Weekday Sketchers Outdoors at WTC Wednesday

Our schedule called for us to be sketching cherry blossoms this week at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on Friday.  Unfortunately they are not yet in bloom.  We will get to sketch the cherry blossoms as soon as they are open but at Roosevelt Island not the BBG. Watch for the announcement. 

Join us this we as we explore two of the lesser travels parts of the World Trade Center site: Liberty Park and the Graffiti Walls.  We will start our sketching in the morning at Liberty Park, a one acre raised park on the south east corner of the complex in front the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church designed by Santiago Calatrava.  Spend the morning sketching the beautiful building and the two major sculptures in the park: De Oppresso Liber, created to honor the soldiers who marched into battle in Afghanistan after 9/11 and The Sphere, which originally stood in the middle of the WTC before it fell.

The afternoon will be spent exploring the colorful graffiti that has been painted on many of the temporary structures on the northeast side of the complex.   

Some interesting web sites. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Response_Monument

https://www.stnicholaswtc.org/en/video

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sphere

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/graffiti-rises-at-the-world-trade-center-site/

St Nicholas Church

De Oppresso Liber

The Sphere

Graffiti Wall

Graffiti Wall

DATE: WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

MEETING LOCATION: LIBERTY PARK IN FRONT OF ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH, WTC

                                            Corner of Liberty and Greenwich Streets

TRANSPORTATION: Any subway to the World Trade Center. 

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.  Bring a stool and some lunch, or purchase lunch in the area.  We will eat outdoors in the park.  

SATURDAY: Sketch Lincoln Center

Revson Fountain in Lincoln Center

Checked the weather and amazingly enough Saturday looks to be the first glorious day of 2019, with temperatures up to 65 degrees.  Forgive me if I'm slightly cautious, the cold has been with us for so long.

Lincoln Center, New York City's cultural center has lots to draw.  Interesting buildings with architectural challenges and loads of tourists passing through to give life to your sketches.  Best of all there are warm buildings to which we can retreat to for warmth (if necessary).

Drawing by Julie Zou

DETAILS:

Where:  Lincoln Center at the Revson Fountain in the middle of the plaza.

When:  Start at 10 a.m. Running late?  Meet us any time at Lincoln Center, we'll be there!

Lunch:  12:30 PM.  We'll be dining al fresco in the gardens by the library at the back of Lincoln Center.  Bring your own, or purchase from the many vendors and stores in the area. 

Afternoon:  1:30 PM  - Back to sketching.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM Meet by the library again to find a likely spot where we will share drawings, good stories, ... and talk about art supplies (we're so predictable).


Notes: 
-   Bring a stool.  It gives you more options

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

Weekday Sketchers at Met for "Art of Native America"

The current exhibit "Art of Native America; The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection" is an extraordinary display of art/artifacts of Native American groups from the northwest and California.  The beauty and intricacy of these works whether in pottery, wood, leather, or beadwork offer us a glimpse of the masters of these crafts from the near and distant past.  Join us as we explore, enjoy and sketch these works.  For more information about this exhibit, click here: https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2018/art-of-native-america-diker-collection.  While on the site, look at the video about the restoration of the Yup'ik mask similar to the one in the photo below. 

Not interested in Native American Art? No problem.  You can't run out of subject matter for your sketchbooks at the Met!  Come for the day, draw at your leisure and then join us for lunch and our throw-down.

Bonus Exhibit: For those headed to Amsterdam for the Symposium stop in to see the exhibit: In Praise of Painting: Dutch Masterpieces at the Met.  Great preparation for your visits to the wonderful museums in Amsterdam!

DATE:  THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM 

                       1000 FIFTH AVENUE AT 82ND ST

TRANSPORTATION:  5, 6 TRAIN TO 86TH STREET

NOTE:  We will meet at the exhibition located adjacent to the American Wing Atrium near the Frank Lloyd Wright room.  The exhibit location is well marked as you enter the museum.  Bring a stool and dry materials only. Bring lunch or purchase something in the cafeteria.  

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-978-6387.

SATURDAY: Sketch the Flea

Join us this coming Saturday when we'll be in Brooklyn to sketch the Brooklyn Flea Market at the Atlantic Center.  The center bills itself as the borough's preeminent destination for shopping, dining, and leisure.  Sketching too?  Let's find out.

There's loads to see and do in the warm and dry at Atlantic Center.

Please note:  
There is a Draw-a-Thon scheduled for the same time at the High School of Art and Design.  For an incredible day of figure drawing, consider this a a great alternative - supporting a good cause.  The HS is located at 245 E 56th St,  NYC.



DETAILS

When:  This coming Saturday March 23rd  (It will officially be SPRING!!! by then).  The flea market opens at 11 AM

Where:  625 Atlantic Ave,  (see map below).


