Weekday Sketchers at Hamilton Heights and CCNY Uptown Campus

CCNY
138th Street and Convent Avenue
Meeting Place 

Join us this week as we explore an historic section of the city.  Hamilton Heights is located in Northern Manhattan between the Hudson River and St. Nicholas Avenues from 135th Street to 155th Streets .  Home to The Grange, which was Alexander Hamilton's home, the uptown campus of City College of NY, Trinity Cemetery and streets of Whitestone houses.  

Gothic Architecture Shepard Hall 

We will meet on the campus of CCNY at 138th Street and Convent Avenure (yes there was once a convent there!) by a set of archways leading into the campus.  First we will explore the unique architecture of the buildings with the grey stone body and beautiful white terra-cotta tiles, with students and professors replacing the usual gargoyles that dominate the gothic buildings.  We can also spend time sketching The Grange, Hamilton's home and perhaps some of the lovely streets in the area. 

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  CITY COLLEGE OF New York

                        138TH STREET AND CONVENT AVENUE 

TRANSPORTATION: 1 Train to 137th Street/ City College Station

                                    Exit the subway and follow 138th Street two blocks east to Convent Ave

The Grange
Alexander Hamilton's Home

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bring a stool
• Bring lunch or purchase it along the way.
• Bathrooms and water available in the college buildings.

 

THURSDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Lasdon Park in Katonah, NY

 

Come join us on Thursday when Jamie Grossman and I will be co-hosting this joint event with the Westchester NYC Urban Sketchers and the Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painters.

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 red, yellow, and orange autumn colors of the many mums, shrubs, and historic trees which adorn the property.

The Veterans Memorial is a pathway, known as The Trail of Honor, and is dedicated to the veterans of Westchester County, from The American Revolution to Desert Storm. On this trail, you will walk among the natural surroundings and wildlife featured in Lasdon Park as you journey through our nation’s past.

DETAILS:

WHERE: Lasdon Park, Aboretum, and Veterans Memorial https://www.lasdonpark.org/
2610 Amawalk Road (Route 35) Katonah, NY 10536 Phone: 914-864-7270

WHEN: THURSDAY,  November 3, 2022. 

START TIME: 10:00 AM. Meet on the patio courtyard near the restrooms.  The park is open from 8 am to 4 pm, so you can come anytime during those hours.

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

Transportation from NYC: Metro-North Harlem Line to Katonah Station.

The 8:44 AM peak train from Grand Central arrives in Katonah at 9:52 AM.

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

LUNCH: 1:00 PM Bring your own food and beverage.  Meet on the patio courtyard near the gift shop.  The gift shop will not be open.

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. 

- The Shop at Lasdon and Veterans Museum will be closed during the construction of the Main House.

- Bring a stool for more options.

Looking for us? Call: Cathy at (914) 625-0766

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net

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

Weekday Sketchers Schedule

November 2022

CCNY Uptown Campus

In an effort to help you plan to attend the Weekday Sketch events, here is the schedule for November 2022.  Looking forward to seeing you at as many as you can manage. 

Canstruction 

Wednesday November 2, 2022            Hamilton Heights and CCNY Uptown Campus

Wednesday November 9, 2022            Canstruction, Brookfield Place

Wednesday November 16, 2022.         Combined NY and NJ Weekday Groups

                                                               Hoboken Terminal

Thanksgiving Week                               No Planned Event

Wednesday November 30, 2022           Cast Hall

Hoboken Terminal

 

Saturday, October 29, 2022

The forty foot wide Mall, flanked by its majestic rows of American Elms, provides the perfect place for sketching.  It is usually filled with activity, loads of people strolling through or hanging out people watching.  The Autumn offers the view of Crayola colored leaves wafting gracefully through the crisp air and should be near peak perfection.  

The southern end of the Mall features an area known as Literary Walk that is populated with a series of sculptures depicting popular literary figures. Other personalities represented along The Mall include Christopher Columbus, Victor Herbert, and Ludwig van Beethoven. Another celebrated sculpture residing the Mall area is Christopher Fratin’s “Eagles and Prey” depicting two birds of prey attacking a goat; an art piece that has stirred more than it’s share of controversy. In 2020, this stretch of the Mall became the site of the first new monument added to the Park in over 50 years, the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument.

