Weekday Sketchers at American Museum of Natural History 

Inside or Outside

It is that time of year when winter is leaving and spring is coming,  but winter just won't let up its hold on us.  One day warm the next a snowstorm.  It makes planning a bit difficult. We want to be outdoors to sketch but we need a place to get indoors if the weather gets bad.

Our schedule calls for us to go to the American Museum of Natural History and fortunately it offers us both options.  If it is nice, we will be outside.  If it is nasty we will go inside. OR you can choose either option regardless of the weather.  For those choosing inside, there is so much to do. For those choosing outside, the views of the Gothic  buildings or the glass cube of the Planetarium  with the gardens in front offer many opportunities for beautiful sketches. 

This is a bit confusing BUT we can do it!!  We will meet at the side entrance by the  Planetarium  on 81st Street at 10:30 AM.  We can then decide to go inside or out. We can decide to meet for lunch inside or out. The weather forecast is for rain with a high of about 60.  It can go either way.  (The forecast for Saturday was rain all day and it turned into a beautiful spring day.) 

DATE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. 

                       Central Park West and 81st Street

TRANSPORTATION:  B or C train to 81st St Museum of Natural History station. 

81st street entrance 

NOTES: 

• There is an entrance fee of $23 for adults and $18 for seniors,  but there is a pay-as-you-wish policy.  The American Alliance of Museum membership is accepted.  You can make a reservation of purchase it at the door.  If you have the AAM card you go to the membership desk to get your ticket.
• You will have to follow COVID protocols 
• Please RSVP to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• We will meet at the entrance on 81st Street to determine if we are working indoors or out. We will wait there for about 10 minutes and then head out to sketch. If you arrive later, call or text Raylie Dunkel at 201-273-0445 to find the group.  
• We will break for lunch at 1:00 PM.  If you come after 10:30 call Raylie for information on where we will meet for lunch. 
• There is a cafeteria on site
• For indoor work bring a stool.  A headlamp is a good idea as many exhibits are in dark rooms
• You can work in watercolor if you are discrete.

SUNDAY 3/27: The Ninth Annual Portrait Party

 

There is no event like it.  

It's not really Urban Sketching ...

but it's a challenge that will tax your sketching skills

Planned for Sunday, March 27, 2022 - Start time 10 AM EDT

The Portrait Party is the sketching equivalent of running a marathon,  - it's exhilarating - it's exhausting.  It is hours of non-stop sketching.  Each portrait takes 10 minutes and there is practically no break in the action.

A lot has changed since the pandemic, and there are several adjustments we’ve made for this year's Portrait Party.

YOUR FACE

We will all take turns being the model so it is very important that your image on camera is clear and well lit.  Give this some thought and make whatever adjustments are needed so we can see your happy smiling face!  

YOUR MATERIALS

You will be using your own paper.  We suggest you work life size, meaning 9x12” or 11x14” paper held in portrait mode.  Try to use one sheet of paper for each portrait.   Include the model's name at the bottom.  Start thinking of a strategy to work quickly.  Color is wonderful and most people will be working in color.  Use any materials or medium you like.  Working digitally is also acceptable.

HOW IT WILL WORK

You will have 10 minutes to complete each portrait.  I know that sounds crazy but “necessity is the mother of invention,”  you will devise strategies and by the time you’re working on your last portrait of the day you will have developed your own creative solution - we promise!

     

You will randomly be assigned to a group.  There will be about 15 people in your group.  Everyone will get a turn to be the model. Each group will need someone to keep the time.   You can take turns.  Be sure to bring a clock or some way to keep the time.  Each person will get a chance to be the model.  You could take turns based on the alphabetical order for everyone’s first name.  It’s your choice - organize any way you like, but keep things moving.

     

 By 1:00 PM when we finish you'll have lots of completed portraits.

=========================================

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

• You need to register here to participate  
• Click here:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-ninth-annual-portrait-party-with-nyc-urban-sketchers-tickets-298438576817
• The virtual sketching event will be on Sunday, March 28th and starts at 10 AM EDT
• Save your Registration Receipt:  The login information you will need on Sunday is written on your receipt
• Registration closes on Saturday, 3/27 at noon.
• Please login in ready to sketch about ten minutes before start time - 9:50 AM EDT

FRIDAY: Westchester Sketchers at Glen Island Park

 

This 105-acre island property is connected to New Rochelle by a drawbridge built in the 1920s. After Playland, Glen Island is the second most widely used park in the County Parks system. One of Westchester’s unique jewels, it was initially developed as a summer resort by John H. Starin. The original design exhibited the five cultures of the western world on individual islands linked together with piers and causeways. Today the islands have been merged with substantial fill areas totaling 130 acres and providing a beautiful crescent shaped beach with access to the Long Island Sound.

Cannons, sculptures and castles with coursed rubble stone, arched openings and round towers still remain from the days of John Starin’s resort. The castles, reminiscent of those in Germany's Rhineland, were constructed on their present site in the late 19th century for use as a beer garden and restaurant.

     

The bathhouse was originally built in a Neo-Georgian style with a cupola marking the center of the front façade. A courtyard looks out to the beach and is completed by a colonnade. The bridge, bridge house, seawall and castles are all eligible for listing on the Register of Historic Places.

DETAILS:
When: Friday, March 18, 2022

Location: Glen Island Park, Weyman Avenue, New Rochelle 10805 

https://parks.westchestergov.com/glen-island-park Phone: (914) 813-6720 or 6721

Time: 10:00 AM We'll meet in front of the castle located to the right as you enter the parking lot.

Directions: https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/glen-island-park-265288484

Transportation from NYC: Metro-North New Haven Line to New Rochelle Station.
The 9:07 AM off-peak train from Grand Central arrives in New Rochelle at 9:40 AM.
Please call Marianne (914-355-6507) to arrange for pick up and ride to Glen Island.