How:  Easy to get to by subway:
            Atlantic Ave/Barclays Center:  2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R and W 

Lunch:  12:30 - Location to be determined.  There are lots of choices in the area. Consider bringing your own.

Afternoon:  1:30 - Back to sketching.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM.  Location to be determined.  We'll share stories and drawings and maybe have a drink or a snack together.

NOTES:
-  Bring a portable stool if you own one  It gives you more sketching options.

Click to Enlarge

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

Weekday Sketchers at Hudson River Museum

It is spring! Let's celebrate!

This spring we will be visiting a number of locations along the Hudson River to sketch the views, the buildings and the people that live, work and play in proximity to this icon of the New York metropolitan area.

We will start the exploration a bit up river with a combined sketch day with the Westchester Urban Sketchers.   Thanks to Cathy Gutterman who has made arrangements for us to visit the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers.  Situated on the Hudson River this former estate offers us beautiful river views, a victorian manor and a museum dedicated to the Hudson River.  

The HRM offers dynamic exhibitions of 19th-century to contemporary American art; Glenview, an 1877 Gilded Age home on the National Register of Historic Places; a state-of-the-art Planetarium; an indoor, environmental teaching gallery, Hudson Riverama, a permanent gallery devoted to the environment of the Hudson and its shores; the Bookstore, the only permanent installation by Pop Artist Red Grooms on view in New York; and an outdoor Amphitheater.

 Current Exhibitions Include:

"The Color of the Moon:  Lunar Painting in American Art," is devoted to the allure of the moon for American painters, whose art has reflected the eternal fascination with our closest celestial body. It is the first major museum examination of the moon as it relates to the story of the American nocturne as it developed from the early 1810s through the late 1960s.  In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's landing on the moon, "A Century of Lunar Photography and Beyond," presents examples of lunar photography from the mid-19th century photographic plates to 21st century digital imagery.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2019

LOCATION:  HUDSON  RIVER  MUSEUM (www.hrm.org) 

                        511 WARBURTON AVE, YONKERS NY

                       Entrance Fee: Adults $7. Seniors $5. 

STARTING TIME: 12:00 NOON (museum opens at noon)

TRANSPORTATION:  

BY CAR: Directions and Map: https://www.hrm.org/plan-your-visit/      

BY TRAIN FROM GRAND CENTRAL :  Take Metro-North’s Hudson Line to Glenwood Station. When you get to the station, exit onto Glenwood Avenue, and make a left onto Ravine Avenue, which leads to Trevor Park. Walk through the park to reach the museum’s entrance. (The walk from the train station to the Museum takes approximately 10 minutes). OR, take the Hudson Line to Yonkers Station, and take a taxi to the museum. (Taxi costs approximately $5). 

PLEASE NOTE: We will meet at the Information Booth in Grand Central Terminal at 11:00 AM.  We will be taking the 11:20 Hudson Line train to Croton-Harmon to the Glenwood Ave Station. arriving at 11:50.  Please make sure to purchase your ticket before meeting the group. 

Coming later?  Please check the train schedules for other trains.

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.

FYI: Visit the web site for additional information: www.hrm.org

- No wet materials are allowed in the galleries. Stools will be provided. 

- For the protection of the artwork, backpacks, water bottles, or snack items are not allowed in the galleries. 

- Lockers are available for guest convenience.

- The Museum offers light snacks, coffee, and refreshments in the Museum Shop. Weather permitting, visitors may use the cafe tables in the Courtyard. There is also limited seating in the Lobby, and you may picnic in Trevor Park, adjacent to the Museum. 

Weekday Sketchers AMNH 

UPDATE

For those joining us today at the American Museum of Natural History who would like to take advantage of the “pay what you wish” entrance policy please be aware that you CAN NOT do that at the 77th St Entrance. At 77th St you can use museum passes, membership or NYC programs but if you want to “pay what you wish” you MUST enter at ether the main entrance, the entrance by the subway platform or the 81St Entrance. 

SATURDAY: Sketch the Morgan

Morgan Library & Museum

Saturday: March 16th, 2019

The Museum contains acquisitions of art and literature by financier Pierpont Morgan (1837–1913), His tastes were encyclopedic, and by the early 1900s his holdings were of such magnitude that he commissioned the architect Charles McKim to design a private library to house them.

The 1906 neo-classical McKim building, a National Historic Landmark, remains the heart and soul of the Morgan today. Over the years, the museum has added the beautiful Morgan brownstone residence to its campus, and in 2006 unveiled an acclaimed expansion by architect Renzo Piano.