Olmsted and Vaux called the Mall “an open-air hall of reception.” The designers arranged trees in regular rows and chose American elms because their curvy and overarching branches create an impression of an architectural space—some have compared it to the vaulting of a cathedral. This straight path, one of the few in the Park, connects entrances and landscapes in the south to points north, leading directly to Bethesda Terrace

DETAILS

What:   We will be sketching at the Mall (aka The Promenade) in Central Park.  

Where:   We’re meeting at north end of the Mall - approx 72 St. The Mall is located mid-park between 66th to 72nd Streets .  (see map)

 

When:  Meet at 10 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we’ll be there the whole day.  If you’re attending the afternoon workshop consider warming up in the park with us.

How:

-   By Subway:  

• East Side:
• 68th St. - Hunter College - 4, 6 train
• 77th St. - 4, 6 train
• West Side:
• 72 St. - A, B, C train
• Lincoln Center - 66th St. - 1, 2 train
• Columbus Circle - 59th St. - 1, 2, A, B, C and D - train
• See map below.

Lunch:  12:30 PM .  Bring your own or rely on vendors in the park   Our lunch location within the park will be determined once we’re there.

Afternoon:  1:30 PM  Back to the sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - We’ll find a likely spot (possibly where we had lunch) to share our work, tell stories and talk about what artists talk about.

NOTE:

-     Bring a hat and be prepared for sunshine  

-     Bring a stool, it gives you more options.  There are some benches in the park but having your portable stool means you can sketch exactly where you like.

​

Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome

THURSDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Caramoor in Katonah, NY

  

Come join us on Thursday when Jamie Grossman and I will be co-hosting this joint event with the Westchester NYC Urban Sketchers and the Lower Hudson Valley Plein Air Painters.   

You'll Find a Wealth of Inspiration Here! 

Located on the grounds of a former estate, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens, and grounds. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality.

We will explore the lush grounds, and the settings of the historic Rosen House, Spanish Courtyard, and magnificent gardens which will provide inspiration for your artwork.

In addition, there is an annual exhibition of sound art, curated by Stephan Moore, from artists working with sonic materials outside the traditions of concert music. World-renowned sound artist Trimpin created the permanent kinetic interactive sculpture located in the entry plaza. From the top of the C’s curve, 24 tuned metal bell chimes ranging over two octaves are suspended. Made out of steel and utilizing electromechanical components, in “C” interacts with visitors through a motion sensor (as you approach, its melodious chimes draw you closer) and through the physical activation of a push-button panel (Don’t be shy!).

DETAILS:

Where: Caramoor https://caramoor.org/visit/
149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY 10536. Phone: 914-232-1252

When: THURSDAY, October 27, 2022. 10:00 AM.

We'll meet We'll meet at the Entry Circle plaza near the Foxes Field parking lot.

NOTE: The automatic entrance gates open towards you as you approach them. 

Directions: https://caramoor.org/visit/getting-to-caramoor/

Transportation from NYC: Take the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah Station. Caramoor is a 3.5-mile drive from the Katonah station. For current information, check the Metro-North schedule. Car service from the Katonah Train Station to Caramoor (5 minutes away) is available by calling Katonah Taxi at 914.232.5772. Be sure to book a round trip ride with the taxi or car service company if you’ll be returning to the train station.

NOTE: If you will need a ride from the station, please call Cathy to arrange for pick up.

Lunch: 1 PM Bring your own food. We'll be picnicking together on the patio behind the Entry Circle.

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

NOTES:
- Bring drinking water.
- There are lots of benches but bring a stool for more options.
- Dress for sunshine. Bring a hat and sunscreen.
- Restrooms are available.
- Parking is free.

