, Arboretum, and Veterans Memorial is a magnificent 234-acre property consisting of woodlands, open grass meadows, and formal gardens.  During this season, there is so much to inspire your sketches, including the beautiful colors of the many flowers, shrubs, and historic trees which adorn the property.

DETAILS:

HOST: Cathy Gutterman (914) 625-0766

DATE: Thursday, April 16, 2026
START TIME: 10:00 AM Meet at the Upper Parking Lot entrance.
LOCATION: Lasdon Park, Aboretum, and Veterans Memorial 2610 Amawalk Road (Route 35) Katonah, NY 10536 https://www.lasdonpark.org/

DIRECTIONS: https://www.lasdonpublicgardens.org/directions/

Transportation from NYC: Metro-North Harlem Line to Southeast - get off at the Katonah Station.

The 8:43 AM peak train from Grand Central arrives in Katonah at 9:51 AM.

Please call Marianne to arrange for pick up and ride to the garden.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM Bring your own. Meet on the patio Conservatory Plaza near the gift shop.  

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, we'll share stories and sketches during the social part of our day.

NOTES:

- The park has free admission, free parking, and restrooms. 

- Bring water, sunscreen and bug spray.

- Bring a stool for more options.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org.

About NYC Urban Sketchers Events: All are welcome–no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks at the meeting spot and say hello. If you have trouble finding us, contact the host; their contact info is in the NYC Urban Sketchers blog post for this event.  #nycurbansketchers.

 Weekday Sketchers At Central Park Reservoir for Cherry Blossoms

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 spring blooms. .  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.  

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

DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 15, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: CENTAL PARK

                      West side of the reservoir at approximately 88th Street     

                      See map below

TRANSPORTATION: B OR C TRAIN TO 86TH STREET

HOST:  CAROL KREIDER 949-029-2616

NOTES

• 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 4/11/26: Weekend Sketchers at The Cloisters and Fort Tryon Park

 

The temperature forecast for Saturday has been climbing, but still seems to be hovering around 60 degrees, so let’s use The Cloisters as our home base, and you can venture out into Fort Tryon Park if it warms up. The Cloisters also has outdoor spaces, aka “cloisters”, so you can sketch outside until you get cold and them pop inside to warm up. An ideal location for early spring sketching. 

The Cloisters is a division of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with a collection of Medieval architecture, sculpture and decorative arts… this is one of NYC's gems. 

Fort Tryon Park has views of the Hudson River and GW Bridge, beautiful flower gardens, and views of The Cloisters that make it seem as if you are in the French Countryside.

Host: Helene Lacaille 202-320-2166
Date: Saturday 4/11/26
Time: Sketching 11am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm. 
Location: The Cloisters, 99 Margaret Corbin Drive, New York, NY 10040

Meeting spot:  Join your fellow sketchers in the Main Hall at the top of the entrance steps at 11am. Running late? Come anyway, we will be there. 
Show and Tell location: Last time we met in Gallery 6, the Pontaut Chapter House, which had good seating, so let’s plan to meet there. Check with the host day-of for the exact show-and-tell location. 

ADMISSION FEE: General Admission is $30, $22 for seniors. NYS residents and students are pay-what-you-wish. Discounts are available for Affiliations and Community Partners, go to their website for more information.
VENUE RULES: In the museum, sketching is permitted only in pencil. Other marking materials such as paint, charcoal, and markers are not allowed. Water is allowed in a secure bottle, no food or drink. Small backpacks are allowed, no tripods.  As always, please listen to the guards, we want to be welcomed back with open arms. 

Seating:  There is some seating throughout the museum. A stool gives you more options.
Food, drink, restrooms: There are restrooms and water fountains. The website says the Cafe is opening on Saturday. 

About NYC Urban Sketchers Events: All are welcome–no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks at the meeting spot and say hello. If you have trouble finding us, contact the host; their contact info is in the NYC Urban Sketchers blog post for this event.  #nycurbansketchers.

TUESDAY, April 14, 2026: NYACK/WESTCHESTER Sketch at the Nyack Library

 

Come and join the next meet-up of the Nyack/Westchester Sketchers at the Nyack Library. Choose whatever you would like to draw inside or outside. Beginners welcome. Free, informal and friendly!

HOST: Kay Copp Brown (631) 432-6526

DATE: Tuesday, April 14, 2026

TIME: 2:00 - 4:30 PM 

LOCATION: Nyack Library, 59 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960.

Meet in the Creative Lab. Return at 4:00 PM for Show and Tell.

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Nyack+Library,+59+S+Broadway,+Nyack,+NY+10960

NOTES:

• Park on the street or in the library lot behind the building.

• Restrooms are available.

For more information contact Kay at kcoppbrown@aol.com 

About NYC Urban Sketchers Events: All are welcome–no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks at the meeting spot and say hello. If you have trouble finding us, contact the host; their contact info is in the NYC Urban Sketchers blog post for this event.  #nycurbansketchers.

Workshop: Watercolor and Gouache Painting with Carol Fabricatore - Tues. May 5th - New Dawn Foundation, New Rochelle, NY

 

Have you ever added gouache to your watercolor paintings to bring out the vibrant rich color in your scene? If not, this workshop will show you how to do it - applying transparent watercolor first, then layering, and finally bringing in the gouache. The result will be colors more vivid and eye-popping than usually possible with the watercolor medium by itself.

Join Carol Fabricatore at the New Dawn Foundation, New Rochelle, NY, Tues. May 5th, 10am-1pm

For more information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985060240616?aff=oddtdtcreator

Workshop: Building A Spiral of Attention with Nishant Jain - May 2nd at Bethesda Fountain

Have you ever been overwhelmed by busy scenes, thinking you must capture every detail? In this workshop Nishant Jain will show you how to start with the main point of interest and work outward in a spiral. As you go you will add detail based on your own interests, curiosity or creativity. The goal will be to help develop a confident, intuitive drawing practice, with reduced complexity and increased speed. 

Join Nishant Jain on May 2nd at Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, 10am-1pm. 

For information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985169411148?aff=oddtdtcreator

4/10 Friday NJ Sketchers at Branch Brook

This park has the largest collection of cherry trees in the NY Metro area....and they are all in bloom, right now!  There are scenes across the Branch Brook Lake with the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the background. Or meander along the park walkways and find the spot that rings true for you. 

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM

LOCATION: Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Branch Brook Park, Newark, NJ 

Parking and bathrooms are there. The Light Rail stop is Branch Brook. It is a short walk to the meeting location. 

DATE: Friday, April 10, 2026

RSVP: Marie Stumbo 

mariestumbo87@gmail.com

585-749-2861