Lunch: Bring your own lunch/snack/water. We'll be picnicking together.
Show & Tell: After lunch we will share stories and sketches during the social part of our day.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman cathygutterman@verizon.net
 
Looking for us? Call Cathy at 914-625-0766 or Marianne at 914-355-6507


NOTES:
- It can be breezy by the water - you may want to bring a light jacket.
- There are lots of picnic tables, but a stool can offer more options.

- It's before Memorial Day, so there should be no fee for parking or the need for a park pass. 

- Restrooms are located in the Office building located on the right as you enter the Park.

Weekday Sketcher at Fire Museum Wednesday

It is said that every kid wants to be a fireman...don't know I'm a girl and wanted to be a ballerina.  But that was then and this is now and girls can be fire-persons if they want to be.  All that said...join us this week for a trip back in time and a fun look at a serious subject. 

From their website: 

Our two exhibit floors trace the development of firefighting in New York from the early bucket brigades to the present day. Displayed are objects that document the history of the volunteer and paid departments, from painted leather buckets to early motorized apparatus. A separate memorial exhibit honors the 343 members of FDNY-EMS who made the Supreme Sacrifice on September 11, 2001.

DATE:  WEDNESDAY MARCH 16, 2022

LOCATION:  FIRE MUSEUM 

                        278 Spring Street btw. Varick and Hudson Streets

STARTING TIME:  10:30 AM

TRANSPORTATION: C OR E TRAIN TO SPRING STREET 

                                       Walk west 1 1/2 blocks to Museum

NOTES: 

• There is an admission charge of $10 for adults $8 for Seniors.  They accept various memberships as well 
• COVID protocols are inplace and you will have to wear a face mask
• Bring a stool and be prepared to work in dry materials if necessary
• We will break for lunch at 12:30 
• RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com   Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• For more information about the museum click here: https://www.nycfiremuseum.org/

 

WORKSHOP: Merek's - San Gimignano in Ink with Two Colours!

 

A warm color, a cool color and some Ink, ... and that's it?   Incredible!!!

 10 AM ET - ​SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2022

In this workshop, you will create artwork in ink and watercolour using our photo of San Gimignano as inspiration; you will learn how to correct photo elements that can be improved upon, establish clear values, ink lines using waterproof ink, then paint in watercolour using mainly two colours. You will produce a final artwork characterized by a pleasant composition, logical values, and harmonized colours. And, of course, I hope you’ll have fun doing that!   - Marek Badzynski

​For more details and to register for this workshop - click here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-mareks-san-gimignano-in-ink-with-two-colours-tickets-293999128307

​NOTE:  Save your receipt it has information you will need.​

 Weekday Sketchers Schedule 

March 2022

Something to look forward to!

It is always good to look forward and plan for the future, including attending the weekly meetings of the Weekday NYC Urban Sketchers Group.  Keep your Wednesdays reserved,  as all of our gatherings will be on a Wednesday.....it just keeps things simple!

While we will be indoors for March, once the weather warms up we will be moving outdoors. Some of the planned activities include: the Bronx Zoo, The NY Botanic Gardens, Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters, Snug Harbor on Staten Island and the Chinese Scholars Garden, Grant's Tomb, the Noguchi Museum and Socrates Park and the newly installed "zoo" on Park Avenue.  There will also be a few Cherry Blossom weeks in April as well as planned joint activities with the Westchester group. 

So keep your Wednesdays reserved for Urban Sketchers and watch for announcements on where and when to meet. 

March 9                Essex Market: One Week 100 People

Marc 16                Fire Museum

March 23              American Museum of Natural History

March 30              NY Public Library Exhibit "Treasures"

Remember that this is a tentative list and is weather dependent.  If the weather is nice, we will substitute an outdoor venue.  

Additionally there will be special trips that are not on Wednesday.  Our first one will be the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport.  And watch for announcements for the Albany sketching retreat.  

If you have any ideas on sketching venues, please contact Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com.

Weekday Sketchers: 

One Week 100 People 

One Week 100 People is This Week!  Let's get sketching!

Marc Toro Holmes and Liz Steel have organized a world wide challenge to sketch 100 people in one week.  Maybe we will meet the goal, maybe not but trying is all the fun.... and in NYC you can't complain about lack of subject matter!

Subways, streets, parks, restaurants, out the window, in your building....they're all over the place. And one nice place to sit and sketch them is indoors at the Essex Market.  Recently opened in a new building on Delancey Street, this indoor market and food hall replaces the WPA era buildings along Essex Street.  Up graded, posh, and chocked full of food from around the world, people will be shopping, eating, hanging out and passing time.  Let's get them into our sketches.

For information about the One Week 100 People Challenge, click here:

 https://www.lizsteel.com/oneweek100people2022/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=March+2022:+One+Week+100+People+is+on+again!&utm_campaign=March+2022+Newsletter

For more about the market click here: 

 https://www.essexmarket.nyc/

DATE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 9, 2022

START TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  ESSEX MARKET

                        Southeast corner of Delancey and Essex Streets on the Lower East Side

TRANSPORTATION:  F, M, J, Z to Delancey Street/Essex Street

NOTES: 

• We will meet at the top of the staircase pictured below. 
• While we are focused on people this week, it is still people within an urban setting.
• It will be crowded so be prepared to work in a small space
• You can use watercolor but it will be crowded
• You can bring your lunch...but....this is a fabulous food hall!  What to eat?:  click here:  https://ny.eater.com/2019/12/18/21024082/essex-market-market-line-best-food-nyc
• There are seats in many places so no need to bring a stool