Looking for us? Call: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net

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

New Jersey Sketchers at Montclair Art Museum

Montclair Art Museum Entrance

George Inness, a major landscape of the nineteenth century who had great influence on the Hudson River School,  lived and worked in Montclair NJ.  The Montclair Art Museum has a wonderful collection of his paintings and a gallery dedicated to his work.  There is now a significant new installation of his work and  an exhibit of works by many artists who were influenced by George Inness.  This month we will visit the museum, view the work by Innes and the featured artist and then go out to the ground of the museum and see if we can use these ideas in our own work.  

Peace and Plenty by George Innes

If time and interest allows we can also move a few blocks away to the Van Vleck Garden to continue our sketching.   All together we should have a great day of working in some beautiful settings while being influenced by some great painters. 

For information about the museum and directions, visit the website: https://www.montclairartmuseum.org

For information about the Van Vleck House and Garden, click here: https://montclairfoundation.org

Work by Pamela Moore inspired by George Inness

DATE: FRIDAY  OCTBER 28, 2022

                        Since the museum is not open on Thursdays we will meet on Friday this month

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATIAON: MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM

                                 3 SOUTH MOUNTAIN AVE, MONTCLAIR NJ

DIRECTIONS:  Please check the museum web site for directions or use a GPS program. 

Van Vleck Garden 

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Margaret Casagrande at.  margaret.casagrande@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call Margaret at 646-515-9913
• There is an entrance fee of $15 for adults and $12 for seniors. The American Alliance of Museum membership is accepted. Check the website for other discounts
• Bathrooms and water are available at both sites
• Three is no food service in either place. Please bring lunch or purchase it along the way
• Bring a stool
• Free parking is available in both places

Weekday Sketchers at Green-Wood Cemetery

ITS HALLOWEEN! (Almost) 

Time to go to the Cemetery!

Main Entrance

What has 478 acres of hills, valleys, the highest point in Brooklyn,  incredible trees, 3 lakes, a chapel with Tiffany windows, incredible funerary architecture, a resident flock of green parrots, and very scary Halloween Decorations?  Greenwood Cemetery is the answer!  Join us for some (not so) spooky fun!

The Chapel

Built in the style of Victorian Cemteries, with parkland attributes for strolling and picnicking, this gem of New York is open to the public and ripe for urban sketching.  

For information about Green-Wood, the celebrities buried there, the art and architecture, the arboretum and a map, click here: https://www.green-wood.com

DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 26, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY

                                5th Avenue and 25th Street BROOKLYN

TRANSPORTATION: R train to 25th Street.

                                        Exit the subway and walk one block up the hill to the cemetery 

Minerva Saluting Lady Liberty

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is water and bathrooms available 
• Bring a stool
• We will meet for lunch at 1:00 PM in front of the Chapel
• There is no food service at the cemetery.  Bring lunch with you. If you want to purchase something there is a deli near the subway station and Baked in Brooklyn a very good bakery, coffee/sandwich shop across from the entrance to the cemetery

SATURDAY: Sketch the Fall Festival at King Manor Museum

 

Rufus Park is celebrating their annual Fall Festival! This year, they’re collaborating with Queens Fiber Arts to provide a festival with dozens of vendors, in addition to a pumpkin patch (Queens County Farm) and rum tasting with the historic Neir’s Tavern. Enjoy the fall air as we celebrate Spooky Season!

Rufus King Park is a place of tolerance and independence, of sports and activity, and of natural beauty and wonder. This 11.5-acre park was the former estate of Rufus King, a lawyer and statesman who was one of the original signers of the United States Constitution, and a leader in the early anti-slavery movement. The historic King Manor Museum continues to engage visitors with stories of history and tolerance, including an annual naturalization ceremony.

King purchased the farmhouse and 90-acre farm in 1805. Influenced by his time in England, King was among the first to bring Picturesque design principles to an estate landscape in the northeastern United States. His work included constructing a semicircular front drive, surrounding the property with a belt of trees,  and planting oaks around the mansion, some of which remain. The estate was a working farm, transitioning from the use of enslaved labor to free labor during King’s tenure  and serving as a laboratory for agricultural experimentation and a source of commercial profit.

By the way, Neir’s Tavern (mentioned above) is also pretty famous  Founded in 1829 it is one of the oldest bars in the country. Good Fella’s was filmed there, Anthony Bourdain has visited, and going back, Mae West performed there.