Current exhibits include Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth and the Invention and Design: Early Italian Drawings at the Morgan

DETAILS:

WHERE:  The Morgan Library & Museum, 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street. (see map below)

WHEN:   Starting at 10 AM.  If you're running late, we're there for the day - come anyway.

HOW: 
*  By subway:
No. 6 to 33d Street;
No. 4, 5, 6 or 7 to Grand Central B, D, F, Q to 42d Street

*  By bus: M2, M3, M4, Q32 to 36th Street
PATH to 33d Street

*  Admission
$22 Adults
$14 Seniors (65 and over)
$13 Students (with current ID)

LUNCH:  12:00 Noon.  Bring your own or use the cafeteria

AFTERNOON:  1:00 PM - Back to sketching

SHOW and TELL:   3:00 PM - A short walk to Reichenbach Hall at 5 W 37th St, where we will share drawings, good stories a snack or beer or wine if you're so inclined.

NOTES:

-   Bring a stool if you own one it gives you more potential options. Sitting on the floor while sketching or taking notes is not permitted.
-   Coats, if not worn, must be checked at the coatroom. Complimentary coat and bag check available
-   While pencils, sketchbooks, and notebooks are allowed, no pens, ink, paints, markers, easels, or stools are permitted. This is unevenly enforced. 

Click to enlarge

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

Weekday Sketchers at AMNH

Is it possible to catch a giant whale with a small book? 

Join us this week and find out.  On Thursday we will dive under the sea to sketch the wonderful dioramas in the Ocean Life exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History.   Bring your brightest blues and aquas and see if you can catch the giant whale with your very own (sketch)book.

Following lunch we will move on to other sections of the museum....to catch a buffalo or a butterfly,   an elephant or a dinosaur!! Happy Hunting! 

DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

                        Central Park West btwn 77th /81st Streets

NOTE: We will meet at the 77th Street Entrance which is closer to the Ocean Life Exhibit Hall. There is an entrance fee but the museum has a "pay what you wish" policy.  

TRANSPORTATION: B or C train to 81st street station.

                     Suggestion:  Use the exit at the back end of the platform and walk up to the street and over to 77ST.  If you enter the museum with the entrance directly from the subway platform you will have to wind your way through the whole museum to get to the meeting place. 

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.  Bring a stool and a headlamp. It is dark in the exhibit halls and a headlamp or clip on lamp on your sketchbook is helpful. Bring lunch or purchase it in the museum cafeteria. 

Saturday: Sketching Hands

Hands.  They're incredibly expressive and flexible.  They're one of the attributes that define us as humans.  They're also difficult to draw.  Beginers sometimes avoid drawing hands or find ways to hide them in their drawings.

Note 1:  This is Not Urban Sketching (NUS), but it is a skill that adds substantially .to your drawing repertoire. 

This coming Saturday March 9th, we're going to explore drawing hands.  We'll be indoors in an area that has interesting architecture and people to draw.  We'll be using a Life Drawing style format and we will each take turns providing hand poses for the group to draw.

DETAILS:

Where:  The Atrium of the IBM Building at 590 Madison Avenue. 

Transportation:  (see map below)
-   E or M to 5 Ave / 53 St.
-   N, R, or W to 5 Ave.

When:  Start at 11 AM  Meet in the Atrium.  There are tables and chairs.   Running late?  Meet us any time, we'll be there!

Lunch:  12:30 PM Bring your own or use the lunch shops nearby on Madison Ave

Afternoon:  1:30 PM  - Back to sketching.

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - We will share drawings and stories.

Notes 2 & 3: 
-   The security people sometimes become concerned if the tables are moved too much - so bring a stool if you have one.    A stool gives you more options.
-    Bathrooms are nearby.

Click to Enlarge

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees.   All drawing skill levels are welcome.Saturday: Sketching Hands

Weekday Sketchers at Ford Foundation Atrium 

Winter weather got you down?  Wish you could stroll through a green garden once again?  

Then, join us we enter a light filled space with 39 species of plants, a reflecting pool and an art gallery....right on 42nd Street in Manhattan. The Ford Foundation has recently re-opened its famous tropical atrium after years of renovation. Break your green paint out of hibernation, bring a stool and enjoy a day in this oasis in mid-Manhattan. 

You are welcome to visit the Ford Foundation Gallery which is hosting an exhibit called Perilous Bodies.  For information on the exhibit, click here; https://www.fordfoundation.org/about/the-ford-foundation-center-for-social-justice/ford-foundation-gallery/exhibitions/perilous-bodies/

DATE: WEDNESDY, MARCH 6, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: THE FORD FOUNDATION ATRIUM

                       320 EAST 43RD ST btwn 2nd Ave and Tutor Pl

                       Note: there is an entrance 42nd St. as well

TRANSPORTATION: 4, 5, 6, 7 OR S subway to Grand Central.

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.