 DETAILS

What:   We will be sketching the Fall Festival at Rufus King Park.  

Where:   We’re meeting at Rufus King Park  located at 150-03 Jamaica Ave, Jamaica.  (see map below)

When:  Meet at 10 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we’ll be there the whole day, (or at least until 3 PM).

How:

-   By Subway:  

• Jamaica Center - Parsons/Archer - the E, J or Z train, or

• Sutphin Blvd - Archer Av - JFK Airport - the E, J or Z train

Depending on which stop you use and which exit you take you may be approaching the park from one of four possible directions.  Refer to the map below.

Lunch:  12:30 PM .  Bring your own or rely on local vendors.  There are food options in the neighborhood.  Our lunch location within the park will be determined 

Afternoon:  1:30 PM  Back to the sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - We’ll find a likely spot (possibly where we had lunch) to share our work, tell stories and talk about what artists talk about.

NOTES:

-     Bring a hat and be prepared for sunshine  

-     Bring a stool, it gives you more options.  

• There are some benches in the park but having your portable stool means you can sketch exactly where you like.

(click to enlarge)

Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome

SATURDAY: Westchester Sketchers at the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Gardens

 Feel the Peace and Wisdom of Nature at the Hammond

A visit to The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden is a chance to experience the peace of nature and the wisdom of Eastern culture, right in Westchester County.

Located in North Salem, New York, The Hammond Museum serves visitors worldwide with Japanese art and a beautifully-preserved 3.5-acre Japanese stroll garden. Come take a walk and sketch in the gardens, or see the art on show in the museum's galleries. The museum offers changing exhibits, lectures, and programs that reflect the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures.

DETAILS: 

DATE: SATURDAY, October 22, 2022. 

Start time: 12 PM (Note:  Later start time)

Museum hours: 12-4 PM.  

Admission: Adults $5, Seniors $4.

LOCATION: The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden https://www.hammondmuseum.org/

28 Deveau Road, North Salem, NY 10560-2115 

Phone: 914-669-5033

DIRECTIONS: Take I-684 to Exit 7. Take Route 116 East to Salem Center. Follow signs for the Hammond Museum on June Road north until reaching Deveau Road. https://www.hammondmuseum.org/visit

Transportation from NYC: Take METRO NORTH Harlem line trains to Croton Falls. From the Croton Falls station, the museum recommends taking a Taxi or Car Service to the museum. To arrange for pick up, please contact Marianne (mmiloff515@gmail.com)

LUNCH: Since we will be starting later, so we will not stop for lunch, please bring your own lunch/snack and water.

SHOW and TELL: 3:00 PM.  We will share our drawings and tell stories.  This is the social part of our day and should not be missed.

NOTES:

- Bring a stool if you have one.  It gives you more options.

- Dress for sunshine and cool temperatures.  

- Bring a hat and sunscreen.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at cathygutterman@verizon.net

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-6507. 

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

Last Call for Entries - Deadline November 1st - "Manhattan Below 14th Street"

 

Last Call for Entries

“Manhattan Below 14th Street”

Art Exhibit 

Deadline: November 1, 2022

 

 

Where: New Amsterdam Library, 9 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007

When: January 9 – February 27, 2023

Submission Period: September 9 –November 1, 2022

Eligibility: NYC Urban Sketchers who completed works in 2022 “on location” or “en plein air” in Manhattan Below 14thStreet. 

 

For this exhibit, digital photographs of all work will be submitted electronically to a Google Forms site. Technical specifications for the digital submissions are contained in Google Forms links below. There are no entry fees and a limit of two submissions per person. A jury of three people independent of NYC Urban Sketchers will select the work. Like the exhibit at the New Amsterdam Library that opened on August 16 and is running until October 7, the art selected will be reproduced in large format and printed on paper for display. Please be sure to select images for submission carefully. After submission, you cannot replace them. 

Artists with gmail accounts should submit their entries at the following link

https://forms.gle/G8EZJxVUE8U6k6cK8

Artists with Non-gmail accounts should submit their entries at the following link

https://forms.gle/Yhtu8v3JJbYoS4xv8